Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Hold the Name of the One close, my friend — keep it near. The road ahead is unknown and hard to walk, and this is the true companion that steadies you along it.
This one is friendly advice: the road ahead is hard, so keep the truest companion close.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Har naam layho meetaa layho — take up the Name, my friend, take it up. Meetaa means friend. So the whole shabad is loving advice, from one friend to another.
Aagai bikham panth bhai-aan — the road ahead is hard and frightening. Bikham means difficult. Gurbani is honest; it never pretends life is easy. But the weight falls on the companion who steadies you: the Naam, the Name, which makes the hard road walkable. Think of a long hike at night with a friend holding the flashlight beside you. The trail is still rough, but you are not alone on it.
So the point is the comfort of having the One with you, more than fear of what lies ahead.
When you have to do something hard, who or what do you want beside you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI