Sikhism·Raag Soohee·Shabad 83
Verse 4 of 9

What Keeps Me Alive

ਹਉ ਜੀਵਾ ਗੁਣ ਸਾਰਿ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਤੂ ਵਸੈ ॥
ha-o jeevaa gun saar antar too vasai.
I live, by cherishing Your Glorious Virtues; You dwell deep within me.
ਤੂੰ ਵਸਹਿ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਹਜੇ ਰਸਿ ਰਸੈ ॥੩॥
tooN vaseh man maahi sehjay ras rasai. ||3||
You dwell within my mind, and so it naturally celebrates in joyful delight. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

What truly keeps me alive is holding the good and the beautiful close, and knowing You live right here inside me.

And when I feel You there, my heart does not have to be pushed into joy — it just naturally spills over, easy and bright.

Joy is not forced; it overflows naturally when you feel the One within.
The deeper layer

This one says joy is not something you force. It flows by itself when you feel the One inside.

Ha-o jeevaa gun saar means "I live by cherishing Your gun," Your good qualities. Antar too vasai means You live deep inside me.

Sehjay ras rasai means the heart fills with delight sehjay, naturally, without effort. Sahaj is an easy, calm state.

Think of a glass under a running tap. You do not have to push the water over the edge. It just spills over. Joy is like that when the One is felt within. It is not made. It overflows.

A Question to Sit With

When have you felt joy bubble up all on its own, without trying?

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

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