Sikhism·Raag Sorath·Shabad 21
Verse 1 of 4

The Ache of Feeling Alone Waits to Be Soothed, Not Punished

ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ਘਰੁ ੧ ॥
sorath mehlaa 3 ghar 1.
Sorat'h, Third Mehl, First House:
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੁਖ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਜਗ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਹੋਰ ਥੈ ਸੁਖੁ ਨਾਹੀ ॥
satgur sukh saagar jag antar hor thai sukh naahee.
The True Guru is the ocean of peace in the world; there is no other place of rest and peace.
ਹਉਮੈ ਜਗਤੁ ਦੁਖਿ ਰੋਗਿ ਵਿਆਪਿਆ ਮਰਿ ਜਨਮੈ ਰੋਵੈ ਧਾਹੀ ॥੧॥
ha-umai jagat dukh rog vi-aapi-aa mar janmai rovai Dhaahee. ||1||
The world is afflicted with the painful disease of egotism; dying, only to be reborn, it cries out in pain. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The true teaching is a wide ocean of calm — there's no other resting place quite like it.

So much of the world's ache comes from one thing: the tiredness of feeling separate and alone, a soreness that keeps circling back.

Round and round it goes, and the world cries out with that ache.

Most aches come from feeling separate and alone — and that ache is waiting to be soothed, not punished.
The deeper layer

This one says the true teaching is a calm ocean, and the ache of feeling separate is waiting to be soothed.

Sukh saagar means "ocean of peace." The satgur, the true teacher, is like wide, calm water where you can rest. Guru Amar Das says there is no other resting place like it. That is the note of Raag Sorath: calm and contentment.

Then he names the world's trouble: haumai rog, "the sickness of ego." Haumai means the "me, me, me" feeling, the sense of being cut off from everyone else. Here it is an ache that needs healing, not a crime that needs punishing.

The verse says the world keeps dying and being born again, and cries out in pain. Picture a scraped knee that keeps hurting because no one has cleaned it and put on a bandage. The ache of feeling alone keeps circling back like that. And like any sore, it is waiting to be soothed with care.

A Question to Sit With

When you feel worn out and alone, what actually helps you feel connected again?

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

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