Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The true teacher is kind, and treats everyone the same — no favorites, no outsiders.
Looking on all with one even gaze, the teacher is found by the heart that comes with genuine longing.
Inside the true teacher is something like nectar — sweet, life-giving, lifting you to the highest and finest place.
By grace we come to hold the One in mind; and the one who turns toward the teaching is the one who receives.
A new song begins here, and its first words are about the true teacher, who treats everyone the same.
This is the start of Gauree Ki Vaar by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru. A Vaar is a long song made of verses called pauris, each with short couplets before it. It opens with the short blessing Ik Onkar Satgur Prasad: "One Creator, known by the true Guru's grace."
The days of the moon are now behind us. The new theme is the Satgur, the true teacher. It is also about being a gurmukh, someone turned toward the teaching, rather than a manmukh, someone turned only toward themselves.
The first note is fairness. Jis no samat sabh koay: to the teacher, everyone is the same. Ayk darisat kar daykhdaa: the teacher looks at all with one even gaze. Think of a good teacher who has no favorites and no outsiders in the class.
Inside the teacher is amrit, nectar. It stands for the teaching that heals and brings life. And how do you find the teacher? Man bhaavnee tay, through the heart's real longing, and kirpaa tay, through grace. It is never bought. It is received by the one who turns toward it.
What does it feel like to be around someone who treats everyone equally, with no favorites?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI