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Sikhism·Raag Gauree·Shabad 285
Verse 4 of 4

Good Guidance Clears the Fog and We Find the Way

ਤਾ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਹਰਿ ਮੇਲੇ ਜੀਉ ਹਰਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਕਵਣੁ ਮਿਲਾਏ ॥
taa milee-ai har maylay jee-o har bin kavan milaa-ay.
If the Lord merges us with Himself, we are merged with Him. Without the Dear Lord, who can merge us with Him?
ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਆਪਣੇ ਜੀਉ ਕਉਣੁ ਭਰਮੁ ਚੁਕਾਏ ॥
bin gur pareetam aapnay jee-o ka-un bharam chukaa-ay.
Without our Beloved Guru, who can dispel our doubt?
ਗੁਰੁ ਭਰਮੁ ਚੁਕਾਏ ਇਉ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਮਾਏ ਤਾ ਸਾ ਧਨ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਏ ॥
gur bharam chukaa-ay i-o milee-ai maa-ay taa saa Dhan sukh paa-ay.
Through the Guru, doubt is dispelled. O my mother, this is the way to meet Him; this is how the soul-bride finds peace.
ਗੁਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਬਿਨੁ ਘੋਰ ਅੰਧਾਰੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਮਗੁ ਨ ਪਾਏ ॥
gur sayvaa bin ghor anDhaar bin gur mag na paa-ay.
Without serving the Guru, there is only pitch darkness. Without the Guru, the Way is not found.
ਕਾਮਣਿ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਾਤੀ ਸਹਜੇ ਮਾਤੀ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਵੀਚਾਰੇ ॥
kaaman rang raatee sehjay maatee gur kai sabad veechaaray.
That wife who is intuitively imbued with the color of His Love, contemplates the Word of the Guru's Shabad.
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਾਮਣਿ ਹਰਿ ਵਰੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਭਾਇ ਪਿਆਰੇ ॥੪॥੧॥
naanak kaaman har var paa-i-aa gur kai bhaa-ay pi-aaray. ||4||1||
O Nanak, the soul-bride obtains the Lord as her Husband, by enshrining love for the Beloved Guru. ||4||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

We're brought close only when the One brings us close — without the One, who could do it? Without the beloved teaching, who clears away our confusion? The teaching clears it, and that's how we meet, dear mother; that's how the soul finds peace. Without the teaching's care, there's only thick darkness, and without it the path can't be found. The heart colored by that love, gently glad, reflects on the Word — and so it finds the Beloved, through loving the teaching.

We find our way when good guidance clears the fog — and love for it lights the path.
The deeper layer

The closing stanza (||4||1||). Taa milee-ai har maylay — we meet only when united by the One (grace, not effort). Gur bharam chukaa-ay — the teaching dispels doubt. Bin gur mag na paa-ay — without the teacher, the path is unfound. The address maa-ay ("O mother") is a tender Amar Das touch. The hymn resolves: the Beloved is found through love of the teaching, given as grace.

A Question to Sit With

Who has helped clear the fog for you when you couldn't find your way?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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Shabad 286 · Verse 1 →Everything Turns Beautiful When the Heart Rests
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