Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O mind, when you meet the True One, fear goes away.
Without awe of the One, how can anyone become fearless? Face the Guru, and sink into the Word.
This one says real fearlessness comes from meeting the True One, not from pretending you aren't scared.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line. It is the center of the shabad.
Man ray sach milai bha-o jaa-ay — O mind, meeting the True One, fear goes. There are two kinds of "not afraid." One is real. The Mool Mantar calls the One nirbha-o, the Fearless. The other is fake: pushing fear down by force, or going numb.
Real fearlessness comes only from being close to the One, who is fearless. You can't order yourself to be brave. But you can open up to the One who is.
Bhai bin nirbha-o ki-o thee-ai — without awe of the One, how can anyone be fearless? Awe here means deep respect, like standing under a huge night sky. Think of a child scared of the dark. Telling them "don't be scared" rarely works. Holding their hand does.
Fear often comes from feeling cut off, from ourselves, from others, from what holds us up. Reconnecting, not squashing, is what heals it.
Is there a fear you carry that you think is 'rational' — that actually might be something else underneath? What's really driving it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI