Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O mind, ego and clinging are a heavy load of pain.
This world is a frightening ocean that no one can swim across. The one turned toward the Guru crosses over, carried across by the One.
Ego and clinging are a heavy load, and the One carries you across.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Man ray ha-umai moh dukh bhaaree means, "O mind, ego and clinging are heavy pain." Moh means clinging, holding on too tight.
Bhavjal is the world pictured as a wide, deep ocean. You cannot swim across it on your own strength. Gurmukh tar har taaree: the one who faces the Guru is carried across by the One.
It is like learning to float. The more you thrash, the more you sink. When you trust the water, it holds you up. The Naam is what carries you.
When has help arrived just when a task felt too big to do alone?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI