Sikhism·Raag Sorath·Shabad 142
Verse 10 of 10

A Spark on the Woodpile — a Moment of the Name

ਈਧਨੁ ਅਧਿਕ ਸਕੇਲੀਐ ਭਾਈ ਪਾਵਕੁ ਰੰਚਕ ਪਾਇ ॥
eeDhan aDhik sakaylee-ai bhaa-ee paavak ranchak paa-ay.
A large pile of firewood, O Siblings of Destiny, will burn if a small fire is applied.
ਖਿਨੁ ਪਲੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਵਸੈ ਭਾਈ ਨਾਨਕ ਮਿਲਣੁ ਸੁਭਾਇ ॥੧੦॥੪॥
khin pal naam ridai vasai bhaa-ee naanak milan subhaa-ay. ||10||4||
In the same way, if the Naam, the Name of the Lord, dwells in the heart for a moment, even for an instant, O Siblings of Destiny, then one meets the Lord with ease, O Nanak. ||10||4||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Picture a huge stack of firewood. It looks like it would take forever to light, but touch it with one small spark, and the whole pile catches.

Your heart is like that woodpile.

Let the Name live there for even a single moment, one real instant, and you meet the One easily, naturally, the whole heart alight.

One real moment of the Name can light up your whole heart, like a spark on dry wood.
The deeper layer

eeDhan aDhik sakaylee-ai... paavak ranchak paa-ay — a great heap of wood catches from a tiny spark; khin pal naam ridai vasai... milan subhaa-ay — a moment of the Name in the heart, and union comes with ease (subhaa-ay, sahaj). A luminous closing image: a single genuine instant of the Name can transform the whole being.

A Question to Sit With

When has one small spark, a word, a moment, changed how a whole day felt?

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

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