Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I've taken the Name into my heart the way you'd treasure the most valuable thing you own.
From the whole and complete teaching I received something sweet beyond measure — deeper than I could ever reach the bottom of. And it was given, not bought.
Guru Arjan says he has taken in the Name as his greatest treasure, and it is sweeter and deeper than he can measure.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the song. Mai har har naam visaahu — "I have bought the Name." Visaahu means to buy something and treasure it, the way a trader invests in the one thing worth having.
Gur pooray tay paa-i-aa — "I got it from the Perfect Guru." What he got is amrit, nectar. It is agam, beyond reach, and athaahu, so deep you can never touch the bottom.
Think of a well so deep that no rope ever reaches the end, and the water is always fresh. It is a priceless, bottomless gift, and it came to him freely from the Guru.
What's the most valuable thing you have that no money bought?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI