Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One holds every power - and knows every trouble you carry, before you name it.
Remembering Him is how we are carried. To that One, I give everything.
The One can do anything, and the One knows exactly where it hurts.
This is the salok, the short verse that opens the song. Sarab kalaa bharpoor parabh — the One is full of every power. In the same breath comes birthaa jaananhaar — the Knower of our troubles.
Why put these two together? Power that did not know your pain would feel cold. Knowing your pain without any power would only be kind words. Think of a doctor who is also your grandparent. They know you by heart, and they know how to help you get better.
This fifteenth ashtapadee, a song in eight parts, rests on that pairing. The rest of it reads like a guide to this One. The One mends what is broken, holds up the mind like a pillar, and brings the dead back to life. Remembering that One is how we are carried across.
Is there anyone who both completely understands you and can actually help? What would that be worth?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI