Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The most precious treasure — diamonds and rubies — isn't buried in some far-off mine. The One placed it deep *inside you*. The way you test whether it's real gold is the **shabad**, the Guru's Word; it's like a jeweler's touchstone. The people who actually carry truth inside them speak truth, and they can tell what's real because they hold the touchstone of truth against everything.
The greatest treasure isn't out there somewhere. It was placed inside you from the start.
Andar heeraa laal banaa-i-aa — diamonds and rubies are made deep within. The treasure people hunt for outside — in trophies, things and applause — was put inside you all along. Gurbani says this again and again. You are not a beggar trying to get something you lack. You are more like a king who forgot the jewel sewn into his own coat.
But a jewel is only useful if you can tell it's real and not glass. So the second line gives the test: gur kai sabad parakh — it is tested through the Shabad, the Guru's Word. In old India, a jeweler rubbed gold on a kasvatee, a touchstone. The streak it left showed whether the gold was pure. The Guru's Word is that touchstone for the soul. It helps you tell the real inner treasure from the fake gold of ego and illusion. Without it, you might mistake your cravings for your true self.
The last line draws the lesson: jin sach palai sach vakaaneh — those who carry Truth speak Truth. Sach kasvatee laavani-aa — they test everything on the touchstone of sach, truth. Once you've found and tested your inner jewel, you can test the world around you too. You can tell what's worth your time and what is just glitter, like knowing a real friend from someone who only likes your stuff. Finding the treasure inside makes you wise outside. The whole shabad unfolds this jewel: it lives in the body, it is the endless Naam, and by grace the gurmukh, the one facing the Guru, holds it up to the light.
If something truly precious were already inside you, what "touchstone" would help you tell it apart from all the shiny things that only pretend to be valuable?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI