Sikhism·Raag Dhanaasaree·Shabad 42
Verse 3 of 4

You Teach Me in a Thousand Gentle Ways

ਕੋਟਿ ਪਰਾਧ ਹਮਾਰੇ ਖੰਡਹੁ ਅਨਿਕ ਬਿਧੀ ਸਮਝਾਵਹੁ ॥
kot paraaDh hamaaray khandahu anik biDhee samjhaavhu.
You destroy millions of my sins, and teach me in so many ways.
ਹਮ ਅਗਿਆਨ ਅਲਪ ਮਤਿ ਥੋਰੀ ਤੁਮ ਆਪਨ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਰਖਾਵਹੁ ॥੨॥
ham agi-aan alap mat thoree tum aapan birad rakhaavahu. ||2||
I am so ignorant - I understand nothing at all. Please honor Your innate nature, and save me! ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

You wipe away a whole lifetime of mistakes and teach me in so many patient ways.

I understand so little on my own — so stay true to Your own kind nature and hold me safe.

You can lean on the kindness of the One, not on your own perfect record.
The deeper layer

The One keeps teaching us patiently, and saves us because of Who the One is.

anik biDhee samjhaavhu — You explain things to me in so many ways. Think of a good teacher who tries one way, then another, then another, until you finally get it. That is endless patience. And kot paraaDh hamaaray khandahu — You wipe away millions of my mistakes.

The one praying does not point to their own good record. They lean on the One's birad, the One's own loving nature. tum aapan birad rakhaavahu — be true to who You are, and save me. Grace rests on the Giver's kindness, not on how well the receiver has done.

A Question to Sit With

When you make a mistake, does it help to remember that someone loves you anyway?

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

About this shabad →
Use ← → to navigate