Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Softly, softly, drop by drop, a stream of nectar rains down inside me. And my mind drinks it in, just by listening to the Word and turning it over in my heart. Day and night, joy bubbles up; forever and ever, I play happily with the One, like a child who is never sent home from the game.
Once the One is found within (Rahao), this pauri describes what that inner life feels like — and it is one of the most beautiful descriptions of inner experience in the section. Jhim jhim varsai amrit dhaaraa — "jhim jhim (softly, gently, the sound of light rain) the dhaaraa (stream) of amrit (nectar) varsai (rains down)." This is the monsoon imagery of Raag Maajh turned entirely inward. The rain the chaatrik longed for (Shabad 7, Shabad 19) is now falling — not in a storm but gently, drop by drop, a soft inner drizzle of nectar. Jhim jhim is one of the loveliest sound-words in the tradition: the quiet patter of a gentle rain inside the soul.
How does the mind receive it? Man peevai sun sabad beechaaraa — "the mind drinks (peevai) [it] by sun (hearing) and beechaar (reflecting on) the sabad (the Word)." The nectar is drunk through listening and contemplating — the practices of simran we have seen throughout (the suneeai of Shabad 2). Hearing the Word and turning it over in the heart is itself the drinking-in of the inner nectar-rain.
And the result is continuous joy: anad binod kare din raatee, sadaa sadaa har kelaa — "[the mind] makes anad (bliss) and binod (delight) din raatee (day and night), sadaa sadaa (forever and ever) — har kelaa (playing with the One)." Recall the saints playing with the One (Shabad 18), the Name as play (Shabad 15). Here the inner life with the One is kelaa — sport, play, joyful romping — and it never ends (sadaa sadaa). For two boys, this is the heart of it: the deepest inner life is not solemn but playful, a gentle rain of sweetness and an endless game of joy with the Beloved, day and night. The treasure found within turns out to be a perpetual, gentle, joyful play.
The verse describes joy "raining gently" inside, like soft rain. Have you ever felt a quiet, steady happiness welling up from inside, not caused by anything outside? What was it like?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI