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Sikhism·Raag Gauree·Shabad 294
Verse 112 of 112

The Guru Is the Touch That Transforms You

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
salok.
Shalok:
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਮਾਤਾ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਪਿਤਾ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਪਰਮੇਸੁਰਾ ॥
gurdayv maataa gurdayv pitaa gurdayv su-aamee parmaysuraa.
The Divine Guru is our mother, the Divine Guru is our father; the Divine Guru is our Lord and Master, the Transcendent Lord.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਸਖਾ ਅਗਿਆਨ ਭੰਜਨੁ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਬੰਧਿਪ ਸਹੋਦਰਾ ॥
gurdayv sakhaa agi-aan bhanjan gurdayv banDhip sahodaraa.
The Divine Guru is my companion, the Destroyer of ignorance; the Divine Guru is my relative and brother.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਦਾਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਉਪਦੇਸੈ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਮੰਤੁ ਨਿਰੋਧਰਾ ॥
gurdayv daataa har naam updaysai gurdayv mant niroDharaa.
The Divine Guru is the Giver, the Teacher of the Lord's Name. The Divine Guru is the Mantra which never fails.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਬੁਧਿ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਪਾਰਸ ਪਰਸ ਪਰਾ ॥
gurdayv saaNt sat buDh moorat gurdayv paaras paras paraa.
The Divine Guru is the image of peace, truth and wisdom. The Divine Guru is the Philosopher's Stone - touching it, one is transformed.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਤੀਰਥੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਰੋਵਰੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨ ਮਜਨੁ ਅਪਰੰਪਰਾ ॥
gurdayv tirath amrit sarovar gur gi-aan majan apramparaa.
The Divine Guru is the sacred shrine of pilgrimage, and the pool of divine nectar; bathing in the Guru's wisdom, one experiences the Infinite.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਕਰਤਾ ਸਭਿ ਪਾਪ ਹਰਤਾ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਪਤਿਤ ਪਵਿਤ ਕਰਾ ॥
gurdayv kartaa sabh paap hartaa gurdayv patit pavit karaa.
The Divine Guru is the Creator, and the Destroyer of all sins; the Divine Guru is the Purifier of sinners.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਆਦਿ ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਜੁਗੁ ਜੁਗੁ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਮੰਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਜਪਿ ਉਧਰਾ ॥
gurdayv aad jugaad jug jug gurdayv mant har jap uDhraa.
The Divine Guru existed in the very beginning, throughout the ages, in each and every age. The Divine Guru is the Mantra of the Lord's Name; chanting it, one is saved.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਮੇਲਿ ਕਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਹਮ ਮੂੜ ਪਾਪੀ ਜਿਤੁ ਲਗਿ ਤਰਾ ॥
gurdayv sangat parabh mayl kar kirpaa ham moorh paapee jit lag taraa.
O God, please be merciful to me, that I may be with the Divine Guru; I am a foolish sinner, but holding onto Him, I will be carried across.
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਨਮਸਕਰਾ ॥੧॥
gurdayv satgur paarbarahm parmaysar gurdayv naanak har namaskaraa. ||1||
The Divine Guru is the True Guru, the Supreme Lord God, the Transcendent Lord; Nanak bows in humble reverence to the Lord, the Divine Guru. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The Guru is my mother, the Guru is my father; the Guru is my Master, one with the One. The Guru is my friend, who clears away the dark of not-knowing. The Guru is my closest family, a brother who never leaves my side.

The Guru is the giver who teaches the Naam. The Guru is peace, truth and clear seeing, a mantra that never fails. The Guru is the touch that transforms you, the way a magic stone was said to turn iron to gold. The Guru is the pool of sweet nectar, where bathing means bathing in wisdom.

The Guru makes the broken whole and washes clean whatever went wrong. The Guru has been there from the very beginning, through every age.

So I ask with all my heart, O One: gather me gently into the Guru's Sangat, however unsteady I have been. Holding on there, I will be carried across. To the Guru, who is one with the One, Nanak bows with his whole self.

The Guru is mother, father, friend, and the touch that transforms you — one with the One, and the Guru's Sangat carries you home.
The deeper layer

The Guru is mother, father, friend, and the touch that changes you; the Guru's Sangat carries you home.

This Gurdayv Shalok is the crown that closes the whole Baavan Akhree. It is the same verse that opened it. Every line begins gurdayv, the Divine Guru. The lines are full of family words. Gurdayv maataa gurdayv pitaa — the Guru is mother, the Guru is father. The Guru is also sakhaa, friend, and banDhip sahodaraa, relative and brother.

The Guru is the paaras, the magic stone that changes whatever it touches. The Guru is the tirath and amrit sarovar, the holy shrine and the pool of sweet nectar. These are heard inwardly: gur gi-aan majan, bathing in the Guru's wisdom. Patit pavit karaa — the Guru makes the fallen pure. That is heard as healing, not shaming.

Gurdayv sangat prabh mayl — the prayer is to be joined to the Guru's Sangat. The singer calls himself moorh paapee, foolish and wrong. It is heard gently, as "however unsteady I have been." Think of a tired traveler reaching home and being welcomed at the door anyway.

It ends with gurdayv satgur paarbarahm parmaysar: the Guru is one with the One. Then comes a whole-hearted namaskaraa, a bow. It is a fitting seal for the journey through all 52 letters.

A Question to Sit With

Who in your life has been like a guide — someone who helped bring you from confusion into clarity?

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

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