You Are My Only Pride and Strength

ਤੁਝੁ ਊਪਰਿ ਮੇਰਾ ਹੈ ਮਾਣਾ ਤੂਹੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਤਾਣਾ ਰਾਮ ॥

tujh oopar mayraa hai maanaa toohai mayraa taanaa raam.

I take pride in You; You are my only Strength, Lord.

ਸੁਰਤਿ ਮਤਿ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ਤੇਰੀ ਤੂ ਜਾਣਾਇਹਿ ਜਾਣਾ ਰਾਮ ॥

surat mat chaturaa-ee tayree too jaanaa-ihi jaanaa raam.

You are my understanding, intellect and knowledge. I know only what You cause me to know, Lord.

ਸੋਈ ਜਾਣੈ ਸੋਈ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਨਦਰਿ ਸਿਰੰਦੇ ॥

so-ee jaanai so-ee pachhaanai jaa ka-o nadar siranday.

He alone knows, and he alone understands, upon whom the Creator Lord bestows His Grace.

ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਭੂਲੀ ਬਹੁਤੀ ਰਾਹੀ ਫਾਥੀ ਮਾਇਆ ਫੰਦੇ ॥

manmukh bhoolee bahutee raahee faathee maa-i-aa fanday.

The self-willed manmukh wanders along many paths, and is trapped in the net of Maya.

ਠਾਕੁਰ ਭਾਣੀ ਸਾ ਗੁਣਵੰਤੀ ਤਿਨ ਹੀ ਸਭ ਰੰਗ ਮਾਣਾ ॥

thaakur bhaanee saa gunvantee tin hee sabh rang maanaa.

She alone is virtuous, who is pleasing to her Lord and Master. She alone enjoys all the pleasures.

ਨਾਨਕ ਕੀ ਧਰ ਤੂਹੈ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਤੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਾ ਮਾਣਾ ॥੩॥

naanak kee Dhar toohai thaakur too naanak kaa maanaa. ||3||

You, O Lord, are Nanak's only support. You are Nanak's only pride. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

All my pride rests in You; You are my only strength.

Whatever sense or understanding I have is Yours — I know only what You help me know.

A heart left to wander gets tangled in a hundred passing things; but the one turned toward You, glad in You, finds every real joy. You are my ground and my pride.

The only pride worth having is pride placed in the One, not in yourself.

The deeper layer

tujh oopar mayraa hai maanaa — the only healthy pride is pride placed in the One, not in oneself. so-ee jaanai jaa ka-o nadar sirandhay: real knowing comes by the Creator's nadar, gracious glance, not by cleverness. The contrast is the self-driven mind (manmukh) tangled in Maya versus the heart aligned with the One.

A Question to Sit With

Where do you get your real strength from when things are hard?

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

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