Sikhism·Raag Saarang·Shabad 125
Verse 1 of 3

Mother, I Found Where to Hold On

ਸਾਰਗ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
saarag mehlaa 5.
Saarang, Fifth Mehl:
ਮਾਈ ਰੀ ਚਰਨਹ ਓਟ ਗਹੀ ॥
maa-ee ree charnah ot gahee.
O mother, I have grasped the Protection, the Sanctuary of the Lord's Feet.
ਦਰਸਨੁ ਪੇਖਿ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਮੋਹਿਓ ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਜਾਤ ਬਹੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
darsan paykh mayraa man mohi-o durmat jaat bahee. ||1|| rahaa-o.
Gazing upon the Blessed Vision of His Darshan, my mind is fascinated, and evil-mindedness is taken away. ||1||Pause||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Mother, I have taken hold of the shelter of the One's feet.

Seeing the One, my heart is caught up in wonder, and the tangled, cloudy thinking is gone.

When you finally see the One, the tangled thinking simply clears out.
The deeper layer

A child runs to tell their mother: "I found something safe to hold."

Maai ree means "O mother." It gives the shabad the closeness of a child sharing a secret with a parent. It is a very tender way for Guru Arjan to begin. This is the "pause" line, the rahaa-o, the center of the shabad.

Charnah ot gahee means "I have grasped the shelter of the Feet." It is finding something steady to hold on to. Darsan pekh means beholding the One. Then durmat, "evil-mindedness," goes away. It means tangled, cloudy thinking.

Think of a foggy mirror after a hot shower. You wipe it, and your face is clear again. The picture is a mind clearing up like that, not a bad person being punished.

A Question to Sit With

Who is the person you would most want to tell when something wonderful happens to you?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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