Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When I give this life to the teaching, something beautiful happens. The Real One Himself makes it shine, better than I could polish it alone.
Without the Name, there is no place to rest at the One's door.
And the true honor, the lasting kind, is never something I grab. It arrives as mercy, whenever the heart opens to receive it.
A life given to the Guru is made beautiful by the One.
Saa kaa-i-aa jo satgur sayvai, sachai aap savaaree: the body that serves the True Guru is decorated by the True One Himself.
The verse also says that without the Name, there is no place to rest at the One's door. It uses the strong old picture of jam, the messenger of death, to show how serious this is. The point is simple: lasting worth comes from the Name.
Naanak sach vadi-aa-ee paa-ay: true honor is received jis no har kirpaa Dhaaree, by the one the Lord shows mercy to.
Think of a plain vase that someone fills with fresh flowers. The beauty comes from what is placed inside.
What in your life feels more meaningful when you give it your whole heart?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI