Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
It is simply the One's nature to love those who love the One.
The One cares for each servant and holds them close, like a dearly loved child.
The One loves us because loving is simply who the One is.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Prabh ko bhagat vachhal birdaari-o — it is the One's own nature to love the devotees. That love is not a prize handed out for good behavior. It is like warmth coming from a fire. The fire does not decide to be warm. It just is.
The love is pictured at its most tender. Karay partipaal baarik kee ni-aa-ee — the One looks after the servant like a little child. Think of a parent tucking in a sleepy kid. This is why the servant in the first verse could drop all the scheming. They are held like a child by a love that is simply for them.
How would you carry yourself if you truly believed you were cherished like a child, before you'd earned anything?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI