Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
O my Beloved, who draws my heart, keep my ears for what carries life.
Let me not take in the songs and tunes of those turned away from You, and the empty words they keep saying.
The ears get fed too, so choose what you let into them.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line. It is the center the whole shabad turns on.
Mayray mohan means "my Mohan," the One who draws my heart like a magnet. Sarvanee ih na sunaa-ay means "let my ears not listen to this."
To what? Saakat geet naad dhun means the songs and tunes of the saakat. A saakat is someone turned away from the Source. Here the word stands for hollow, cynical talk, words with no life in them. Bolat bol ajaa-ay means speaking words that go nowhere.
This is not looking down on any person. It is a choice about what to let in. Think of what you eat. You can fill up on junk, or on food that makes you strong. The ears get fed too. Guru Arjan asks to keep his ears for what carries life.
What kinds of words leave you feeling lighter, and which leave you heavier?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI