Raag Maaroo
Commentary

Raag Maaroo, Ashtapadee, Mehl 5 (Guru Arjan)

The only drink that ends thirst, the only food that ends hunger — the Name held in the heart.

The Arc

The rahao names the fruitful life: one that listens, sings, and remembers. The hymn then redefines every basic need as the Name itself: the drink that satisfies the mind, the food that ends hunger, the clothing that keeps you whole, the joy shared in good company; devotion sewn without a thread; a sweetness that never wears off; treasures received as gift; and peace found in humble service.

Key Vocabulary

  • Naam — the living presence of the One, here the true drink, food, and clothing
  • Santokh — contentment, the food that never leaves you hungry
  • Sangat — the company of the good, where joy is shared
  • Gurprasad — grace: every treasure received, not grabbed

Themes and Cross-Connections

By reframing drink, food, and clothing as the Name, the hymn moves need itself inward: what truly nourishes is not what fills the body but what settles the heart.

For Raag Maaroo

In the mortality-raag, redefining nourishment as the enduring Name quietly answers the fear that everything runs out.

Translation Notes

P8's drinking the wash-water of the Saints' feet is rendered as finding peace in humble service, keeping the humility without self-abasement (wellbeing rules).

Last updated: 2026-07-09

Read this shabad →
← Back to Raag Maaroo