On the auspicious day of Maghi and Makar Sankranti, I felt deeply blessed to place the first copy of my book—Sukhmani Sahib: The Guru’s Pathway to Inner Peace—at the holy feet of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at the Sector 8 Gurdwara, Chandigarh. For any Sikh, there can be no greater sense of completion than to begin (and end) one’s effort in the presence of the Guru. Whatever the hands may assemble, whatever the mind may arrange into words, belongs first to the One who grants the grace, the discipline, and the strength to persevere.
At the very outset, I feel compelled to say this: the priceless verses of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, preserved and enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, cannot have a price tag attached to them. Gurbani is the Guru’s priceless blessing—meant to awaken the soul and steady the mind—and it is best offered onward in the spirit of sewa, not associated with worldly valuation. This is why I have chosen to keep this publication non-priced, and why 1,000 copies are being distributed free of cost, funded by me personally from my pensionary resources—which are themselves among the Guru’s innumerable blessings—so that any seeker, anywhere, may receive it without hesitation.
I am also making this work available in a free PDF format for those who prefer to read digitally, or who may wish to share it easily with family and friends across the world. I request you to circulate it to devotees and seekers who may be interested—especially those who, for reasons of language, cannot read Punjabi (Gurmukhi), yet feel drawn to Gurbani and long to understand the luminous pathway it offers.
Why This Rendition Was Needed
Sukhmani Sahib, revealed by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji (the Fifth Nanak), is among the most beloved and frequently recited compositions of Gurbani. Its recitation has steadied countless minds and softened countless hearts. Yet in our time, many sincere readers—Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike—are separated from its meaning by the barrier of script and language. In that gap, people often turn to machine-generated translations, which may convey a rough idea but frequently miss the precision, the spiritual nuance, and the inner continuity of the Ashtpadis and Pauris. When the flow is lost, the seeker receives fragments—where the Guru intended a living sequence.
This book is my small attempt to bridge that gap with sincerity, reverence, and care—by offering an English rendering that remains faithful in spirit, and by adding introductions and “Essence” notes that help a reader see the thread that runs through each Ashtpadi and Pauri.
A Humble Submission
I place this work before the reader with a clear confession: I am not a trained scholar of Sikh Studies, nor do I claim any authority over interpretation. I do not even claim that the translation here is exclusively my own, because I have built upon the selfless labours of other scholars whose work is available as open source on the internet. Upon that foundation, I have tried—within my limited mental and spiritual faculties—to shape an English rendering that remains faithful in spirit, while also adding such understanding as has come to me in reflection. Even then, I remain conscious of my limitations.
What I can claim, in all honesty, is that—so far as possible—the introductions to each Ashtpadi and Pauri, and the “Essence” that follows each line-by-line translation, are my own: a seeker’s attempt to gather the central teaching for deeper contemplation. Should I have made any mistake, misinterpretation, or omission, I beg for unqualified forgiveness in advance—from the Guru, the Sangat, and the readers.
The Discipline of the Journey
With the Guru’s grace, I was able to complete this personal mission by keeping to a simple discipline: publishing each Pauri in the Amrit Vela, each day, whether I was in India or travelling abroad. This is not to suggest that the translation and reflection for every Pauri were necessarily composed within the span of a single day; at times the work was prepared over several days, even over a week, and then scheduled for publication through my newsletter. Yet I can say, with gratitude and wonder, that the Guru led me to complete this undertaking without, perhaps, missing a single day.
That continuity became a kind of inner training: not merely to write about inner peace, but to return repeatedly to the source of peace.
A Request to the Sangat
Now, as I place this work in the hands of readers and seekers, I request only this: please share it with those who may benefit—young people abroad, families who speak Punjabi but cannot read Gurmukhi, and sincere seekers who feel drawn to the spiritual vision of Sikhi yet remain at a distance because the script feels unfamiliar. If even a few readers find steadiness in distress, clarity in confusion, or remembrance in forgetfulness, the purpose of this effort will have been served.
Because the spirit of an undertaking matters as much as its method, I have chosen to preserve—exactly as I first wrote and published it on 15 April 2025—the statement with which I began this journey. I have reproduced it there, unchanged, so that readers may have a clear contextual reference for what follows in its pages.
If you read the book or browse the PDF, I would be grateful if you would leave a comment on this post—especially if you notice any error that needs correction, or if there is any passage that particularly spoke to you. And if you feel it may help someone, please share this Substack post and the PDF link onward, in the spirit of sewa.
With folded hands, I announce the completion of this humble mission—and its formal presentation at the Guru’s feet. Whatever is good in it is the Guru’s; whatever is lacking is mine.