Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Without the teaching, I have no other place to stand.
Night and day, I keep the teacher's name close.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line. It is the center of the song.
Gur bin avar naahee mai thaa-o — without the Guru, I have no other place. Thaa-o means a place to stand, solid ground. The teaching is that ground.
An-din japa-o guroo gur naa-o — night and day, I repeat the Guru's name. An-din means every day and night. Remembering is woven right into ordinary time. Think of a favorite song you hum while brushing your teeth, walking to school and falling asleep. It stays with you all day. When you find true ground to stand on, you keep coming back to it.
Where is the place — inside or out — that feels like solid ground for you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI