Raag Soohee, Shabad 72 - Living the Teaching Carries You Across
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is a wide ocean to cross - the whole churning of life - and it can be crossed.
Whoever actually lives the teaching, not just hears it, is carried over. That carrying is grace, always there, waiting to be received.
This one means living the teaching, not just hearing it, carries you across life's ocean.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad.
santahu saagar paar utree-ai — O good people, cross over the ocean. The ocean is the wide, churning sea of life.
jay ko bachan kamaavai santan kaa — whoever lives the words of the saints. Bachan kamaavai means to earn the words, to live them every day. so gur parsaadee taree-ai — by the Guru's grace, that person is carried across. Parsaadee means by grace, a gift that is received.
Think of swimming lessons. Listening closely to the coach gets you ready. Getting in the water is what teaches you to swim.
What is one teaching you have actually lived, not just heard?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI