Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
As long as I clutch at hope, worry comes riding right along with it. Then how can anyone speak of the One?
Live in the middle of hope, but hold it loosely, without grasping. Nanak says: then you meet the One.
When we clutch our hopes tightly, worry comes right along with them. The answer is to hope with open hands.
Jab aasaa andaysaa — where there is aasaa, hope, there is andaysaa, worry. When you really, really want something, you also start to fear not getting it. Think of waiting for a test score. The more you grip the hope, the more your stomach twists.
Aasaa bheetar rahai niraasaa — live inside hope, yet stay free of grasping. Niraasaa here does not mean hopeless. It means not clutching.
So this is not about killing hope. It is about holding it loosely, like holding a baby bird in an open palm rather than a tight fist. Keep doing your part, and let the outcome be. Ta-o naanak ayk milai — then, says Nanak, you meet the One.
How is hoping for something different from grasping at it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI