Sikhism·Raag Devgandhaari·Shabad 19
Verse 1 of 3

O mind, meet with the Guru, and worship the Naam in adoration.

ਮਨ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਰਾਧਿਓ ॥
man gur mil naam araadhio ||
O mind, meet with the Guru, and worship the Naam in adoration.
ਸੂਖ ਸਹਜ ਆਨੰਦ ਮੰਗਲ ਰਸ ਜੀਵਨ ਕਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਬਾਧਿਓ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
sookh sahaj aana(n)dh ma(n)gal ras jeevan kaa mool baadhio ||1|| rahaau ||
You shall obtain peace, poise, bliss, joy and pleasure, and lay the foundation of eternal life. ||1||Pause||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

O mind, meet the teacher and adore the Name.

You will find peace, poise, bliss, joy and delight, and lay the foundation of a lasting life.

What you do now isn't just passing time — it's laying the foundation for something that lasts, and real peace and joy grow up from it naturally.
The deeper layer

"Lay the foundation of eternal life" — the image is of building. What you do now is not just passing time; it is laying groundwork for something that endures. Guru Arjan lists the fruits generously — peace, poise, bliss, joy, delight — a whole vocabulary of wellbeing, all flowing from one root: meeting the teacher and loving the Name. Note that these are not rewards dangled for good behavior; they are the natural texture of a life rooted rightly, the way a well-planted tree naturally grows leaves. Build on the right foundation and all of this follows on its own.

A Question to Sit With

What are you building the foundation of your life on right now? Will it hold?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

About this shabad →
Use ← → to navigate