Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Caught up in passing things, it is easy to forget your awe of the One and the Guru, and your love for the One who has no end.
When you get swept up in wanting more and more, big waves of greed can carry off your good sense. It is the way a strong current can pull you right off your feet, so that suddenly you cannot think clearly.
But when the Guru's Word lives quietly in your mind, it is like solid ground under you. A door opens, and you find your way through. Nanak says: the One draws you close, and the One is always the Forgiver.
Greed can sweep away good sense, but the Guru's Word gives us solid ground.
It is a shalok, a short verse, by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru. Maa-i-aa mohi visaari-aa — caught by Maya, the pull of passing things, a person forgets. They forget the bha-o, the loving awe, of the One and the Guru. They forget their love for the Endless One. This awe is wonder and respect, never being scared.
Lobh lahar means the waves of greed. They carry off sudh mat, clear thinking.
But when the Shabad, the Guru's Word, lives in the heart of the gurmukh, the one turned to the Guru, a door opens. Mokh du-aar is the door to freedom. Aapay bakhsanhaar — the One is the Forgiver, always reaching toward us. Think of being knocked over by a wave at the beach. Then a hand reaches down and pulls you up to your feet.
When have you noticed wanting something so much it clouded your thinking?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI