Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One is my very breath of life.
Its nectar is so sweet to my mind and body.
Be kind to me, One, and lead me to the teacher, the spotless First Being.
"The Lord is my breath of life" — the intimacy of Naam as breath again, and "His Amrit is so sweet" — the tasting, Har Ras. Guru Ram Das keeps these two together throughout: the One is as close as breathing and as sweet as nectar. The literal calls the One "Slayer of demons" — an epithet best read inwardly, the One that dissolves the inner demons of the passions, not a warrior-god. The verse's whole feeling is of savoring: the One savored on the breath, sweet in mind and body, with the humble request only to be led to the teacher who makes this possible.
What's something so close to you that you'd feel it in every breath? What if goodness were that near?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI