Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
So now — what shall I do?
What way is there for the worry in my mind to melt, so I can cross this wide ocean of fear and reach the calm far shore?
Every crossing starts with an honest question: what should I do now?
This is the last of Guru Tegh Bahadur's shabads in this raag. It opens with the Rahao, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad. Ab mai ka-un upaa-o kara-o — what shall I do now?
Then two wishes. Sansaa chookai — may the worry in my mind end. Bha-o niDh paar para-o — may I cross this ocean of fear.
It is a longing for peace and for the calm far shore, not a feeling of dread. Think of a child on a swimming lesson looking across the pool and asking, "How do I get to the other side?"
When worry piles up, what is the first honest question you can ask yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI