Not far away at all — and before the One, every label the world stuck on you falls away.
The Arc
The One you miss is right here, holding up every breath you take. Trust the Guru's words and you find that out. Then something else happens. Every label people sort each other by, like caste, class, race and family name, falls away. When your mind is content, pride has no space left. The urge to hurt or grab more fades on its own. Love your family gently, like a bird held in an open hand, because squeezing hurts the very thing you love. Deep inside you sits a jewel no one can price: the Naam. Keep it close, always. At the centre, the Rahao: my beloved One is never far away.
Key Vocabulary
door naahee — not far; the Beloved is near.
jaat baran kul — caste, color, lineage — all dissolved before the One.
man maanai — the inwardly settled mind (Mannai).
maa-i-aa moh — possessive attachment that crowds out the One.
ratan padaarath / amolak — the priceless jewel within; the Name.
Themes and Cross-Connections
The caste-leveling verse here is one of the clearest in the raag. The jewel-within image connects to the tradition's steady insistence that the treasure is enshrined in the heart.
For Raag Saarang
Saarang keeps discovering that the longed-for One is close. This shabad makes the discovery social as well as personal: the same nearness that answers the heart also erases the divisions between people.
Translation Notes
Jaat baran kul sahsaa chookaa: caste, class, family line and doubt all end for the one who follows the Guru's teaching. In the third verse, jaara-o, burn away, falls on moh, the clinging that crowds out the One. Guru Nanak honored his family and community all his life.
Hukumnama
Subject: My beloved One is never far away Preview: a jewel beyond price, labels of caste falling away, a bird held gently, every breath held up.
Today: The One you miss is right here, holding up every breath you take. Trust the Guru's words and you find that out. Then something else happens. Every label people sort each other by, like caste, class, race and family name, falls away. When your mind is content, pride has no space left. The urge to hurt or grab more fades on its own. Love your family gently, like a bird held in an open hand, because squeezing hurts the very thing you love. Deep inside you sits a jewel no one can price: the Naam. Keep it close, always.
The One you love is close, closer than your breath.
For today: Sit with someone new today and see only the person in front of you.
Not far away at all — and before the One, every label the world stuck on you falls away.
The Arc
The One you miss is right here, holding up every breath you take. Trust the Guru's words and you find that out. Then something else happens. Every label people sort each other by, like caste, class, race and family name, falls away. When your mind is content, pride has no space left. The urge to hurt or grab more fades on its own. Love your family gently, like a bird held in an open hand, because squeezing hurts the very thing you love. Deep inside you sits a jewel no one can price: the Naam. Keep it close, always. At the centre, the Rahao: my beloved One is never far away.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
The caste-leveling verse here is one of the clearest in the raag. The jewel-within image connects to the tradition's steady insistence that the treasure is enshrined in the heart.
For Raag Saarang
Saarang keeps discovering that the longed-for One is close. This shabad makes the discovery social as well as personal: the same nearness that answers the heart also erases the divisions between people.
Translation Notes
Jaat baran kul sahsaa chookaa: caste, class, family line and doubt all end for the one who follows the Guru's teaching. In the third verse, jaara-o, burn away, falls on moh, the clinging that crowds out the One. Guru Nanak honored his family and community all his life.
Hukumnama
Subject: My beloved One is never far away Preview: a jewel beyond price, labels of caste falling away, a bird held gently, every breath held up.
Today: The One you miss is right here, holding up every breath you take. Trust the Guru's words and you find that out. Then something else happens. Every label people sort each other by, like caste, class, race and family name, falls away. When your mind is content, pride has no space left. The urge to hurt or grab more fades on its own. Love your family gently, like a bird held in an open hand, because squeezing hurts the very thing you love. Deep inside you sits a jewel no one can price: the Naam. Keep it close, always.
The One you love is close, closer than your breath.
For today: Sit with someone new today and see only the person in front of you.