Renounce your self-conceit, and grasp hold of the Guru's feet; hold tight to the hem of God's robe.
Again and again, God puts up with the millions of sins of the supremely ungrateful ones.
The embodiment of mercy, the Perfect Transcendent Lord - Nanak longs for His Sanctuary. ||2||17||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Let go of your self-importance and take hold of the teacher's feet; hold tight to the hem of the One's robe.
Again and again, the One bears with the countless wrongs of even the most ungrateful.
Mercy itself, the perfect One beyond all — Nanak longs for its shelter.
This verse pairs the one condition with the boundless patience that makes it easy. The condition: drop self-importance, grab the teacher's feet and the hem of the robe — the gestures of a child holding on, not letting go. And the reassurance that makes it safe to come: the One "again and again puts up with the millions of sins of the supremely ungrateful." This is not a stern judge counting failures; it is inexhaustible patience. You do not have to arrive worthy or clean. The One has already been bearing with you, endlessly, before you even turned around. Knowing that is what makes it possible to let go of pride and simply hold on.
Does knowing someone will be patient with you make it easier or harder to admit when you're wrong?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI