Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Those who hold the treasure of the Name find their chains falling off.
The old afflictions — craving, anger, the poison of glitter, and the pride of being separate — let go of them.
When you hold on to the Name, the chains that hold you start to fall away.
Naam niDhaan means the treasure of the Name. Tin kay banDhan kaatay — for those who keep it, their chains are cut. The verse names the chains clearly. Kaam is strong craving. KroDh is anger. Then there is the poison of maya, the glitter of the world. And mamtaa is the grip of "me and mine." These are the old captors this raag keeps naming.
The key is not force. You do not wrestle the chains off. You hold the treasure, and they loosen by themselves. Think of a new friend who is so much fun that you forget the game you were hooked on. Freedom is less a fight you win. It is a truer love that slowly crowds the old habits out.
What good thing, when it fills you, leaves less room for the habits you'd rather be free of?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI