Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O my mind, carry the Name like a badge that marks you as belonging to the One.
Sit among good company and turn toward the One together, and the restless back-and-forth of the heart finally settles.
The Beloved fills its own praises, forgives freely, and stamps us with the mark of what's real.
Carry the Name the way you carry a badge that says you belong.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line. It is the center of the whole shabad. Its key word is neesaan, which means a mark or badge. Mayray man jap raam naam neesaan — O my mind, repeat the Name and receive the badge. Think of a school ID or a team jersey. When you wear it, everyone knows where you belong, and doors open for you.
Where do you practice this? In the satsangat, good company that turns toward the One together. The words say you will not have to "come and go" again. That means the long cycle of being born again and again. Here, it also feels like the heart's restless back-and-forth finally coming to rest.
The One also gives bakhas, forgiveness, freely. You do not have to earn it. And the One is the one who gives the badge of what is true.
What makes you feel like you truly belong somewhere?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI