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Sikhism·Raag Wadahans·Shabad 33
Verse 3 of 4

When the World Burns With Worry, Hurry to Shelter

ਏਹੁ ਜਗੁ ਜਲਤਾ ਦੇਖਿ ਕੈ ਭਜਿ ਪਏ ਹਰਿ ਸਰਣਾਈ ਰਾਮ ॥
ayhu jag jaltaa daykh kai bhaj pa-ay har sarnaa-ee raam.
Seeing that this world on fire, I have hurried to the Sanctuary of the Lord.
ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਕਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਪੂਰੇ ਆਗੈ ਰਖਿ ਲੇਵਹੁ ਦੇਹੁ ਵਡਾਈ ਰਾਮ ॥
ardaas kareeN gur pooray aagai rakh layvhu dayh vadaa-ee raam.
I offer my prayer to the Perfect Guru: please save me, and bless me with Your glorious greatness.
ਰਖਿ ਲੇਵਹੁ ਸਰਣਾਈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਡਾਈ ਤੁਧੁ ਜੇਵਡੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦਾਤਾ ॥
rakh layvhu sarnaa-ee har naam vadaa-ee tuDh jayvad avar na daataa.
Preserve me in Your Sanctuary, and bless me with the glorious greatness of the Name of the Lord; there is no other Giver as great as You.
ਸੇਵਾ ਲਾਗੇ ਸੇ ਵਡਭਾਗੇ ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ ਏਕੋ ਜਾਤਾ ॥
sayvaa laagay say vadbhaagay jug jug ayko jaataa.
Those who are engaged in serving You are very fortunate; throughout the ages, they know the One Lord.
ਜਤੁ ਸਤੁ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਈ ॥
jat sat sanjam karam kamaavai bin gur gat nahee paa-ee.
You may practice celibacy, truth, austere self-discipline and rituals, but without the Guru, you shall not be emancipated.
ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਸ ਨੋ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੁਝਾਏ ਜੋ ਜਾਇ ਪਵੈ ਹਰਿ ਸਰਣਾਈ ॥੩॥
naanak tis no sabad bujhaa-ay jo jaa-ay pavai har sarnaa-ee. ||3||
O Nanak, he alone understands the Word of the Shabad, who goes and seeks the Lord's Sanctuary. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Seeing how much of the world burns with worry and wanting, I hurried to a safe shelter.

'Please keep me safe,' I asked, 'and fill me with what's good.'

No amount of strict rules or hard discipline, by itself, brings freedom — but shelter and wisdom do.

When the world feels like it's burning with worry, you can hurry to a safe, wise shelter — that's what brings peace.
The deeper layer

The landmark verse, echoing Guru Amar Das's famous jagat jalandaa ("the world is on fire"): "seeing this world on fire, I have hurried to the Sanctuary of the Lord." The "fire" is the burning of restless worry and wanting; the response is to run toward shelter. And a key teaching: "you may practice celibacy, truth, austere self-discipline and rituals, but without the Guru [wisdom], you shall not be emancipated" — strict practices alone don't free you; shelter and wisdom do. For a child: when the world feels like it's burning with worry, you can hurry to a safe, wise shelter — and it's shelter and wisdom, not just strict rules, that bring peace.

A Question to Sit With

Where's a safe shelter you can 'hurry to' when everything feels like too much?

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

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