Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Sorrow can't get a grip on the heart that has set down its self-importance.
In the company of the good, this understanding grows on its own.
And harsh, careless words? Let them pass by like a gust of wind.
This one says: set down the need to feel important, and sorrow loosens its grip.
Sog na bi-aapai aap na thaapai: sorrow can't grab the one who does not build up the self. Sog means grief. Aap na thaapai means not puffing yourself up. The Guru says he learned this in saaDhsangat, the company of good people.
Then comes a famous line about the saakat. A saakat is someone who has turned away from the One. Their baknaa, careless talk, is like wind passing by. This is not contempt for anyone. It is simple wisdom. Think of standing at a bus stop on a windy day. The gust blows past, and you are still standing. Harsh words can move through you like that, instead of getting stuck.
That keeps the heart safe without making it hard. If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
The next time someone says something unkind, could you let it blow past instead of holding onto it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI