Savaiye in Praise of Guru Arjun (Bhatt Harbans), Verse 1 — the Naam flowing like a river, never dying
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Naam flows like the river Ganges, and nothing can stop it. The Sikhs of the Sangat all bathe in it.
It is as if the Puranas are being read there every day, and Brahma himself is singing the Vedas.
A royal fan waves over his head, and he drinks the nectar of the Naam.
The Highest One has placed the royal canopy over the head of Guru Arjun.
Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das have met together and gone to the One.
Harbans says: their praise spreads across the whole world. Who can say the great Gurus have died?
The Naam flows like a river that never stops, and the Gurus' light lives on.
The bard Harbans pictures the Naam as the Ganges, a great holy river. It cannot be stopped, and the whole Sangat bathes in it. Everyone, whoever they are, steps into the same river.
It feels as if all the holy books are being read there at once. The Puranas and the Vedas are old Hindu holy books, and Brahma is a great figure of that tradition. They are named with respect, as if the whole sacred world comes to this one flowing Naam.
A royal fan waves over Guru Arjun, and the One places a royal canopy over his head. Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das have gone on to meet the One.
Then comes the great line. So kavan kahai saree gur mu-ya-o — who can say the great Gurus have died? Think of a candle that lights the next candle. The first flame is not lost. It lives on in the new one. The Gurus' light never went out.
How does someone you love stay present even when they are not in the room?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI