My little boat wobbles under the weight of my mistakes, so I turn to face the One who carries others across, and ask to be carried too.
The Arc
A short three-verse hymn (Tipada) on grace as the ferry: I cannot steady my own boat, so I turn toward the One who can.
Verse 1 (P0): my boat is wobbly, heavy with mistakes, the wind rising; I turn to the Guru, steady me.
The Rahau (P1): You who ferry others across, carry me; fill me with love for the One who never fades.
Verse 2 (P2): the real Siddha is simply whoever keeps the One at heart; bowing with love, they are freed.
Verse 3 (P3): I am no expert in disciplines; I only keep Your Name, and meeting the teaching, my knots come undone.
Key Vocabulary
berhee — a small boat.
paap — here, mistakes and burdens.
sunmukh — turned to face the Guru.
sidh — the accomplished one; here, the lover of the One.
nibayraa — a settling, a being set free.
Themes and Cross-Connections
The hymn quietly redefines spiritual success. The sidh (accomplished one) is not the yogi with powers but the lover of the One, and the wealth is not technique but devotion. This is the humility that runs through Guru Nanak's whole engagement with the yogis.
For Raag Raamkalee
In a raag full of yogis proud of their attainments, this Tipada answers with the smallest boat and the largest trust: accomplishment is love, and the ferry is grace.
Translation Notes
paap softened (P0): rendered as "mistakes and burdens," not "sins," per gentle framing.
Siddh reinterpreted (P2): spiritual accomplishment is inner realization and love, not miraculous powers.
Practices not disparaged (P3): the disciplines (jap, tap, sanjam) are set aside in humility, not scorn; keeping the Name is never framed negatively.
Form: three verses ending ||3||6||, a Tipada rather than the set's usual Chaupada.
My little boat wobbles under the weight of my mistakes, so I turn to face the One who carries others across, and ask to be carried too.
The Arc
A short three-verse hymn (Tipada) on grace as the ferry: I cannot steady my own boat, so I turn toward the One who can.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
The hymn quietly redefines spiritual success. The sidh (accomplished one) is not the yogi with powers but the lover of the One, and the wealth is not technique but devotion. This is the humility that runs through Guru Nanak's whole engagement with the yogis.
For Raag Raamkalee
In a raag full of yogis proud of their attainments, this Tipada answers with the smallest boat and the largest trust: accomplishment is love, and the ferry is grace.
Translation Notes
Last updated: 2026-07-09