Raag Gond
Commentary

Raag Gond, Chaupada (Short Tukas), Mehl 4 (Guru Ram Das)

A thirst for one glimpse of the Beloved — and the whole self at rest the moment it sees.

The Arc

This short-lined shabad closes Guru Ram Das's 'first set of six' in Gond, and it is nearly pure longing.

  • Verse 1 (P0): the mind yearns for one sight of the One, like a thirsty person for water.
  • The Rahau (P1): the heart is pierced by love's arrow; the One knows its hidden ache.
  • Verse 2 (P2): whoever tells even a little of the Beloved becomes a brother and friend.
  • Verse 3 (P3): come, companions, let us sing the One together and take in the Guru's steadying wisdom.
  • Verse 4 (P4): fulfill this one hope — in the sight of the One, the whole self rests.

Key Vocabulary

  • har darsan — a true sight of the One; the object of the whole longing.
  • tarikhaavant — the thirsty one; the shabad's central image.
  • paraym ... teer — the arrow of love; a wound that is also a nearness.
  • baydan / peer — the ache and inner pain, fully known by the One.
  • saant sareer — the body itself finding peace in darshan.

Themes and Cross-Connections

The 'first set of six' in Gond opened on rightly-placed hope (B00C1918-1919) and closes here on hope fulfilled in sight. The arc says something quiet and important: longing does not end in getting more, but in seeing clearly — the same movement from acquisition to presence that runs through the whole raag.

For Raag Gond

Gond, a raag of warm calling, is well suited to a shabad of yearning that turns outward into shared song (mil mil sakhee) — longing here is not lonely but gathering.

Note for the Gond closer: this file closes the 'first set of six' (chhakaa 1), an internal bookend within Guru Ram Das's Gond that the closer may wish to acknowledge.

Translation Notes

  • Short-tukas form: each pauri carries a single line (P0 the mangal line + verse 1; P1 the standalone rahau; P2-P4 one-line verses). The FYC honors the brevity rather than padding it.

Last updated: 2026-07-09

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