Sikhism·Raag Dhanaasaree·Shabad 19
Verse 5 of 5

Set Me to the Work of Your Story

ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਧਾਰਹੁ ਹਮ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਸੇਵਾ ਲਾਗੀ ॥
har parabh su-aamee kirpaa Dhaarahu ham har har sayvaa laagee.
O God, my Lord and Master, shower me with Your Mercy, and commit me to Your service.
ਨਾਨਕ ਦਾਸਨਿ ਦਾਸੁ ਕਰਹੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਹਮ ਹਰਿ ਕਥਾ ਕਥਾਗੀ ॥੪॥੨॥
naanak daasan daas karahu parabh ham har kathaa kathaagee. ||4||2||
Make Nanak the slave of Your slaves, God; I speak the speech of the Lord's sermon. ||4||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Pour Your kindness over me, and let me spend myself in Your service.

Make me a helper of Your helpers — let my whole life be the telling of Your story.

The smallest, gladdest place — helping the helpers — is where the meeting happens.
The deeper layer

The answer to the ache is grace, and a glad wish to help.

Kirpaa Dhaarahu ... sayvaa laagee — pour out Your kindness and set me to serving. Kirpaa means kindness, the One's grace. The small voice of the last verse now asks for work to do.

Daasan daas karahu — make me the servant of Your servants. It sounds like going low, but it is joyful. Think of the kid who happily fills the water bottles for the whole team. They want nothing more than to be part of the good work. Har kathaa kathaagee — let my life tell the One's story.

A Question to Sit With

What is a job people call ‘small’ that keeps everything else going?

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

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