Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Without the Guru, understanding does not come. Peace never moves in to stay.
Nanak says: turned away from the Naam, following only our own restless mind, we can let a whole life slip past, wasted.
We don't have to work everything out alone; a guide helps peace move in.
Gur bin gi-aan na hova-ee means without the Guru, true understanding does not come. Naa sukh vasai man aa-ay: and peace does not come to live in the mind. Think of learning to ride a bike. It is so much easier with someone holding the seat at first.
The second line warns that the manmukh, the person who follows only their own restless mind, can janam gavaa-ay, lose a whole life. This is a tender warning, not a curse. A life can slip past unlived. The heart of it is an invitation: come back, and don't miss it.
Is there something you struggled to understand by yourself until someone helped you see it? How did their help change things?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI