Sikhism·Raag Tilang·Shabad 11
Verse 2 of 4

Devotion Is a Way of Being, Not a Ticket

ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮ ਖਲਕ ਜਹਾਨ ਅਲਹ ਮਿਹਰਵਾਨ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥
khud khasam khalak jahaan alah miharvaan khudaa-ay.
You are the Master of Your creation, the Lord of all the world, O Merciful Lord God.
ਦਿਨਸੁ ਰੈਣਿ ਜਿ ਤੁਧੁ ਅਰਾਧੇ ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਦੋਜਕਿ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥
dinas rain je tuDh araaDhay so ki-o dojak jaa-ay. ||2||
One who worships You day and night - why should he have to go to hell? ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

You are the Master of Your creation, Lord of all the world, merciful One.

The one who worships You day and night — why would they ever have to face any hell?

The one whose days are turned toward the One is already living outside the misery of separation — devotion is a way of being, not a ticket.
The deeper layer

The verse draws a tender consequence of devotion: "one who worships You day and night — why should he have to go to hell?" Read gently, "hell" is the self-made suffering of a life cut off from the One; the one whose days and nights are turned toward the One is already living outside that suffering. Devotion is not a ticket that avoids a place; it is a way of living that leaves no room for the misery of separation. The remembering heart is already elsewhere than hell.

A Question to Sit With

What 'self-made misery' does turning toward the good simply leave no room for?

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

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