Savaiye in praise of Guru Ram Das, Verse 6 — everything changes at the Guru's touch
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Glass turns into gold when the ears hear the Word of the Guru.
Poison turns into sweet nectar when the mouth speaks the Naam of the True Guru.
Iron turns into jewels when the True Guru gives a glance of grace.
Stones turn into emeralds when a person thinks on the wisdom the Guru speaks.
The True Guru turns plain wood into sandalwood, and pain and poverty go away.
Whoever touches the True Guru's feet is changed from a beast and a ghost into an angel.
Near the True Guru, everything changes: glass to gold, poison to nectar, and a lost person into someone shining.
Glass turns into gold. Poison turns into sweet nectar. Iron turns into jewels. Stones turn into emeralds. Plain wood turns into fragrant sandalwood. Think of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. It is the same creature, made new.
These are all paaras changes. Paaras is the Philosopher's Stone of old stories, whose touch turns metal into gold. Here the touch is listening to the Word, saying the Naam, a glance of grace, and thinking on the Guru's wisdom.
The chain builds to the biggest change of all, the change in a person. Pas parayt sur nar bha-i-a means "from beast and ghost to angel." These old words describe someone living small and lost, as if haunted. They show how far a person can be lifted. The pain of want goes away too.
Can you think of a time you felt changed for the better just by being around someone good?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI