Savaiye in Praise of Guru Amar Das, Verse 1 — the lamp lit from a lamp
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
Remember that First Being, the True One, whose one Naam can never be tricked in this world.
The Naam carries the devotees across the frightening ocean of the world. Remember that highest Naam.
Guru Nanak delighted in that Naam, and he set up Lehnaa as Guru, full of every spiritual power.
Kal the poet says: the glory of the wise and humble Amar Das has spread through the world.
His praise shines through the world like the rays of the sun, like the spreading branches of the fragrant maulsar tree.
In the north, south, east and west, people cheer your victory.
As the Guru, he spoke the Naam of the One with his tongue and gave it to the world. He turned people's hearts around, like making the Ganges River flow west.
That Naam, which can never be tricked and carries the devotees across, came to Guru Amar Das.
The one Naam that can never be tricked, achhal, passed from Guru Nanak to Guru Angad and came to Guru Amar Das.
This begins the Savaiye in praise of the third Guru. The light passes like a lamp lit from a lamp: Guru Nanak set up Lehnaa as Guru, and the same Naam came to Amar Das. His fame spreads like sun rays and like the branches of the maulsar, a tree with sweet-smelling flowers.
Ulat gang pascham Dharee-aa: he made the Ganges flow west. The Ganges flows east. Turning it around is a picture of turning people's hearts back toward the One. Many also hear in it how people who used to travel east to Hardwar now came west, to Guru Amar Das at Goindval.
The bard is Kal.
What is something good you have received that was passed down to you by others?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI