Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Take up pen and ink and paper, and write down the Name of the One — the sweet, life-giving word of the One's own song.
Guru Arjan says: write down the Name with pen and ink, and let it be written on your heart too.
This is the rahao, the "pause" line. It is the center of the whole shabad. Likh laykhan kaagad masvaanee — with pen, paper and ink, write. The Name is not only sung. It is written down by hand, a practice you can see and hold.
There is a lovely second layer. Writing the Name on paper outside mirrors writing it on the heart inside. The amrit banee is the word as sweet as nectar, the word that gives life. Gurbani, the Guru's word, is something you would want to copy out carefully.
Think of writing a birthday card for someone you love, slowly, in your very best handwriting. That care is what this line is asking for.
If you wrote down one thing you wanted to keep in mind all week, what would it be?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI