Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Be kind to me, One who knows the inside of every heart. You are the treasure of peace, the unseen Master of all.
Every living being takes shelter in You. And the real greatness I could ever receive is simply this: the Name held close in my heart.
The shabad ends with a prayer, and says the only greatness worth wanting is the Name.
The teaching now turns into a request: kar kirpaa, please be kind.
Antarjaamee means the Inner-knower, the One who reads every heart. Guru Arjan loves this name. It feels warm, like a parent who knows what is wrong before you say it, not like someone spying on you.
Alakh means unseen, beyond any mark or sign. It balances that closeness. The One is near enough to know us, and far too vast for us to hold.
At the end, vadi-aa-ee, greatness, gets a new meaning. It is not about rank or power. It is simply receiving the Name. That is the whole reward.
If greatness were not about winning or being seen, what might it be instead?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI