Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The tight grip of "me and mine" ties me up and sends me wandering in circles, never quite settled. But peace — real, resting peace — comes to a heart that turns toward the One in love.
This one says the ego ties knots, and love unties them into peace.
Ha-umai bandhan bandh bhavaavai — the ego binds people and sends them wandering. Bandhan means bonds, like knots in a rope. The ego ties them, then makes you wander lost, chasing and coming back, never arriving. Think of a kite string tangled round a tree. The more you yank, the tighter it gets.
Naanak raam bhagat sukh paavai — O Nanak, peace comes through loving devotion to the One. Bhagat means loving devotion. Sukh means deep peace.
This last line is where the whole shabad lands. It answers every verse before it: the restless king, the holy costume, the loud "me." Love unties all of it. And that peace is offered fresh to whoever reads it now.
When you love something or someone freely, without needing anything back, how does that feel compared to worrying about yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI