Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I have put the dust of the One's feet on my forehead.
This closeness is far beyond the reach of gods, great people and sages.
What the great reached for and missed, the humble quietly found.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Mayrai maathai laagee lay Dhoor gobind charnan kee: I have put on my forehead the Dhoor, the dust, of the One's feet. Dust of the feet is a sign of deep humility. Namdev wears it on his forehead like the highest medal.
Sur nar mun jan tinhoo tay door: this is far from the reach of gods, great people and sages. In Namdev's time, people were ranked by birth and by the work their family did. Namdev printed cloth for a living, and many looked down on that trade. Yet he touches what the grand ones could not. Nearness to the One is given to humility, not to rank.
Why do you think staying humble can open doors that trying to be great cannot?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI