Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Look at the greatness of a true teacher! There are not even words big enough to put a price on it.
The whole house of sorrow and sickness comes down, and joy moves in.
Without even straining for them, the wishes of the heart are met, and the work gets finished.
This one is about how much a true teacher is worth. The answer is: more than any price.
The first two lines are the Rahao, the "pause" line. It is the center of the whole shabad, the line everything else turns around. Pooray gur kee daykh vadaa-ee — look at the greatness of the perfect Guru, the perfect teacher. Taa kee keemat kahan na jaa-ee — no one can say what that is worth.
Then comes what that guidance does. Dookh sog kaa Dhaahi-o dayraa — it knocks down the camp of sorrow and sickness. A dayraa is a camp that has settled in, like guests who never leave. Once it comes down, anad mangal, joy and gladness, move in.
The key word is achintaa. It means without worry or strain. Think of a plant in good soil. You don't pull on it to make it grow. The good things come the same way: not by grabbing, but by settling into the right ground.
Who has taught you something you could never repay?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI