Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
People try all kinds of clever things to get free — but without the One Naam, how far can any trick take you?
The efforts that set the heart free are the ones made in the Sangat — remembering the One together. Everyone wants to feel lifted and whole; that lifting comes through keeping the One in mind.
The One is the boat that carries us across the widest water. So the prayer rises: hold me and carry me, just as I am. And Nanak says: those the One awakens in thought, word, and deed — their understanding quietly lights up.
Release comes through remembering the One in the Sangat, and the One is the boat that carries us across.
Yayya is the "effort and grace" Pauri. Jatan karat baho bidhee-aa, ayk naam bin kah la-o sidhee-aa — many efforts, but without the One Naam, how far can they succeed? The answer: chhutaaraa, release, comes through saadh sangaaraa, the Sangat, and japay, remembrance. Taran taaran samraathaa — the One is the boat that ferries across, a recurring Gurbani image. The plea raakh layho nirgun narnaathaa — "save these worthless ones" — becomes hold me, just as I am: empty hands held out in trust to grace. The close, jih aap janaa-ee... mat pargatee — those the One awakens have understanding light up — grace does the illuminating.
When have you found that trying harder alone didn't work, but doing something together with others changed everything?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI