Sikhism·Raag Malaar·Shabad 53
Verse 3 of 5

Nothing Greater Than The Guide

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਜੇਵਡੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
satgur jayvad avar na ko-ay.
No one else is as great as the True Guru.
ਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਸੋਇ ॥
gur paarbarahm parmaysar so-ay.
The Guru is the Supreme Lord, the Transcendent Lord God.
ਜਨਮ ਮਰਣ ਦੂਖ ਤੇ ਰਾਖੈ ॥
janam maran dookh tay raakhai.
He saves us from the pains of death and birth,
ਮਾਇਆ ਬਿਖੁ ਫਿਰਿ ਬਹੁੜਿ ਨ ਚਾਖੈ ॥੨॥
maa-i-aa bikh fir bahurh na chaakhai. ||2||
and we will not have to taste the poison of Maya ever again. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

No one is as great as the True Guru.

The Guru is the Highest One, the Lord of all.

The Guru keeps us safe from the pain of being born and dying.

Then we never again taste the poison of Maya, the shiny things that pull us away.

What only looks sweet leaves you hungry; what is true fills you.
The deeper layer

The True Guru is one with the Highest One and keeps you safe from the pain of birth and death.

Satgur jayvad avar na ko-ay: no one is as great as the True Guru. Janam maran dookh is the pain of being born and dying, again and again. Maa-i-aa bikh is the poison of Maya: things that look sweet but leave you empty, like candy that spoils your appetite for a good meal. Once tasted through the Guru's eyes, that pull loses its hold.

A Question to Sit With

What is something that looked great but felt empty once you got it?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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