Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
Some make a big show of their power out in the world.
Some make a big show of their worship.
Some practice cleansing the body and mastering the breath.
And I, with my empty hands, simply love and remember the One.
People try to reach the One in many different ways. Beside all of them stands one quiet answer: love and remember the One.
This shabad is an ashtapadee, a song of eight verses. Each verse lists what "some people" do, then ends the same way: mohi deen — as for me, I am humble. Deen means someone with nothing to boast of, coming with empty hands.
Here the list begins. Some build up parvirat pasaaraa, a busy life of influence in the world. Some make grand displays of worship. Some practice nival, a way of cleansing the body, and bhu-i-angam, a kind of yoga that works with the breath.
Guru Arjan does not make fun of any of them. He simply sets one quiet answer beside them all: har har aaraaDhay, I just love and remember the One. It is like a crowded school talent show. Everyone has an act, and one child simply sings a song to their mother in the front row.
What can you offer just as you are, without becoming someone else first?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI