Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
True is the Master; the world comes and goes.
The mortal is emancipated as one turned to the Guru, as the One's slave.
The Master lasts forever, while the world comes and goes.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad. Saach Dhanee jag aa-ay binaasaa — the Master is saach, True, which means lasting. The world comes and then passes away.
The second line holds a surprise. Chhootas paraanee gurmukh daasaa — a person becomes free by being a daas, a servant who belongs to the One. A gurmukh is someone whose face is turned toward the Guru.
How can belonging make you free? Think of a kite. The string seems to hold it back. But without the string, the kite just tumbles to the ground. Held by the string, it flies high. In the same way, belonging to the One is what sets a person free.
What lasts in your life, and what merely comes and goes?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI