Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Remembering the One is the highest thing a person can do. It has saved many, many people.
In it, thirst is finally quenched. In it, things become clear and known. In it, the fear of death goes quiet and hopes are fulfilled.
It rinses the dust off the mind, and the sweet Naam settles into the heart.
The One rests on the tongues of the holy. Nanak is the servant of the servant of their servants.
The highest act is also the simplest: remember the One, and the mind comes clean.
Two pictures hold this verse together. First, thirst. Parabh kai simran tarisnaa bujhai — in remembering God, tarisnaa, thirst, is quenched. This is the craving that things can never satisfy. Much of Gurbani speaks of tarisnaa, a thirst that grows the more you drink. Think of wanting the next new toy, and then the next, and the next.
Second, washing. Parabh kai simran man kee mal jaa-ay — in remembering God, the dirt of the mind is removed. Remembering is a kind of washing. Sukhmani comes back to this picture often. In its third ashtapadee, a set of eight verses, it says no outer washing can clean a wall of mud. Only this inner washing works.
The closing lines show Sukhmani's circle of humility. Parabh jee baseh saaDh kee rasnaa — God lives on the tongues of the holy. Naanak jan kaa daasan dasnaa — Nanak is the servant of the servants of their servants. This is not putting himself down. It is a simple discovery. Getting closer to the One and getting smaller in ego are the same step.
What does your mind feel like after a day of grabbing at things, versus a quiet moment of gratitude?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI