Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Sahasbaahu, the king with a thousand arms, was brought low, and so were Madhu and Kaitabh and Mahikhaasaa.
Harnaakhash, too, was caught and brought down.
The harmful were undone, because their hearts never turned to loving devotion.
Where love of the One is missing, pride runs wild.
This verse names more figures from the old stories. Sahasbaahu was a king with a thousand arms. Madhu, Kaitabh and Mahikhaasaa were demons. Harnaakhash, whom we met earlier in this shabad, appears again. In the stories, the One brings each of them down.
The last line gives the reason: dait sanghaaray bin bhagat abhi-aasaa — the demons fell because they had no practice of devotion. Bhagat is loving devotion.
Think of a bike with no brakes. It may go fast, but nothing stops it from crashing. Love for the One is what keeps pride in check. The stories are told fairly, as a warning for anyone, not as blame for anyone.
What keeps your own pride in check when it starts to grow?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI