Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You have not yet tasted the deep sweetness of the Name of the Beloved, our King.
For once you truly taste it, every lesser flavor the world offers simply fades from mind.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line and the center of the shabad. It is all about ras, taste.
Na beechaari-o raajaa raam ko ras — you haven't yet thought about the taste of the Name of the One, our King. The Name is not one fun thing among many. Jih ras an ras beesar jaahee — once you taste it, all the other tastes fade.
Think of your grandmother's cooking after a week of fast food. One bite, and you forget the rest. Ravidas speaks this way to himself, and to us. He isn't scolding. He is pointing to a sweetness we haven't let ourselves try yet.
What is a joy so satisfying that it makes smaller wants disappear?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI