Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Whoever bears what is too hard to bear keeps the nine doors of the body in check.
Whoever loves the One with every breath stands steady, like a strong wall.
Where did this person come from, and where will they go?
Whoever lets the self die away while still alive is welcomed by the One.
Whoever understands the flow of the One's will knows what lies at the heart of everything.
This is known by the Guru's grace.
Nanak says: know this, holding on to "I" is what ties you up.
Only those with no "I" and no "me" are not sent around again into birth.
Bearing the hard thing makes you steady. Letting go of "I" sets you free.
Ajar jarai ta na-o kul bandh: whoever bears the unbearable keeps the nine doors of the body, the eyes, ears, nose and mouth, from running wild. Poojai paraan hovai thir kandh: loving the One with every breath makes the body steady, like a strong wall.
Jeevat marat rahai parvaan: staying "dead while alive" means letting the grabbing self go quiet while you live fully. Hukmai boojhai tat pachhaanai: understanding the hukam, the flow of the One's will, you reach the heart of things, and this comes as the Guru's gift. Haumai, ego (the feeling of being a separate self), is what binds; without "I" and "me," the circling of birth stops.
What is something hard you carried that made you stronger, not smaller?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI