Raag Bilaaval
Commentary

Raag Bilaaval, Chau-Pada, Mehl 3 (Guru Amar Das)

You made me Your servant and blessed me with service — so what is there to boast about? The One is guru and disciple both, and we move as the One moves us.

The Arc

Guru Amar Das marvels that his very serving is a gift from the One, so there is nothing to argue over — the One plays in all. When the Guru is pleased, the Name fills you. The verses ask honestly: nothing I do is mine to brag about; without Your light no one could speak at all; the One is teacher and student both; who can fathom what You do?

Key Vocabulary

  • saahib / sayvak: the Great One / the servant
  • khayl: the play, the game
  • sahj Dhi-aanaa: effortless, natural focus
  • jot: the light, the living spark
  • gur chaylaa: teacher and disciple
  • gunee niDhaanaa: the treasure-house of every virtue

Themes and Cross-Connections

Sabh meh ayk samaanaa — the One contained among all — is the ground note. The bold line aapay gur chaylaa hai aapay (the One is both teacher and disciple) dissolves even the sacred teacher-student pair into oneness, and jab apunee jot khinceh (when You withdraw the light) roots all our speaking and doing in a life that is on loan.

For Raag Bilaaval

The brightness of Bilaaval here is gratitude — the glad relief of realizing even your goodness is a gift, so there is nothing left to defend or boast about.


Last updated: 2026-07-08

Read this shabad →
← Back to Raag Bilaaval