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Sikhism·Raag Goojaree·Shabad 57
Verse 9 of 66

You Cross by Unloading the Stones, Not Rowing Harder

ਪਉੜੀ ॥
pa-orhee.
Pauree:
ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਹੈ ਬਿਖਮੁ ਅਤਿ ਭਾਰੀ ॥
maa-i-aa moh agi-aan hai bikham at bhaaree.
Emotional attachment to Maya is spiritual darkness; it is very difficult and such a heavy load.
ਪਥਰ ਪਾਪ ਬਹੁ ਲਦਿਆ ਕਿਉ ਤਰੀਐ ਤਾਰੀ ॥
pathar paap baho ladi-aa ki-o taree-ai taaree.
Loaded with so very many stones of sin, how can the boat cross over?
ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਭਗਤੀ ਰਤਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਰਿ ਉਤਾਰੀ ॥
an-din bhagtee rati-aa har paar utaaree.
Those who are attuned to the Lord's devotional worship night and day are carried across.
ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲਾ ਹਉਮੈ ਛਡਿ ਵਿਕਾਰੀ ॥
gur sabdee man nirmalaa ha-umai chhad vikaaree.
Under the Instruction of the Guru's Shabad, one sheds egotism and corruption, and the mind becomes immaculate.
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਈਐ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰੀ ॥੩॥
har har naam Dhi-aa-ee-ai har har nistaaree. ||3||
Meditate on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har; the Lord, Har, Har, is our Saving Grace. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Clinging to the glitter is a heavy darkness, a crushing load.

Piled with the stones of wrongdoing, how could the boat cross? But those turned to devotion, day and night, are carried over; guided by the Word, ego and corruption fall away, and the mind comes clean. Hold the Name — it is our saving grace.

You don't cross a hard water by rowing harder — you cross by unloading the stones weighing the boat down.
The deeper layer

The third Pauree gives the Vaar's crossing-image: a boat weighed down with "stones of sin" cannot cross the water. The load is attachment and wrongdoing. But devotion lightens the boat — "ego and corruption" shed under the Word — and the Name is named as "our Saving Grace." You do not cross by rowing harder; you cross by unloading the stones.

A Question to Sit With

What 'stones' are weighing your boat? What would it feel like to set some down?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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