Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I have been low, stained, and swollen with pride — caught up in loving other things more than the One.
But meeting the Guru — the Philosopher's Stone — this metal turns to gold: the pure, infinite Light.
The Guru's touch can turn even the dullest metal into gold.
The verse starts with honest words. I have been low, stained, and full of pride. I have been caught up in doojaa bhaa-o, loving other things more than the One.
Then comes a hopeful picture. Gur paaras mili-ai kanchan ho-ay — meeting the Guru, the paaras, I become gold. The paaras is the old story of a magic stone. Its touch turns plain iron into gold. Notice what the stone does not do. It does not sort metals, keeping gold and sending iron away. Its whole magic is changing what is not yet gold. Think of a great teacher who is happiest with the kid who is struggling. So the honest confession and the golden change belong together. The more honestly we own our plain metal, the more ready we are for that touch. The soul then joins the pure, endless Light.
Does admitting your worst honestly feel like defeat to you, or like the first step of the transformation?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI