Wake up from drifting: there is a shelter gentle to the humble and a Name that lifts the weight of the past — so sing to the One who is all compassion, and be carried across the deep.
The Arc
The rahao (Pauri 0) calls the half-asleep heart awake, toward a shelter that is tender to the humble and dissolves all fear. Pauri 1 plants the Name as the support of the heart, and the weight of old mistakes lifts. Pauri 2 closes the whole Mehl 9 set: this rare life is the chance, so sing to the compassionate One and cross the world-ocean to the far shore.
Key Vocabulary
nar achayt: the unaware, half-asleep person — called simply to wake up
deen da-i-aal / sagal bhai bhanjan: tender to the humble / breaker of all fear — echoing nirbhau
kasmal: old mistakes, stains — lifted as release, not escape from punishment
karunaa mai: the One who is compassion itself
bhav saagar: the world-ocean — life's difficulty, which we are helped to cross
Themes and Cross-Connections
This shabad closes Guru Tegh Bahadur's Gauree series (the ||251|| tally). The literal's "be afraid of sin" is rendered as an invitation to wake from drifting into harm, keeping the weight on the fear-dissolving shelter (sagal bhai bhanjan) rather than on dread — consistent with the wellbeing rules and with the Mool Mantar's nirbhau. bed puraan singing the same wonders foregrounds interfaith inclusivity: all traditions point one way. The washing of kasmal is release from the past, in tune with the project's positive framing of remembrance.
Translation Notes
Sant Singh Khalsa translates paap tay dar as "you should be afraid of sin," foregrounding fear of wrongdoing; the Gurmukh's dar (fear/careful regard) supports the gentler "wake up and be careful of harm," which the For Your Children voice adopts to keep the emphasis on the sheltering, fear-breaking One.
For Raag Gauree
Gauree's contemplative steadiness carries this closing shabad to a bright horizon: the mood begins in a gentle rousing and ends in the wide, hopeful image of a crossing safely made.
Wake up from drifting: there is a shelter gentle to the humble and a Name that lifts the weight of the past — so sing to the One who is all compassion, and be carried across the deep.
The Arc
The rahao (Pauri 0) calls the half-asleep heart awake, toward a shelter that is tender to the humble and dissolves all fear. Pauri 1 plants the Name as the support of the heart, and the weight of old mistakes lifts. Pauri 2 closes the whole Mehl 9 set: this rare life is the chance, so sing to the compassionate One and cross the world-ocean to the far shore.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
This shabad closes Guru Tegh Bahadur's Gauree series (the ||251|| tally). The literal's "be afraid of sin" is rendered as an invitation to wake from drifting into harm, keeping the weight on the fear-dissolving shelter (sagal bhai bhanjan) rather than on dread — consistent with the wellbeing rules and with the Mool Mantar's nirbhau. bed puraan singing the same wonders foregrounds interfaith inclusivity: all traditions point one way. The washing of kasmal is release from the past, in tune with the project's positive framing of remembrance.
Translation Notes
Sant Singh Khalsa translates paap tay dar as "you should be afraid of sin," foregrounding fear of wrongdoing; the Gurmukh's dar (fear/careful regard) supports the gentler "wake up and be careful of harm," which the For Your Children voice adopts to keep the emphasis on the sheltering, fear-breaking One.
For Raag Gauree
Gauree's contemplative steadiness carries this closing shabad to a bright horizon: the mood begins in a gentle rousing and ends in the wide, hopeful image of a crossing safely made.
Last updated: 2026