Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A person who does harm without ever knowing the One behind everything is living blind; and someone who doesn't even understand his own heart is, in a way, not in his right mind.
All the fighting and strife in the world is a kind of sickness, eating away at it from the inside. Without the One's Name, a life rings hollow, and doubt tears people apart.
But here is a freeing truth: the one who sees that all the different paths are really heading toward the same One is set free. Living by lies only burns you. The most blessed people anywhere are the ones soaked in truth — and whoever lets go of ego is welcomed at the One's door.
This verse says the one who sees that the paths lead to the same One is set free, and that truth and letting go of ego belong with that seeing.
A pauree is a longer verse in this set, sung between the short shaloks. It builds carefully. First it names what's wrong. "Badfailee gaibaanaa khasam na jaan-ee" — the one who does wrong doesn't know his Master. "So kahee-ai dayvaanaa aap na pachhaan-ee" — call him dayvaanaa, out of his mind, if he doesn't understand himself. That's a strong word, but the point is simple. You can't be truly well while you're a stranger to your own heart. And the world shows the result. "Kaleh buree sansaar vaaday khapee-ai" — the world's fighting is bad, and the quarrels wear it away. The endless fighting is like a sickness eating the world, and its root is forgetting the One and not knowing yourself.
Then comes the line the verse builds toward. "Raah dovai ik jaanai so-ee sijhsee" — whoever knows the two paths as one will be set free. Raah dovai means "the two paths." Teachers usually read them as the Hindu and Muslim ways of Guru Nanak's day. The English translation widens the line to every spiritual path. Picture many trails winding up one mountain toward the same top. Seeing that isn't just being polite, or not caring. The verse calls it freedom itself, because it melts the walls that the world's fighting feeds on.
The verse closes with how to live. "Kufar go-a kufraanai pa-i-aa dajhsee" — the one who speaks lies falls into the fire. "Sabh dunee-aa sub-haan sach samaa-ee-ai" — the most blessed in the world are those soaked in Truth. "Sijhai dar deevaan aap gavaa-ee-ai" — whoever lets go of the proud self is welcomed at the One's court. Seeing that the paths meet doesn't mean anything goes. It walks hand in hand with telling the truth and letting go of ego. Both are part of the same freedom.
Where have you seen the same deep truth wearing different clothes in different traditions or people?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI