Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Long ago the great sages set out to map the whole world with their sacred books, and from that study came the shining stories of the gods. Yet even the gods, the old songs say, felt the tug of wanting more. Whoever is pulled back and forth by the three moods of the world — restlessness, calm, and heaviness — hasn't yet come home to their own true center.
This one says that while the three moods swing you back and forth, you have not yet come home.
Barahmaa mool vayd abhi-aasaa — Brahma is the founder of the study of the Vedas, India's oldest sacred books. Tis tay upjay dayv moh pi-aasaa — from him came the gods, and they felt the pull of wanting. Guru Amar Das treats these great stories with respect, as part of a shared heritage. He is not putting any tradition down.
His point is for everyone. Tarai gun bharmay naahee nij ghar vaasaa — wandering in the three qualities, they do not live in their own home. The trai gun are the three strands every mind is woven from: rajas (restlessness), sattva (calm), and tamas (heaviness).
Think of a swing going back and forth. Even great beings get carried along. You only stop swinging when you find nij ghar, your own true home inside.
This teaching about the three qualities runs through this whole set of shabads.
What are the different "moods" that pull you around in a single day — and where do you feel most like your true self?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI