Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One is the True Banker, and the souls who trade with Him are true traders. Out of boundless love for the Guru, the thing they buy and sell is truth itself. Their whole business is truth: they purchase truth, they work truth, they earn truth and only truth.
This one pictures life as a business, and asks what you are trading in.
Sachaa saahu sachay vanjaaray — the One is the True Banker, and the people who trade with Him are true traders. The Banker gives the starting money; we go out like traveling merchants. Everyone is in business. The only question is what you buy and sell. This verse describes people who deal in sach, truth, and nothing else. Every deal they make buys more truth.
What powers their trade? Gur hayt apaaray — endless love for the Guru. These traders aren't grumpy accountants adding up good deeds. They trade in truth because they are in love. Love is the money they start with, and truth is what they sell. It runs on love, not on counting points. It's like helping out at home because you love your family, not to earn a reward.
Notice how it comes full circle: sacho sach kamaavani-aa — they earn truth, only truth. When truth is your whole business, truth is also your profit. You get rich in the same coin you trade in. There is a quiet warning here too, which the next verse says out loud. If you spend life trading in things that don't last, like likes, stuff and being popular, that is all you will have at the end of the day. And all of it spoils. The one who trades in truth ends the day truly rich.
If your daily choices are "trades," what are you mostly buying with your time and attention — and will it still be worth anything later?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI