Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Be kind, and tune my mind so I can keep the One in mind through the day and the night.
The One is all peace, all goodness, all real wealth; hold that close, and misery and hunger just walk away.
This is a prayer to be tuned, so the mind can keep the One close all day and all night.
Hohu da-i-aal mayraa man laavhu — be kind and fit my mind to You. Think of a guitar being tuned before a song. The player does not boast that the strings are perfect. They ask for help to bring them into tune. The prayer asks to be made able to remember, day and night.
Then the verse names what the One is. Sabh sukh sabh gun sabh niDhaan — all peace, all goodness, all treasure. These are the very things we chase one by one in many places. The One is the source of all of them together.
So when we remember the One, we are holding the source. Misery and hunger are what it feels like when those good things are missing. Hold the source, and dukh bhukh sabh leh jaa-ee, misery and hunger all go away.
What do you go hunting for in a dozen places that might all trace back to one source?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI