Raag Soohee
Commentary

Raag Soohee, Chhant, Mehl 5 (Guru Arjan)

An unshakable city where a whole community blossoms — and the One's gift only grows, reaching every creature.

The Arc

The abichal nagar (unshakable city) chhant: the city of the One and the Teacher, where the whole community blossoms in joy (P0); ordinary homes and market-streets made beautiful by the Name (P1); the gift that is complete yet only grows, settling every creature in peace (P2); and the home without coming or going, where good people gather daily to reflect on what is real (P3).

Key Vocabulary

  • abichal nagar — the unshakable city; the community's home and the heart's steady dwelling.
  • hatnaalay — market-streets; the sacred filling ordinary places.
  • put bhaa-ee sikh bigaasay — children, family, and Sikhs all blossoming.
  • daat charhai savaa-ee — the gift that increases day by day.
  • sant gosat — the daily gathering to reflect together on truth.

Themes and Cross-Connections

This is a hymn of shared, not only private, joy — the whole community (put bhaa-ee sikh) blossoming together, and every creature (jee-a jant) settled in peace. It carries the historical resonance of Ramdaspur/Amritsar as the abichal nagar, and pairs closely with 1713 and 1716.

For Raag Soohee

Soohee's love made civic and communal — a whole town, and a whole people, made beautiful and glad by the Name.

Translation Notes

The noose-of-death image in P1 is rendered as fear losing its hold, keeping the mood of a town at ease.

Read this shabad →
← Back to Raag Soohee