Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O mind, hold in thought the One who holds everything in its hands.
Gather the wealth of the One's Name; Nanak, it will always be with you.
A Shalok returning to the merchant-theme of the raag: "gather the wealth of the Lord's Name; it shall always be with you." Against everything that will not go with you (the family, wealth, power ruled out in Shabad 12), here is the one wealth that will — "always with you," across every threshold. And the reason it is safe: it is held by the One "who holds everything in His hands." You are not securing your own treasure against thieves and decay; it is held by the one whose hands hold everything. The Name is the theft-proof, imperishable, portable wealth — the one investment the whole raag keeps commending.
Of everything you're gathering in life, what would actually stay with you no matter what? How is that different from the rest?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI