ਗੁਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਆਪਿ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਵੈ ॥
gur sayvaa aap har bhaavai.
Service to the Guru is pleasing to the Lord Himself.
ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨੁ ਬਲਭਦ੍ਰੁ ਗੁਰ ਪਗ ਲਗਿ ਧਿਆਵੈ ॥
krisan balbhadaro gur pag lag Dhi-aavai.
Even Krishna and Balbhadar meditated on the Lord, falling at the Guru's Feet.
ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਰਿ ਆਪਿ ਤਰਾਵੈ ॥੪॥੫॥੪੩॥
naanak gurmukh har aap taraavai. ||4||5||43||
O Nanak, the Lord Himself saves the Gurmukhs. ||4||5||43||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Serving the teacher pleases the One. Even great figures like Krishna bowed at the teacher's feet and kept the One in mind. And the One saves those who turn toward the teaching.
Even the great ones bowed to the teacher -- the path runs through the living Guru.
A striking move: even Krishna and Balbhadar (Balarama) -- divine heroes of Hindu tradition -- are said to have fallen at the Guru's feet. Commentators read this as placing the Guru above even the avatars (a recurring Gurbani claim), pointing the path through the living teacher. The One saves the Gurmukh.
A Question to Sit With
Why might even someone powerful still need a teacher?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
Use ← → to navigate