Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Be gentle with me, O kind One — You who are so tender toward anyone who feels small. Let me be blessed by the humble dust of the good, the ones who walk the true path.
This is Guru Arjan's closing prayer. He asks for kindness, and for the dust of the good.
Deen da-i-aalaa means "kind to the humble," kind to anyone who feels small. It is a very tender name for the One. Mercy leans toward the small, not away from it. Picture a parent who kneels down to the height of the littlest child.
Naanak deejai saaDh ravaalaa — bless Nanak with the dust of the feet of the holy. Asking for the dust of someone's feet can sound strange at first. It means being humble enough to learn from people further along the path. It is openness, not putting yourself down.
When you feel small, what would it mean to trust that kindness leans toward you, not away?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI