Sacred texts · Sikhism
Sukhmani Sahib in English: 38 verses of the Psalm of Peace
The Sukhmani Sahib, often called the Psalm of Peace, is a long composition by Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru, in the Guru Granth Sahib. Its name means “the jewel of peace” or “peace of mind,” and many Sikhs recite it daily or in difficult times. It is made of twenty-four sections (ashtapadis) of eight stanzas, each introduced by a couplet.
This page gathers verses from across the Sukhmani, grouped by theme: remembering the Name, humility, equanimity and God as protector. They are quoted in Max Arthur Macauliffe’s English translation from the third volume of The Sikh Religion (1909), now in the public domain, and each was checked word for word against scans of the 1909 edition. References give the section number. More hymns are on the Guru Granth Sahib quotes page, and Guru Nanak’s on Guru Nanak quotes.
Remembering the Name brings peace
The Sukhmani opens with its refrain: remember, remember God, and trouble and fear will leave the heart. The following stanzas show the Name as a companion where no one else can go, a light on the dark road and a shade in the burning heat.
Remember, remember God; by remembering Him you shall obtain happiness, And erase from your hearts trouble and affliction.
By remembering God fear is not felt; By remembering God sorrow troubleth not.
Where man hath neither mother, nor father, nor son, nor friend, nor brother, There, O my soul, God’s name shall be with thee and assist thee.
The king of the whole world is miserable; Only he is happy who uttereth God’s name.
On the way where there is pitch darkness, The name of God shall accompany and light thee; On the way where nobody knoweth thee, The name of God shall be there to recognize thee.
Where there is very terrible heat and great sunshine, There the name of God shall be a shadow over thee. O man, where thirst tormenteth thee, There, saith Nanak, the name of God shall rain nectar on thee.
All happiness abideth in him To whose heart God is dear.
This Kal age is hot; God’s name is cool; Remember it, remember it, and thou shalt ever be happy.
Let me ever sing Thine excellences, And meditate on Thee, at every breath; Let me ever love Thy lotus feet, And continually perform Thy service.
Regard the Supreme Being as ever near thee; Repeat His name at every breath, And the anxiety of the heart shall depart.
Humility
Guru Arjan returns again and again to humility: the foremost person is the one who effaces pride, whose mind is the dust of all men’s feet. Wealth and beauty are gifts and give no ground for pride, since God’s light shines in everybody.
Among all men foremost is he Who by association with the pious effaceth pride. He who deemeth himself lowly, Shall be deemed the most exalted of all.
They whose minds are the dust of all men’s feet, Shall see God’s name in their inmost hearts. They who expel evil from their hearts, Shall regard the whole world as their friends.
All wealth is obtained, O God, by Thy kindness; No one obtaineth anything by himself.
We apply ourselves to the duties to which Thou hast appointed us, O Master: Nanak, we have no power in ourselves.
They who have effaced themselves and become humble are happy, While the very haughty, O Nanak, are consumed by their pride.
Saith Nanak, pure shall be the glory of him Whose heart is the dust of all men’s feet.
Man hath no happiness So long as he thinketh he can do something.
If man be wealthy, why should he be proud thereof, Since all the wealth that God hath given belongeth to Him?
If man be handsome, he should not be charmed thereby, Since it is God’s light that shineth in everybody.
Equanimity
Several stanzas describe the person who knows God: untouched like a lotus on water, looking on everyone as equal like the wind that blows on rich and poor alike, the same in joy and sorrow. Contentment, says the Sukhmani, is what makes satisfaction possible.
The holy man who looketh upon weal and woe as the same, Shall not, Nanak, be affected by evil or good.
The man who knoweth God is ever uncontaminated, As the lotus is untouched by the water.
The man who knoweth God looketh on all men as equal, As the wind bloweth on the rich and poor alike; The man who knoweth God is uniformly patient, Like the earth which one man diggeth up and another smeareth with sandal.
To him joy and sorrow are the same; He is ever happy and is never separated from God, To him as is gold so is dross, As is nectar so is bitter poison, As is honour so is dishonour, As is the poor man so is the king.
No one can be satisfied without contentment; Otherwise all efforts are vain like the illusion of a dream.
O foolish man, why dost thou bewail? Thou shalt obtain what was written for thee in the beginning.
By the perfect instruction of the saints, Man becometh cool in the midst of heat; Sorrow is put to flight, happiness resulteth, The fear of birth and death is removed, Fear ceaseth, man abideth fearless, And all troubles vanish from his mind.
Whatever happeneth he taketh for the best, For he recognizeth God as the Cause of causes.
God the protector
The last group speaks to the anxious: God who cared for us before birth, who mends what is broken, who is with us at home or abroad. “Why art thou anxious, O mortal?” asks one stanza; others answer with the image of a home for those who have none.
To him who hath no home, Thy name is a home; To him who hath no honour, Thy name is an honour.
That God who made thee, fashioned thee, and adorned thee, Who preserved thee in the fire of the womb, Who in thine infancy gave thee milk to drink.
God the cherisher of the poor Can in a moment make a humble worm a king.
Know that all reliance on man is vain; It is God alone who bestoweth, By whose gifts we remain satisfied, And not again feel thirst.
God is the mender of what is broken; He Himself cherisheth all creatures. Nobody applieth in vain to Him Whose heart feeleth anxiety for all.
No one can kill or preserve but God; He is the Preserver of all creatures. Why art thou anxious, O mortal?
God will draw a veil over the faults of His servant, And will assuredly preserve his honour.
Thou art mine only shelter, mine only support.
Why forget Him who destroyeth not the effects of labour? Why forget Him who regardeth what is done for Him? Why forget Him who gave us everything?
Know that He in whose power are the ways of all creatures, Is with thee whether at home or abroad.
Be joyous in the company of the saints; Sing the praises of God who is the Primal Joy.
How to read the Sukhmani Sahib
Reciting the whole Sukhmani takes a long while, so some people read one section a day. On this page, you can take one verse from the first group in the morning and one from the last in the evening, when worries tend to come back.
The verses on equanimity are good companions for a stressful week: read one when something goes wrong, and once more when something goes well. Macauliffe’s English is old-fashioned; if a word stops you, read the line aloud and let the rhythm carry it.
In the Selfia app, the Sikhism path (Settings › Spirituality) adds passages from the Guru Granth Sahib, including the Sukhmani, in a separate section.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sukhmani Sahib?
It is a composition by Guru Arjan (1563–1606) in the Gauri measure of the Guru Granth Sahib, made of twenty-four ashtapadis, sections of eight stanzas, each preceded by a couplet (slok). Its theme is the peace that comes from remembering God’s Name. Many Sikhs recite it regularly, and it is often read for comfort.
What does Sukhmani mean?
Sukhmani joins sukh, peace or happiness, and mani, a jewel, or man, the mind: it is usually understood as “the jewel of peace” or “peace of mind.” In English it is often called the Psalm of Peace, a title that reflects its repeated promise of calm through remembrance.
Who was Guru Arjan?
Guru Arjan was the fifth of the ten Sikh Gurus. He compiled the Adi Granth, the first version of the Guru Granth Sahib, in 1604, completed the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, and wrote more hymns than any other contributor to the scripture. He died in Lahore in 1606, the first martyr of the Sikh tradition.