Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Destroyer of sorrow is Your Name, dear One — the Destroyer of sorrow is Your Name. All through the day and night, let me dwell in the wisdom the whole teaching gives.
This one says the Name of the One breaks sorrow apart.
Dukh bhanjan tayraa naam means "Your Name is the breaker of sorrow." It is said two times, the way you repeat something you trust with your whole heart. This is the rahao, the "pause" line. It is the center of the shabad, and it holds the whole promise. The Name is the living presence of the One, and it melts grief away.
Aath pahar means "all eight watches." Long ago, the day and night were split into eight watches, so it means every hour. Remembering is woven through the whole day, like a song you hum while you walk and work. It is not saved only for special times.
What fills that all-day remembering? Pooran satgur gi-aan — the wisdom of the whole teaching of the True Guru.
What is a comforting thought you could return to again and again through a hard day?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI