Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The words of the teaching are the finest thing to speak.
Sing them, hear them, read them every day — the perfect teaching keeps you safe.
The greatness of the True One can't be measured; it loves its devotees tenderly.
It has always kept the honor of the good — that has been its nature from the very start.
The words of the Guru are the best words to sing, and the One has always loved those who love it.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. It calls the Word the finest speech of all. Gaavhu sunhu parhahu nit bhaa-ee — sing it, listen to it, read it every day, brother. Think of a favorite song you hum all day until it becomes part of you. The Word is meant to live in you like that, and the perfect Guru keeps you safe.
Then comes one of Gurbani's softest names for the One: bhagat vachhal. It means the lover of devotees. The picture behind it is a cow caring tenderly for her calf.
Aad birad partipaalaa — from the very beginning, cherishing its own has been the One's birad, its nature. The One protects the honor of good people. You can lean on that, the way you lean on a parent who has never let you down.
What is a way your family or friends have shown you that you can always count on them?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI