Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I have come to stand inside the shelter of the One who is gentle with those who feel small.
And I do not ask to be first or biggest — only to be near good people, the way dust rests at their feet.
This one means asking to stay close to good people, with a humble heart.
saran pa-ay means coming in for shelter. Nanak comes to the deen da-i-aalaa, the One who is kind to the humble.
naanak jaachai sant ravaalaa — Nanak asks for the dust of the saints. That is an old picture of being close to goodness. Dust rests at the feet of the people it travels with. It goes wherever they go.
This is honest humility. It is not about thinking badly of yourself. It is like a young player who loves to sit near the best players on the team. She is glad just to be close and to learn.
When is it actually good to not need to be first?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI