Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Meeting the teacher, I came to understand my own self, body and all. The burning of the "me-first" voice and endless wanting has cooled and gone quiet. Anger fell away, and in its place I took hold of patience — the strength to stay gentle even when it's hard.
Meeting the teacher cools the fire of ego, and patience grows.
Gur mili-ai ham ka-o sareer suDh bha-ee — meeting the Guru, I came to understand my own body and self. Knowing yourself is one of the fruits.
Ha-umai tarisnaa sabh agan bujh-ee — the agan, the fire, of ha-umai and tarisnaa is put out. Ha-umai is the ego, the me-first voice. Tarisnaa is endless wanting, a thirst that never stops. The fire is cooled, not beaten out. Think of a hot pan taken off the stove, slowly cooling.
Then comes a beautiful turn about how we act. Binsay kroDh khimaa geh la-ee — kroDh, anger, melts away, and I take hold of khimaa. Khimaa means patience, bearing things calmly, and forgiving. It is grabbed on purpose, like reaching for a railing. This is the practical heart of the shabad. Awe and the Name change more than feelings. They change who we are.
The next time anger rises in you, what would it look like to reach for patience instead?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI