Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
All the great blessings people wish for come from the One. Every power, every wish-granting treasure the old stories promise — they all come from the One alone.
So, Nanak says, hold tight to the shelter of that ocean of peace. Then you won't be worn down by the old fears of ending and beginning again.
This one says: why chase the gifts when you can hold the Giver?
The verse lists the famous prizes of the old stories. Chaar padaarath are the four great blessings. Asat mahaa siDh are the eight amazing powers yogis were said to gain. KaamDhayn is a magic cow that grants any wish. Paarjaat is a magic tree that does the same. It's the biggest wish-list the old stories knew.
Then one short line lets the air out of the whole list. Har har rukh — all of it comes from the One. So why chase the gifts when you can hold the Giver? Think of a kid collecting every prize at a fair, when the person who runs the whole fair is their own grandparent.
Naanak saran gahee sukh saagar — Nanak holds tight to the shelter of the sukh saagar, the ocean of peace. Every prize flows from there anyway. Japji Sahib teaches the same thing: don't collect the trinkets; connect to the Source.
If you could have either a bunch of magic prizes or friendship with the one who makes them, which would you pick?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI