Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I give myself completely to those who not only love the One themselves but also help *others* come to love Him. I bow again and again to those devotees who sing the One's praises day and night. They don't keep the light to themselves — they pass it on.
This Rahao, the song's still heart, celebrates a special kind of person — and the key is in the doubling: aap bhagat karan, avra bhagat karavnia — they themselves are devoted, and they cause others to be devoted. Not one or the other; both. There are people who are privately good but keep it to themselves, and there are people who preach to others while being hollow inside. The ones the singer bows to are neither — they're the real thing and their realness overflows to lift others.
This is the natural overflow we've seen throughout this Mehl — the nectar-soaked person who shares the sweetness (Shabad 64), the truth-merchant who carries the whole family across (Shabad 62). A genuinely full heart can't help but spill. But notice how they cause devotion in others: not by lecturing or pressuring, but simply by andin har gun gavnia — singing the One's praises day and night. Their devotion is so constant and so real that being near them kindles the same in you. They don't recruit; they radiate, and others catch the warmth. This is the living engine of sat sangat — the company that raises you just by its presence.
And look at the posture the singer takes toward them: not just "I am a sacrifice" (hao vaari) but sad namaskaar keejai — bow to them again and again, offer reverent salutation. This is striking and important. The deepest honor isn't reserved for the powerful, the rich, the famous. It's offered to the humble devotee who quietly loves the One and lifts others toward Him. These are the truly great people — and the right response to greatness like that is to bow. For the boys, this reorders the whole question of who deserves admiration: not the loudest or most impressive, but the one whose genuine love makes everyone around them better. Find such people, the Rahao says, and bow — because being near them, and becoming like them, is itself the path. The ones worth honoring most are the ones who hand the light on.
Who in your life makes you *want* to be better just by being around them — not by lecturing, but by how they live? Have you ever been that person for someone?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI