Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You are the One over me, my Master and my anchor. Here, and everywhere I will ever go, You are my support.
To some the world hands mountains of gold, and to some barely a blade of grass. But every one of us stands with open hands, and You give as You see fit.
Before the great Giver, everyone stands with open hands.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Maadhou too thaakur sir moraa — Lord, You are the Master over my head. Eehaa oohaa tuhaaro dhoraa — here and in the life beyond, You alone are my support. Think of a safety rope on a climbing wall. It holds you at the bottom and at the top.
Then the verse flips the world's scoreboard upside down. People treat the things that were made like a mountain of gold. And they treat the Maker like a blade of grass. It is like loving the birthday present and forgetting the person who gave it.
Too daataa maagan ka-o saglee — You are the Giver, and all of us are asking. Everyone stands with open hands, rich or poor. That sameness is a kindness, not an insult. Daan deh prabh bhaanai — You give as You see fit.
Does having more or less than someone else really make one of you worth more?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI