Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I am just a child, and the Guru is the deep, unreachable Lord of the World. In kindness, the Guru cares for me and keeps me.
Nanak says: I am drowning in a poisoned sea. O Lord, Guru, Lord of the World, pull out Your child.
Come to the Guru as a child comes to a parent, and ask to be lifted out.
ham baarik gur agam gusaa-ee — I am just a child, and the Guru is agam, too deep to understand, the Lord of the world. gur kar kirpaa partipaal — in kindness, the Guru takes care of me.
bikh bha-ojal dubday kaadh layho — pull me out, for I am going under in a sea of poison. The sea here means a world full of trouble. gur naanak baal gupaal — Guru, Lord of the world, save Your child Nanak.
Think of a little kid in a pool who suddenly can't touch the bottom. They reach up, and a parent scoops them out and holds them close. That is the feeling of this verse: being lifted and held.
When you feel overwhelmed, who do you reach for, and what does it feel like to be helped?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI