Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
How do I get to see my Beloved? What kind of life leads there?
Here is the way: become a humble servant of the holy, and serve at their feet. I give up my whole soul for them; I bow as low as I can, and fall at the One's feet.
This stanza poses the question that drives so many of these shabads — how can I behold my Beloved? What is that way of life? — and gives a clear, humble answer. The soul wants to see the One and asks plainly what kind of living leads to that sight. And the answer is not a grand technique or a heroic austerity: become the slave of the Saints, and serve at their feet.
The way to the Beloved runs through humble service to the holy. Not mastering scriptures, not performing feats — simply lowering yourself to serve those who already love the One. This is the recurring counsel of Guru Arjan: the company of the Saints, entered in humility, is the road to the One. And the soul embraces it without reserve: I dedicate this soul; I am a sacrifice to them. Bowing low, I fall at the Feet of the Lord. The posture is everything — bowing low, falling at the feet. The soul that would behold the exalted Beloved gets there by going down, not up; by becoming the servant of servants, by laying its whole self at the feet of the holy and the One. The path to the highest sight is the lowest seat.
If seeing what's deepest comes through humble service rather than impressive achievement, where could you take a lower seat?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI