ਦਾਸਨ ਦਾਸ ਰੇਣੁ ਦਾਸਨ ਕੀ ਜਨ ਕੀ ਟਹਲ ਕਮਾਵਉ ॥
daasan daas rayn daasan kee jan kee tahal kamaava-o.
I am the slave of His slaves; becoming the dust of the feet of his slaves, I serve His humble servants.
ਸਰਬ ਸੂਖ ਬਡਿਆਈ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀਵਉ ਮੁਖਹੁ ਬੁਲਾਵਉ ॥੨॥੫॥
sarab sookh badi-aa-ee naanak jeeva-o mukhahu bulaava-o. ||2||5||
I obtain all peace and greatness, O Nanak, living to chant His Name with my mouth. ||2||5||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I am the servant of its servants; as the dust of their feet, I serve the humble.
I gain all peace and greatness, Nanak says, living to say the Name.
The greatness the ego chases by climbing is found by descending — the servant's lowest place holds all the peace the strivers reach for.
The close completes the humility of P0 into joyful service — "the slave of His slaves," "the dust of the feet" — and finds in it "all peace and greatness." The paradox of the raag: the greatness the ego chased by climbing is found by descending. The one who takes the lowest, servant's place, living simply "to chant His Name," has everything the strivers were reaching for.
A Question to Sit With
What might you find at the 'bottom' that all the climbing never delivered?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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