Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
They issue their commands fearlessly and act in pride.
They subdue all under their command — but without the Name, they are reduced to dust.
The command that seems absolute is also temporary. The Name alone is not reduced.
The rulers who command fearlessly (nirbhau hoye) and subdue others (sabh kichh vassi keejai) — Guru Arjan is describing actual Mughal power that he lived under. But without the Naam, even this absolute command is kheh (dust, ash). Everything is reduced.
The Naam as the only thing not reduced to dust: this is the standard of permanence against which all else is measured. Empires, commands, pride — all reduce. The Name alone holds.
What in your life feels most solid, most permanent? If you imagine it simply gone — not in a scary way, just gone — what remains?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI