Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You can dive the whole wide sea and come up with a single pearl, lovely for a few days, then worn away.
But there is a deeper ocean, the Guru, the ocean of Truth. Dive there, and the treasure you bring up never runs out.
A pearl fades, but the Guru's ocean of Truth gives forever.
Khaar samudar dhandholee-ai ik manee-aa paavai — search the salty sea, and you may find one pearl. Du-ay din chaar suhaavanaa — it looks lovely for a few days. Then maatee tis khaavai, the dust wears it away. The pearl is a picture of anything that does not last.
Gur saagar sat sayvee-ai — serve the Guru, the ocean of Truth. Day tot na aavai — those gifts never run short. Think of a new toy that is exciting for a week, next to a friendship that lasts a lifetime.
What is a treasure that lasts, versus one that is lovely for a few days?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI