Verse 3 of 152
Salok Vaaraan Te Vadheek (Mehl 1), Salok 3 — Ask the Ones Who Have Crossed
ਜੇ ਤੂੰ ਤਾਰੂ ਪਾਣਿ ਤਾਹੂ ਪੁਛੁ ਤਿੜੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਕਲ ॥
jay tooN taaroo paan taahoo puchh tirhHaN-nH kal.
If you wish to swim across the water, then consult those who know how to swim.
ਤਾਹੂ ਖਰੇ ਸੁਜਾਣ ਵੰਞਾ ਏਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਕਪਰੀ ॥੩॥
taahoo kharay sujaan vanjaa aynHee kapree. ||3||
Those who have survived these treacherous waves are very wise. ||3||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
If you want to swim across the water, ask the ones who know how to swim.
Those who have come through these rough waves are the wise ones.
When the water is deep, learn from the ones who have already crossed it.
To cross deep water, learn from someone who has already crossed it.
Jay toon taaroo paan: if you want to swim the water, taahoo puchh, ask the swimmers. The rough waves, kapree, are the hard stretches of life. The ones who have come through them, kharay sujaan, are wise, and in Gurbani the one who has crossed and can carry others across is the Guru.
Asking is how anyone gets across.
A Question to Sit With
Who is someone who has been through a hard thing you are facing now, and what might they tell you if you asked?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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