Savaiye in Praise of Guru Angad, Verse 4 — humility, the softest and strongest armor
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Honored One gave you glory. You serve the Guru whom the One accepted, who has tamed the snake of the mind and lives in the highest joy.
Looking at you is like looking at the One. Your soul is a spring of wisdom, and you know the deep, hidden ways of the accepted Guru.
Your eyes rest on the place that never moves or changes. Your mind is clean and clear, fixed on the highest place. Wearing the armor of humility, you have overcome Maya, the pull of the world.
Kal Sahaar says: sing the praise of Lehnaa through all seven continents. He met the One and became the Guru of the world.
Humility is Guru Angad's armor, and wearing it he overcomes the pull of the world. It is a soft armor. Think of a kind word that calms a fight a shout never could.
The verse opens with hadrath, from the Arabic Hazrat, a title of deep respect, here given to the one who honored Guru Angad, that is, Guru Nanak. These poems welcome words from more than one tradition. The restless mind is pictured as a snake, ajgar, and here that snake lies calm.
Pahir seel sanaahu means "wearing the armor of humility." With it, Guru Angad overcomes Maya, the shiny things that pull us off course. His gaze rests on what never moves or changes.
Looking at him is like looking through a clear window at the One. The Guru does not replace the One; the Guru helps us see the One. The bard is Kal Sahaar.
When has being humble made you stronger?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI