Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Someone who neither grasps at hope nor sinks into hopelessness, who has taught their mind to be steady and aware —
their small self blends into the Great Being, like a drop settling into the sea. Nanak says: their understanding wakes up.
A steady, calm place lies between grasping at hope and giving up.
jaa kai aas naahee niraas naahee — someone who is not hoping desperately, and not hopeless either. chit surat samjhaa-ee — they have trained their mind to be calm and aware.
Then tant ka-o param tant mili-aa — the small self blends into the Great One. It is like a single thread woven into a big cloth. Or a drop of water settling into the sea. naankaa buDh paa-ee — O Nanak, their understanding wakes up.
Think of a surfer waiting on a board. They are not panicking for a wave. They are not giving up and paddling home. They sit steady and ready. This calm is called sahaj, natural ease: a steadiness that neither wanting nor worry can shake, with every feeling still alive in it.
What helps you stay steady when you are tempted to either over-hope or give up?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI