Raag Sorath
Commentary

Raag Sorath, Du-Padas, Mehl 5 (Guru Arjan)

The fever breaks and the whole world cools; in the One’s care there is nothing left to fear.

The Arc

Pauri 0 (three lines): the Beloved grew kind in His true court; the Teacher lifted the fever and a cool calm spread over the world; He keeps every being safe — here, even death has nothing to do. Rahau (Pauri 1): hold the One’s feet in the heart; keep Him always in mind, for He clears sorrow and its every mark. Pauri 2: whoever shelters with the Maker of all is carried through; He is the almighty cause of all, forever true — remember Him and mind and body grow cool and calm.

Key Vocabulary

  • thaanadh pa-ee sansaar: a cooling spreads over the world
  • jameh kee-o hattaar: death out of work — softened
  • dukh kilbikh kaatanhaar: the cutter-away of suffering and its residue
  • seetal: cool and calm

Themes and Cross-Connections

Coolness / seetal is the keynote of a settled heart after fever, and the frightening picture of the death-messenger is deliberately set down.

For Raag Sorath

Sorath’s seetal peace — the cool after the heat.

Translation Notes

Jameh kee-o hattaar (“the Messenger of Death is out of work”) rendered as “even death has nothing left to do,” keeping the reassurance and dropping the Death-messenger figure per wellbeing rules. Pauri 0 carries three verse-lines (a longer opening stanza) before the ||1||.

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