Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Held safe from the very beginning, even before birth, nothing could harm you.
Grabbing desire, anger, greed, and clinging cannot get their hooks in.
In good company, keeping the formless One in mind,
the ill-will others send comes quietly to nothing.
The Guru says the One keeps a person safe from the very start, before they could even ask.
The verse's first picture is a baby before birth, kept safe from all harm. It is a picture of care that starts before we know anything about it.
Then come four inner troubles: kaam krodh lobh moh. They mean grabbing desire, anger, greed, and clinging too tightly. They are like hooks. They cannot catch hold of a heart that stays close to good people. Saadhsang means that good company, the friends who help us remember the One.
The last line says dust falls on the faces of those who speak badly of good people. It means their unkind words do not stick to the good person. Like mud thrown at a raincoat, it just slides off.
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.
What is something you've been protected from without even knowing it at the time?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI