Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O Comforter of the poor and the hurting, O Master living in every heart, O One who has no master above You:
Nanak says: I have come into Your shelter. Please, God, stay with me.
One thing is worth asking for above all: God, stay with me.
This short verse, a salok, opens the second part of Sukhmani Sahib. Each part is an ashtapadee, a song of eight verses. People everywhere love this prayer and say it often.
Deen darad dukh bhanjnaa — O One who breaks the pain and sorrow of the poor. Then three names are stacked up. The One is naath anaath, the Master of those who have no one. The One lives ghat ghat, in every single heart. And the One has no master above.
Then comes the ask. Naanak kay parabh saath — O God, please be with Nanak. It is not for money. It is not even for trouble to go away. It is for company. Think of a small child at the doctor who does not need the shot to disappear, just a parent's hand to hold.
The verses that follow explain why. In every place where nothing else can go with you, the Naam, the Name, can.
If you could ask for only one thing - not things going well, but never being alone in them - would that be enough?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI