Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The world wears itself out clinging to 'mine,' and no one seems to know the real way to live.
But the one who walks in step with the Guru's will finds the highest way of living. Those who keep their mind on the One's feet live forever and ever. Nanak says: by grace the One lives in the minds of those who face the Guru, and they melt into a deep, quiet joy.
The world wears itself out grabbing and holding on. The real way to live is to walk in step with the Guru.
This is the start of a Vaar, a long poem of many verses. It was sung to the tune of an older ballad. This opening salok, a short verse, puts the problem and the answer side by side.
The problem: ih jagat mamtaa mu-aa. Mamtaa means "mine, mine," holding on to what we think we own. The world is worn out by it. Jeevan kee biDh naahi — no one knows the way to live.
The answer: gur kai bhaanai jo chalai, whoever walks with the Guru's will. Think of a three-legged race. If you pull your own way, you both fall. If you step together, you fly. Walking in step with the Guru is like that.
Those who keep their mind on the One's feet sadaa sadaa jan jeevtay, live forever and ever. By grace, the One lives in their minds, and they sahj samaahi, melt into calm joy. The whole Vaar will keep coming back to this: grabbing, or walking in step.
What would 'walking in step' rather than grasping look like in one part of your life?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI