Sikhism·Raag Malaar·Shabad 21
Verse 2 of 5

I Live By Singing

ਹਉ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਸਦਾ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਈ ॥
ha-o jeevaaN sadaa har kay gun gaa-ee.
Constantly singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, I live.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਮਹਾ ਰਸੁ ਮੀਠਾ ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਨਾਮਿ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਗਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
gur kaa sabad mahaa ras meethaa har kai naam mukat gat paa-ee. ||1|| rahaa-o.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad is such totally sweet elixir. Through the Name of the Lord, I have attained the state of liberation. ||1||Pause||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

I live by singing the praises of the One, always.

The Guru's Word is the sweetest nectar there is. Through the One's Naam, I have found freedom.

Singing praise is what keeps the heart alive.
The deeper layer

Singing the One's praises is what keeps you alive, and the Word tastes sweeter than anything.

This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Ha-o jeevaa sadaa har kay gun gaa-ee: I live by singing the goodness of the One. Gur kaa sabad mahaa ras meethaa: the Guru's Word is the sweetest taste there is. Har kai naam mukat gat paa-ee: through the Naam, I found freedom.

This freedom is something you taste. You can read all about mangoes. But you only know them when you bite into one.

A Question to Sit With

What is something that makes you feel most alive when you do it?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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