Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
People try to lift a whole mountain just by talking big — and the mountain doesn't budge.
So I'll be honest: I have no strength of my own. I'm just asking You to keep me safe.
This one says that "I can't do this alone" is the door to real help.
Galee sail uthaavat chaahai — people want to lift a mountain with just words. O-ay oohaa hee hai Dharay — but it stays right where it is. The verse is poking fun at big talk: the idea that we can talk or push our way through anything. Think of someone who says, "I'll clean my whole room in five minutes, easy!" — and the mess just sits there.
Guru Arjan shows the opposite. Jor sakat naanak kichh naahee — Nanak has no strength or power at all. Saying this isn't giving up. It opens the door to saran, shelter. Parabh raakho saran paray — God, keep me; I've come to Your shelter.
In this tradition, admitting you can't do it alone isn't the end of strength. It's the start of real help. The mountain that words can't move, grace can.
Why is it sometimes so hard to say 'I need help'? What might become possible once you can?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI