Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When the treasure of the Name is held deep inside someone, their affairs come out right.
They no longer have to depend on anyone's approval, because the One is right there at their side.
When the Creator is with you, everyone is with you; people see your face and cheer you on.
Kings and rulers are all the One's own making, and they too come and bow before the humble.
Great is the greatness of the perfect Guru; serving the Great One brings a peace beyond measuring, a gift that keeps growing day by day.
If someone cannot bear to see another's good — that ill-will only undoes the one who carries it.
Nanak sings the praises of the Creator, who has always protected those who love.
When the Name lives in your heart, the One is by your side, and you no longer need anyone's approval.
This Shalok by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru, praises the person who carries the Name inside. It rises to a bold picture. Saahu paatisaahu sabh har kaa kee-aa: kings and emperors are all the One's making. And they come and bow before the humble servant. Respect flows to the humble, not only to the powerful.
One line is hard. It speaks of the slanderer, the one who says cruel things and cannot stand to see someone else's goodness. That person is "destroyed by the Creator." This does not mean a curse from above. So kartai aap pachaa-i-aa: the envy eats up the one who carries it. Think of holding a hot coal to throw at someone. Your own hand gets burned first.
The verse is not aimed at any person. It warns about the feeling of envy itself. If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
Why do you think being unable to feel happy for someone else's good hurts the one who feels it most of all?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI