Sikhism·Dakhnee Onkaar·Shabad 111
Verse 18 of 55

Learning the Virtues

ਗੁਣ ਵੀਚਾਰੇ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਸੋਇ ॥
gun veechaaray gi-aanee so-ay.
One who contemplates the Lord's Virtues is spiritually wise.
ਗੁਣ ਮਹਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
gun meh gi-aan paraapat ho-ay.
Through His Virtues, one receives spiritual wisdom.
ਗੁਣਦਾਤਾ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਸੰਸਾਰਿ ॥
gundaataa virlaa sansaar.
How rare in this world, is the Giver of virtue.
ਸਾਚੀ ਕਰਣੀ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥
saachee karnee gur veechaar.
The True way of life comes through contemplation of the Guru.
ਅਗਮ ਅਗੋਚਰੁ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਇ ॥
agam agochar keemat nahee paa-ay.
The Lord is inaccessible and unfathomable. His worth cannot be estimated.
ਤਾ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਜਾ ਲਏ ਮਿਲਾਇ ॥
taa milee-ai jaa la-ay milaa-ay.
They alone meet Him, whom the Lord causes to meet.
ਗੁਣਵੰਤੀ ਗੁਣ ਸਾਰੇ ਨੀਤ ॥
gunvantee gun saaray neet.
The virtuous soul bride continually contemplates His Virtues.
ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਮੀਤ ॥੧੭॥
naanak gurmat milee-ai meet. ||17||
O Nanak, following the Guru's Teachings, one meets the Lord, the true friend. ||17||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The one who turns over the One's good qualities in their mind grows wise.

Wisdom lives right inside those virtues — take them in and you take in the wisdom.

Rare in this world is the one who can hand you virtue; a true way of living grows from thinking on the Guru's words.

The One is beyond reach and beyond price — you meet it only when it draws you in.

The soul-bride full of goodness keeps the One's virtues in mind, day after day.

Nanak says: following the Guru's teaching, you meet the One, your true Friend.

Wisdom lives inside the virtues — take them in and you take in the wisdom.
The deeper layer

Gun veechaaray — reflecting on the virtues yields gi-aan, and the wisdom lives inside the virtues themselves. Gundaataa virlaa — rare is the giver of virtue. Taa milee-ai jaa la-ay milaa-ay — you meet the One only when it unites you (grace). The Lord named as meet, the true friend.

A Question to Sit With

Which good quality would you most like to grow in yourself?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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