Raag Devgandhaari
Commentary

Raag Devgandhaari, Shabad 38, Mehl 5 (Guru Arjan) — closes the Mehl 5 block

"Hearing Your Praises, I live."

The Arc

Still being shown the way, falling at the feet of love (rahau); a single line of praise ending on beauty — "Your place is so beautiful" (v.1); all wealth and powers in the One's palm, and the seeker living simply on hearing the praises (v.2). The tally (||38||6||44||) closes Guru Arjan's thirty-eight Devgandhaari shabads.

Key Vocabulary

  • maarag / "You show me the way" — the seeker still a learner at the end.
  • sohaavaa thaan / "Your place is so beautiful" — the raag's keynote of beauty.
  • kar kirpaa / show kindness — the closing prayer, asking only for mercy.
  • sun jeevaa / "hearing, I live" — living on the sound of the Beloved's praise.

Themes and Cross-Connections

Beauty as the draw ("Your place is so beautiful") returns to the raag's opening Mohan (Enchanter) note (B00C3021, 3055). Everything-in-the-palm links to B00C3038 ("what is not in Your home?"). Living-on-hearing-praise is the raag's viraha at rest.

For Raag Devgandhaari

Seals Guru Arjan's Devgandhaari corpus in its truest key: beauty, humility, and a heart that lives on love. The master ends still bowing, still enchanted, asking only to keep hearing of the One.

Read this shabad →
← Back to Raag Devgandhaari