Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Doubt tugs at me from the inside, and the shiny world of Maya pulls from the outside. It hits my eyes like an arrow.
Nanak prays, the humblest helper of Your helpers: a person caught like this suffers terribly.
Doubt pulls from inside and the shiny world pulls from outside, and the way through is to turn back to the One.
Antar sahsaa baahar maa-i-aa — doubt inside, Maya outside. Sahsaa is doubt and worry. Maya is the glittering, passing show of the world. Nainee laagas banee — it strikes the eyes like an arrow. Think of a bright ad that grabs your eyes while you are already unsure what you want. You feel pulled two ways.
The verse says such a person partaapehgaa, suffers greatly, worn down by the tug-of-war. Nanak calls himself daasan daasaa, the humblest helper of the One's helpers. The way through is the crossing asked for in the pause line: turn again toward the One.
When you feel pulled in two directions, what helps you steady yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI