Savaiye in Praise of Guru Nanak, Verse 7 — one light, passed from flame to flame
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In the first age, the Golden Age, You chose to come as a little dwarf and outwit King Bal.
In the second age, You were called Raam, of the family of Raghu.
In the third age, You were Krishna, who defeated the demon Mur and set Kans free.
You gave a kingdom to Ugrasain, and You gave Your humble devotees freedom from fear.
In this dark age, You are known and accepted as Guru Nanak, Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das.
The rule of the great Guru stays steady and never moves. The First Being ordered it so.
The same light has come to help the world in every age, and in this age it shines in Guru Nanak, Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das.
The verse walks through the four ages of old Indian time. It names stories from the Hindu tradition: Vaman the dwarf, who outwitted King Bal; Raam; and Krishna, who defeated the demon Mur and King Kans and gave the throne back to Ugrasain. Then it makes a turn: in kalijug, this dark age, that light is known as the Gurus. The one light, the jot, is passed from Guru to Guru like a flame lit from a flame.
Raaj abichal atal: the Guru's rule stays steady and never moves, because the First Being ordered it so.
Who passed something good on to you that you might one day pass to someone else?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI