Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Without the Guru, no one has ever obtained Him — though many claim they have.
He Himself reveals the Way, and He Himself plants true devotion within.
The way is shown to us; no one climbs up to it alone.
This verse has a warning and a kindness. The warning first. Gur bin kinai na paa-i-o kaytee kahai kahaa-ay — without the Guru, no one has found the One, though many say they have. Saying you have arrived is not the same as arriving. People bragged about spiritual things in Guru Nanak's time, just as some do today.
Now the kindness. Aap dikhaavai vaatrheen — the One shows the way. Sachee bhagat drirh-aa-ay — the One plants true love inside. Both actions are the One's.
No one climbs up to the One on a ladder they built alone. That takes the brag out of the boasters. And no one has to, which is good news for everyone else. It is like a lost hiker being met by a guide who knows the trail.
How can you tell the difference between someone who talks about wisdom and someone who has it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI