Offered Heaven, the Wise Beggar Asks for the Good's Company
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The heavens, freedom, deliverance - everything arrives when you sing His glory, even for an instant.
Realms and powers and shining honors come to the one whose heart delights in the Name's teaching. Foods and clothes and music - to the tongue that keeps the Name.
Right action, radiance, real wealth - to the heart where the perfect wisdom's word has come to live.
One request, God: a home in the company of the good. There - all the pleasures come uncovered at once.
Offered everything, the wise beggar asks for a home among the good.
This last verse of the hymn turns a common question upside down. What do people hope to gain from religion? Heaven, freedom, kingdoms, power, fame, food, clothes, music. The verse lists them all. Then it says they arrive without being asked for, as side effects. Ayk nimakh har kay gun gaa-ay — sing the One's glory, even for one nimakh, one blink of an eye. Ashtapadee 14 used the same one-moment doorway. The seeker who chased these gifts was never wrong to want them. They only had the wrong address.
Then the verse makes its real request, the punchline of this whole hymn of asking. Saadhsang parabh dayh nivaas — God, give me a home in the company of the good.
Offered everything, the beggar asks for a seat among the good. Twenty hymns have taught him where everything really lives. Sarab sookh naanak pargaas — there, all joys come to light. Think of a family table. Everything good happens there: the food, the stories, the love. So this prayer-hymn ends at home, in the Sangat, the gathering of the good. That is the address where every other gift was always going to be delivered.
If every good thing came as a side effect of one choice, what would that choice be - and what seat would you ask for?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI