Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
How could I even begin to list all the ways I let my time slip away?
Nanak says: I know I carry many faults.
So I come just as I am, with empty hands and nothing to boast of, and simply ask: hold me in Your shelter.
I come with empty hands and simply ask to be held.
Kahaa kaha-o mai apunee karnee — how can I even describe what I've done? I let my life slip away. Sabh a-ugan mo meh means "I am full of faults."
This isn't beating yourself up. It is coming empty-handed, with nothing to show off, and asking only for sarnaa-i-o, shelter. Think of a child who spilled paint everywhere, running to a parent for a hug instead of hiding. In the Guru's teaching, that asking is already a turn toward grace. And grace was always there, waiting to be received.
What would it feel like to ask for help without first having to prove you deserve it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI