Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Countless people who once stumbled have been made new and bright again. For that I am amazed and grateful, over and over.
Holding the Name of the One is like a warm, clearing light. It burns away old mistakes, the way sunrise burns away the last of the dark.
However many times people have stumbled, they can be made new. Remembering the One clears away old mistakes.
This shabad by Guru Arjan opens with a salok, a short verse. It leads into a chhant, a longer song of praise. It sets the theme: a mercy that never ends and always renews.
Patit asankh puneet kar — countless fallen people are made pure. Asankh means too many to count. The number is uncountable on purpose, so no child ever hears "except you." No one is beyond a fresh start.
Raam naam jap paavko tin kilbikh dahanhaar — remembering the Name is like a fire that burns away mistakes. Old mistakes go up like dry straw. Think of the first light of morning. The dark does not argue. It is simply gone. The teaching is hope: mistakes are cleared, not held against you.
This short verse is the doorway into a song that pours out name after name of the One.
What helps you feel like you can start fresh after you've made a mistake?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI