Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
My little boat rocks and wobbles, loaded down with the wrong things I have done, and the wind is picking up. What if it tips over?
I have turned to face the Guru, my Perfect Master. Please, surely, bless me with Your greatness.
A heart that feels shaky inside can still turn and pray.
Guru Nanak paints a picture. Ham dolat bayrhee paap bharee hai — my little boat, my bayrhee, is rocking. It is loaded with paap, the wrong things I have done. And pavan lagai — the wind is rising. What if it tips over?
Everyone feels like this sometimes. Mistakes pile up like heavy bags in a small boat. Then a hard day blows in, and we feel we might go under.
So what does the rider in the boat do? They turn to face the Guru. Sanmukh means facing someone squarely, the opposite of turning your back. It is like a scared swimmer who turns toward the lifeguard instead of away.
Then comes the ask: nihcha-o deh vadi-aa-ee — please, surely, lift me up. Vadi-aa-ee means being made greater, not by our own effort, but by grace.
What helps you feel steady when everything seems to wobble?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI