Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Without the Shabad, the self cannot be known — the whole world stumbles blind, brothers and sisters.
Through the Guru's Teachings the heart is illuminated — and at the end, the Name is the only companion.
This one says the Guru's Word is a lamp that lets us see ourselves.
bin sabdai aap na jaap-ee — without the Shabad, the Word, you cannot know yourself. People can see the world just fine. What they cannot see is their own heart. Every eye looks outward. No eye can see itself.
So the Shabad is like a lamp carried into the one dark room inside us. gurmatee ghat chaannaa — through the Guru's teaching, the heart is lit up. Think of a mirror in a dark bathroom. You cannot see your face until someone switches on the light.
The verse ends on a steady note: naam ant sakhaa-ee. Of all we gather in life, one thing goes with us at the very end: the Name, our friend.
What do people around you see about you that you cannot see about yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI