Sikhism·Raag Gauree·Shabad 295
Verse 112 of 136

Listen Deeply, Move in Tune, and the Mind Blossoms

ਪਉੜੀ ॥
pa-orhee.
Pauree:
ਸਾ ਸੇਵਾ ਕੀਤੀ ਸਫਲ ਹੈ ਜਿਤੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਮਨੁ ਮੰਨੇ ॥
saa sayvaa keetee safal hai jit satgur kaa man mannay.
Fruitful and rewarding is that service, which is pleasing to the Guru's Mind.
ਜਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਮਨੁ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਤਾ ਪਾਪ ਕਸੰਮਲ ਭੰਨੇ ॥
jaa satgur kaa man mani-aa taa paap kasamal bhannay.
When the Mind of the True Guru is pleased, then sins and misdeeds run away.
ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ਜਿ ਦਿਤਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਸੋ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਸਿਖੀ ਕੰਨੇ ॥
updays je ditaa satguroo so suni-aa sikhee kannay.
The Sikhs listen to the Teachings imparted by the True Guru.
ਜਿਨ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਭਾਣਾ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਤਿਨ ਚੜੀ ਚਵਗਣਿ ਵੰਨੇ ॥
jin satgur kaa bhaanaa mani-aa tin charhee chavgan vannay.
Those who surrender to the True Guru's Will are imbued with the four-fold Love of the Lord.
ਇਹ ਚਾਲ ਨਿਰਾਲੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ ਗੁਰ ਦੀਖਿਆ ਸੁਣਿ ਮਨੁ ਭਿੰਨੇ ॥੨੫॥
ih chaal niraalee gurmukhee gur deekhi-aa sun man bhinnay. ||25||
This is the unique and distinct life-style of the Gurmukhs: listening to the Guru's Teachings, their minds blossom forth. ||25||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The service that truly bears fruit is the one that gladdens the heart of the teaching.

When the teaching's heart is glad, mistakes and burdens fall away.

The students take the teacher's words in through open, listening ears.

Those who move in tune with the teaching are colored fourfold in the One's love.

This is the beautiful, one-of-a-kind way of those who follow the teaching: listening deeply, their minds blossom open.

The way that truly changes you is simple and rare: listen deeply, move in tune with what you learn, and watch your mind blossom open.
The deeper layer

A Pauri of the Fourth Mehl on service and mannai — inner alignment. The key phrase, satgur kaa man mannay, is about pleasing the teacher's heart, which the verse ties to sikhee kannay — students receiving the teaching "through the ears," an image of suniai (deep listening). Charhee chavgan vannay — "colored fourfold" — is the dye-image again, love deepening in intensity. The closing chaal niraalee gurmukhee names this "unique life-style" and ends on man bhinnay — minds that "blossom" (a cousin of vigaas) when they listen deeply. Note mannai is rendered as moving in tune / inner alignment, never "faith" or "belief."

A Question to Sit With

When you really listen to someone — not just hear them, but take it in — what changes inside you? How is that different from just nodding along?

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

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