Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The very ground turns green and alive where the True Guru comes and sits.
And the people who go to be near the Guru are made fresh again.
Blessed is the family, blessed the mother and father, who brought such a one into the world.
Blessed is the Guru who holds the Name — crossing over, and lifting across all who come near.
Be kind, and unite Nanak too with the True Guru, that he might humbly serve the Guru.
A tender Shalok of the Fourth Mehl built on a single, vivid image of aliveness: saa Dhartee bha-ee haree-aavalee — the very earth "turns green" where the Guru sits. Presence is generative; goodness makes things grow. The same greening happens to people — say jant bha-ay haree-aavlay — those who come near are "made fresh again," rejuvenated. The repeated Dhan Dhan — "blessed, blessed" — pours out gratitude in every direction: on the family, the mother, the father, the Guru. And there is a beautiful mother-honoring line: Dhan Dhan so jannee — "blessed is the mother who gave birth." The last wish is the humblest possible: to be allowed simply to serve.
Have you ever been near someone whose presence seemed to make everything around them better or more alive? What was that like?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI