Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
My One, give this small servant the true honor: light me up with the Name and let me rest always in Your shelter.
This whole world is coming and going, always changing — so, gentle heart of mine, keep the One in mind.
Be kind, bring me to the teaching, and let me melt into the Name.
The only honor worth asking for is the Name itself, and a safe place close to the One.
This is the rahaa-o line, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Mayray gobid apunay jan ka-o deh vadi-aa-ee — "my Lord, give Your servant glory." Gobid is a name for the One who cares for the whole world. The glory, vadi-aa-ee, that Guru Ram Das asks for is not fame. It is the Name, shining through the Guru's teaching, and sadaa rahhu sarnaa-ee, resting always in the One's shelter.
Ih sansaar sabh aavan jaanaa — this whole world keeps coming and going. Everything changes. Friends move away, seasons turn, phones get replaced. So the Guru speaks to his own mind and tells it to keep the One in mind. The verse calls that mind foolish and unknowing, yet it speaks like a patient parent.
Taa har naam samaanaa — then I melt into the Name, like sugar stirring into warm milk.
When everything around you keeps changing, what stays steady for you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI