Bring an honest, content heart and no one is ever turned away empty-handed, even the one the world scorns is given the gift of speaking the story of the One.
The Arc
The hymn re-reads worship, wealth, and worth: bowing is worship, grace is the treasure, and being allowed to speak of the One is the highest honor.
Verse 1 (P0): bowing and living aligned with Your Name is true worship; bring truth, and a seat is ready.
The Rahau (P1): no one leaves Your Court empty-handed.
Verse 2 (P2): the treasure I seek is Your grace; pour Your love into the cup of my heart.
Verse 3 (P3): the One who made everything is doing everything; to the turned heart, it is always here.
Verse 4 (P4): the world may scorn the one who asks, but it is honor enough to tell the One's story.
Key Vocabulary
nivan — bowing.
mannan — living aligned with the Name.
ardaas — prayer.
potaa — treasure; karam pasaao — the expanse of grace.
dhikaar — scorn; sah kee-aa galaa — the Beloved's own words.
Themes and Cross-Connections
The hymn's dignity theme, worth measured by nearness to the One rather than social rank, connects to the wider Gurbani insistence that the lowest in the world's eyes may be highest in the Court. The heart-as-cup image (P2) makes grace something received, not achieved.
For Raag Raamkalee
The yogi in Raamkalee is often a mangat (a beggar) at people's doors. Guru Nanak reframes the begging: the true asking is for grace, and the true wealth is the story of the One, a dignity the world's scorn cannot touch.
Translation Notes
mannan rendered rightly (P0): "living aligned with the Name," never "faith" or "belief."
Scorn softened and redirected (P4):lok dhikaar (people curse the beggar) rendered as "the world looks down on the one who asks," then turned toward the honor of speaking of the One (dignity below the world's ranking).
Grace framed rightly (P2): the treasure is grace freely given, received not earned.
Bring an honest, content heart and no one is ever turned away empty-handed, even the one the world scorns is given the gift of speaking the story of the One.
The Arc
The hymn re-reads worship, wealth, and worth: bowing is worship, grace is the treasure, and being allowed to speak of the One is the highest honor.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
The hymn's dignity theme, worth measured by nearness to the One rather than social rank, connects to the wider Gurbani insistence that the lowest in the world's eyes may be highest in the Court. The heart-as-cup image (P2) makes grace something received, not achieved.
For Raag Raamkalee
The yogi in Raamkalee is often a mangat (a beggar) at people's doors. Guru Nanak reframes the begging: the true asking is for grace, and the true wealth is the story of the One, a dignity the world's scorn cannot touch.
Translation Notes
Last updated: 2026-07-09