Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One gives grace and drives away the pain of those who sing its praise.
When the One shows kindness, Nanak, one is no longer caught in illusion.
A short Shalok naming the sequence of liberation from Maya: the One "shows His Kindness," and then "one is no longer engrossed in Maya." The order matters — grace comes first, and the release from illusion follows. You do not free yourself from Maya by willpower and then earn grace; grace touches you, and the grip of illusion loosens as a result. The singing of praise is the door the grace comes through. The whole movement is gentle: sing, be graced, and find the illusion's hold quietly gone.
Does real change usually come from forcing yourself first, or from being touched by something kind that then loosens the grip?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI