Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Give your mind one true occupation: praising the Formless One.
Let your tongue grow sweet and clean drinking the Nectar - your soul will settle into lasting peace. Let your eyes watch for the wonder of His play everywhere.
In good company, the lesser pulls lose their grip. Let your feet walk the One's road; even a moment of the Name washes old stains.
Do the One's work, listen to the One's word - and your face will shine in the court of Truth.
The same body can be given new jobs, all pointed toward wonder.
This verse gives each part of the body a new job. It is the mirror image of Ashtapadee 5. There, the ears, hands, eyes, tongue and feet were called false because of what they were busy with. Here the same team gets true work.
The mind: ustat man meh kar nirankaar — praise the Formless One in your mind. Kar man mayray sat bi-uhaar — make this your true bi-uhaar. That is a shop word. It means your trade, your daily business. Praise becomes your real job, not a hobby.
The tongue: nirmal rasnaa amrit pee-o — drink the amrit, the sweet nectar. The eyes: nainhu paykh thaakur kaa rang — see the Master's wonderful play, and let the world become a show to marvel at. The feet: charan chala-o maarag gobind — walk on the One's road. The ears: sarvan har kathaa — listen to the One's story.
This is the everyday lesson plan of turning inward. No part of you is sent away. Every part gets a new direction. Think of a soccer coach who keeps every player, and teaches them all to pass to each other.
The kindest line is this. Miteh paap japee-ai har bind — wrongs are washed away by remembering the One even for a moment. Bind means a tiny moment. The doorstep is only one moment high. Saadhsang binsai sabh sang — in good company, the other pulls fade. The Sangat, the holy company, polishes the face day by day. In the end, har dargeh naanak oojal mathaa — that face shines in the One's court.
If your eyes, tongue and feet each had a job description, what would it say this week - and what could it say?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI