Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only one Beloved; we are all its soul-brides. The one who pleases the Beloved is the lovely one.
What can helpless Nanak do? As it pleases the One, so he walks.
This line says we are all loved by the same One, so no one is above anyone else.
Ayko pari-o sakhee-aa sabh pari-a kee — there is only one Beloved, and we are all the Beloved's brides. In Gurbani, "bride" is a picture for every soul, man or woman, rich or poor. Each one stands in the same tender closeness to the One.
That takes away any contest. There is one Beloved and countless brides, all made lovely by the same love.
Then the end is simple trust. Har bhaavai tit raahi chalee — as it pleases the One, so Nanak walks. Think of a small child holding a parent's hand on a busy street. They don't need to know every turn. The seeker who asked for the way at the start now walks happily wherever the One leads.
How does it feel to imagine everyone, including you, as equally beloved by one source?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI