Gaathaa, Salok 14 — a true child clears the family's bad name
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A family's bad name is wiped away by a true son,
one who remembers the Guru's mantra in his heart.
The Beloved Lord never changes.
Nanak says: that One carries us across the ocean of the world.
A family's old bad name can be wiped away when one of its children lives true.
Apjas means a bad reputation, a name people whisper about. It is wiped away by a true son, and any child who lives true, son or daughter, can do the same. That child keeps the Guru's mantar, the Guru's teaching, alive in the heart.
Picture a family known for an old mistake. Then one child grows up honest and kind. Slowly, people start to see the whole family in a new light.
The verse ends with the Beloved, who is achut, the One who never falls or changes. That One carries us across the sansaar saagar, the wide ocean of the world.
How could the way you live bring honor to your family?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI