By the destiny written upon their foreheads, they become truly unattached, and by reflective meditation, they are imbued with Truth.
ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨਾ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਬਉਰਾਨਾ ਸਬਦੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਰੀ ॥
naam binaa sabh jag ba-uraanaa sabday ha-umai maaree.
Without the Naam, the Name of the Lord, the whole world is insane; through the Shabad, the ego is conquered.
ਸਾਚੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਲਾਗਿ ਮਤਿ ਉਪਜੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੋਹਾਗੋ ॥
saachai sabad laag mat upjai gurmukh naam sohaago.
Attached to the True Word of the Shabad, wisdom comes forth. The Gurmukh obtains the Naam, the Name of the Husband Lord.
ਨਾਨਕ ਸਬਦਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਭਉ ਭੰਜਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਵੈ ਮਸਤਕਿ ਭਾਗੋ ॥੩॥
naanak sabad milai bha-o bhanjan har raavai mastak bhaago. ||3||
O Nanak, through the Shabad, one meets the Lord, the Destroyer of fear, and by the destiny written on her forehead, she enjoys Him. ||3||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In plain words
Some hearts are drawn to trade in goodness, and they come to rest at home inside themselves.
Free of clinging, soaked in what's true, they find real wisdom.
Good, true words melt the puffed-up feeling and wisdom comes forth.
Hearts that deal in goodness find a calm home inside — and let go of clinging so tightly to things.
The deeper layer
The verse describes those "engaged in the Lord's Trade" — dealing in goodness — who "dwell in the home of the self" and become "unattached" (free of clinging). "Without the Name, the whole world is insane" is rendered gently as the restlessness of a life with no inner center; "through the Shabad, the ego is conquered" and "wisdom comes forth." For a child: hearts that deal in goodness find a calm home inside and let go of clinging so tightly.
A Question to Sit With
What's something you cling to tightly that you could hold a little more loosely?
