Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O my mind, think of the shelter the One offers to all.
Even someone the world had given up on found their way home by holding the One in their heart — so keep that goodness close too.
Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, tells his own mind to think about the shelter the One gives.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Man ray prabh kee saran bichaaro: O mind, think about the saran, the safe shelter, of the One.
Then comes a story. Ganika was a woman the world had looked down on and given up on. By remembering the One, she found her way home. The point is how wide that shelter is. No one is shut out because of their past or because of what people say about them.
Think of a lighthouse. Its light does not check who is in the boat before it shines. Every boat can follow it to shore.
So, the Guru says, taa ko jas ur dhaaro: keep the praise of that One close inside your heart.
Why does it matter that no one is beyond kindness or a fresh start?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI