Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Joining the company of the good, keeping close to the teacher,
the one who faces the teacher gathers the merchandise of the Name.
O One, be kind to me; bless me with a sincere longing to join the company of the good.
This part names the whole method in one breath: stay in good company, and stay close to the teacher.
Mil satsangat means joining the Sat Sangat, the company of good people. Do that and keep near the Guru, and you gather poonjee naam, the Name as your treasure. This is the last shabad by Guru Ram Das in this raag.
Notice what he asks for. He doesn't ask for the treasure itself. He asks for the wish to go where it is. Mil satsang omaahaa — give me a real longing to join the good company. He does this again and again: he asks for the desire that leads to the place.
It is like asking, "Help me want to practice," instead of, "Make me great at piano." If the wanting is real, the rest follows. The prayer is humble. Not "make me holy," but "make me hungry to be near the holy." He trusts that being near the good will do the rest.
If you can't make yourself good by force, could asking for a genuine desire to be around good people be the wiser prayer?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI