Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O my friend, keep the Lord's Name, Har, Har, close in your heart.
In the company of the holy, He comes to live in the mind, and all your work bears full fruit.
This line says: my friend, hold the Lord's Name close. In good company, it settles in your heart and your efforts come to full fruit.
This is the rahaa-o line. Rahaa-o means "pause." It is the line you stop on, the center of the whole song.
Mayray saajan: "O my friend." Guru Arjan speaks warmly, like a friend at your side. Har har naam samaal: take care of the Lord's Name, Har, Har. Samaal means to keep safe and keep in mind, the way you look after something precious.
Saadhoo sangat man vasai: in the saadh sangat, the company of the holy, the Name comes to live in the mind. Good company makes good habits stick. Think of a sports team. It is easier to train hard when everyone around you is training too.
Pooran hovai ghaal: then your ghaal, your hard work, becomes pooran, complete. It is like a seed planted in good soil. The effort was always yours to make. The right company helps it grow all the way to fruit.
Do you experience the current time as particularly difficult spiritually — as an age of distraction and ego-dominance? What specific challenges of this age affect you most?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI