Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Nanak asks: what can a servant really give back to such a teacher? Offer the one thing that is truly yours — your very life, your soul.
Fix your attention on what the true teaching wants of you, and the teaching itself will bless you; you don't have to earn the blessing separately.
The only gift worth giving the true teacher is yourself.
Nanak asks: what service can a servant give such a Guru? The One lacks nothing, so presents mean little. The answer is jee-o Dharay-ay, place your very life before the Guru. That means your attention, your heart, all of you.
Then comes a kind promise. Satgur kaa bhaanaa chit karay — keep the Guru's will in your mind. Then satgur aapay kirpaa karay-i, the Guru blesses you. You do not earn the blessing in a second, separate deal. Giving yourself is already receiving.
Think of a child who gives a parent a whole hug. The hug is the gift, and the hug back comes in the same moment. This takes away the worried counting of "have I done enough?" The giving and the grace are one movement.
If you gave your full attention to one thing you love today, what might it give back to you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI