Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
And here is the answer to the question I started with: kindness arrived, I found the company of the wise — and my restless thirst finally settled.
The One I could not reach by trying was there all along, waiting to be received. Full at last, I stop searching, because I have found.
Here is the answer to the shabad's question: kindness came, good company was found, and the heart is full.
This line is marked rahaa-o doojaa, the second "pause" line. The first pause asked, "How can the One be found?" This second pause answers it. That is why this shabad has an extra verse.
Bha-i-o kirpaal saaDhsang paa-i-aa — the One became kirpaal, kind, and I found the saaDhsang, the company of the holy. Naanak tariptai pooraa paa-i-aa — Nanak is tariptai, satisfied, having found the pooraa, the Perfect One.
What the mind could not reach by effort came as a gift, through grace and good company. Think of a long, thirsty hike, and a cool drink of water at the end. The restless thirst from the start of the shabad finally settles.
When has help arriving felt less like a reward you earned and more like a gift you finally let in?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI