Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
The One is the Great Giver of the world, who loves those who love the One, in all three worlds.
Whoever melts into the Guru's Shabad knows no other.
Living in the Guru's Shabad, knowing no other, they keep the one Naam in mind.
By the grace of Guru Nanak and Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das reached the highest place of all.
And when the call came for him to set out, he melted quietly into the One's Name.
Through loving devotion in this world, the One is found — the One who never dies, never wavers, and cannot be measured.
A teacher's peaceful passing, and a whole life going home to the One.
The poem is called the Sadd, which means "the Call." Baba Sundar wrote it about the last days of Guru Amar Das, the third Guru. Its whole feeling is peace. A life has been lived well, and a soul goes home without fear.
It begins with who the One is. Jag daataa so-ay bhagat vachhal means the Giver of the whole world, who cherishes those who love. The One is amar, atal, atol: deathless, steady, and too great to measure.
Then comes aa-i-aa hakaaraa chalanvaaraa, "the call to set out arrived." It is a gentle call, like a parent calling you in for dinner at the end of a long, happy day. You are not being taken. You are being welcomed home.
What would it mean to live so that the end of your life felt like coming home?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI