Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Pain and hurt cling to the one who follows only their own wants, and that pain does not leave.
The one who faces the Guru knows the Giver of both joy and pain, and the One draws them close into shelter.
Good days and hard days come from the same Giver.
The verse starts with the manmukh, a person who follows only their own wants. It says manmukh ka-o dukh darad vi-aapas: pain and hurt cling to them. The pain lingers while they are turned away. But there is hope in turning around.
The key line is sukh dukh daataa gurmukh jaataa. The gurmukh, one who turns toward the Guru, knows that joy and pain come from the same Giver. That brings a steady calm, close to sahaj, natural ease. It is like a sailor who knows the same sea brings calm days and rough ones. And mayl la-ay sarnaa-ee: the One draws them in to shelter.
Does it change how a hard day feels to imagine it and the good days coming from the same source?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI