Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Come close, O One of everything — let me hold Your Name in my heart. For without the Name, even the things I love can turn hollow; the Name is what makes love real.
This is a prayer to meet the One and receive the Name, because the Name is what makes love real.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Mil mayray gobind apnaa naam dayh — meet me, my Gobind, and give me Your Name. Gobind is a name for the One, the Keeper of the world.
The next line is stern. Naam binaa dharig dharig asnayhu — without the Name, dharig, cursed, cursed, is asnayhu, love and closeness. The point is not to curse love for family and friends. It is that the Name fills love with something real and lasting. Without it, love can turn hollow. Think of a balloon. Without air inside, it goes flat. So a stern line turns into a positive claim.
What makes a love feel real and lasting rather than just a passing feeling?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI