Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Guru lined my eyes with the healing ointment of true wisdom. And with that, a light dawned deep inside me, and the darkness of not-knowing was gone. My little light merged into the great Light, my mind finally said "yes" and surrendered, and I was honored in the Court of the One.
The Guru does not make a new light. The Guru heals our eyes so we can see the light that was always there.
Gur gi-aan anjan sach naytree paa-i-aa — the Guru put the true anjan of gi-aan (wisdom) on my eyes. Anjan is a dark eye ointment, like kajal. In India, people have long put it around their eyes. It was believed to help the eyes and help people see better. So the Guru is pictured gently putting the ointment of wisdom on our eyes. We do not start seeing new things outside. Our inner sight is healed.
What do healed eyes see? Antar chaanan agi-aan anDhayr gavaa-i-aa — inside, a light shines, and the agi-aan anDhayr (darkness of not-knowing) is gone. Here is the key idea. The light was always there. The first verse said the treasure was always in the cave. The trouble was that our inner eye could not see it. The Guru's wisdom does not make the light. It clears our sight.
Think of someone whose eyes had grown cloudy, and a doctor clears them. The sun was shining the whole time. Now, at last, they can see it. Another shabad uses a different picture for the same idea: soot covering a lamp. The problem is always what blocks our seeing.
Then comes the homecoming. Jotee jot milee — my light joined the Light. Think of a candle flame that joins a big bonfire and becomes part of it. Once the inner eye sees the light within, our small light knows it was always part of the one great Light, and it joins it.
Man maani-aa — the mind said "yes." It stopped fighting and let go. The joining and the "yes" happen together. When a tight, clenched mind relaxes, the small light flows into the great Light.
Har dar sobhaa paavni-aa — and such a soul is honored at the One's door. So the whole inner story goes like this. The Guru heals our sight. We see the light that was always inside. Our mind says yes, our small light joins the great Light, and we are welcomed home with honor.
Has someone ever helped you suddenly "see" something that was right in front of you the whole time? What changed once your eyes were opened?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI