Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The true place of pilgrimage is bathing in the pool of Truth. There, the one who turns to the Guru comes to know their own self.
The Guru's word holds all sixty-eight holy places. Bathe in it, and the dirt washes away.
The true word is true and spotless. No dirt ever sticks to it.
True praise, loving praise, comes from the perfect Guru.
The truest place to wash the heart clean is inside, in the Guru's word.
A tirath is a place of pilgrimage, a holy spot people travel to, often to bathe in sacred water. Sachaa tirath jit sat sar naavan — the true tirath is where you bathe in sat sar, the pool of Truth. There, the gurmukh, the one who faces the Guru, comes to know their own self.
Athsath tirath gur sabad dikhaa-ay — the Guru's word holds all athsath, sixty-eight, holy places. In old India, sixty-eight was the traditional count of the great pilgrim sites. Bathe in the word, and mal, the dirt on the heart, washes away.
This is a gentle challenge, and it is fair to everyone. The longing to travel somewhere holy is a good longing. The verse points to where it is finally answered, which is inside. What it questions is the empty version, going through the motions while the heart stays the same. It is like cleaning your room by shoving everything under the bed. It looks tidy, but nothing has really changed.
The true word is spotless, and no dirt sticks to it. True praise comes from the perfect Guru.
Do you have to travel somewhere special to find peace, or can you find it where you are?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI