Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The devotees are known through the Shabad — their words carry Truth.
The self has gone from within them; they have accepted the Name — and the True Union has come.
Guru Amar Das is saying: you can recognize a true devotee by the way they speak.
How do you know a real devotee? Not by robes, titles or claims. Sabdou hee bhagat jaapday — devotees are known through the Word. The Word sounds in their speech. Their banee, their words, have become true. It is the same word used for the Guru's own hymns.
Speech is where the heart spills over. Think of a full glass: whatever is inside is what pours out. In these devotees, vichahu aap ga-i-aa — the selfish "me" has gone from within. Naa-o mani-aa — they have accepted the Name, with the same deep "yes" that Japji Sahib calls Mannai, acceptance. So what pours out of them is Truth. Their proof and their union with the One arrive together.
What does the way a person talks — not what they claim — tell you about what fills them?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI