Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
These faults have fooled me, tied me up, and worn me down.
And I am so brazen that even now I am not tired of them.
This part is an honest, almost wry admission: "I'm not even tired of my faults yet."
In dootan khal baDh kar maari-o — these troublemakers have fooled me, tied me up and worn me down. Then comes the hardest thing to admit. Bado nilaaj ajhoo nahee haari-o — I am so shameless that even now I am not tired of them.
Ravi Daas admits that part of him still wants the very things that hurt him. That is the honest bottom of being human. Not just being stuck, but not yet wanting to be free. Think of staying up way too late on a game, knowing you'll feel awful tomorrow, and still not wanting to stop.
Earlier in this raag, Guru Tegh Bahadur said being tired of the old way was where his turning began. Ravi Daas is honest that he hasn't even reached that point yet. There is no flattering himself here. And that plain honesty is exactly what makes his turn to shelter, in the next verse, ring true.
Is it possible to know something isn't good for you and still not be ready to give it up? What might be the first honest step from there?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI