Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O my mind, sing the Name and its praises — let that be the taste you live for.
How do you find that sweetness? A true teacher opens the door and hands you the One.
When you sit with good and honest people, that gathering itself becomes a holy place — worth more than any far-off pilgrimage. Just meeting the teacher with an open heart carries all the blessing people travel the world to find.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line and the center of the shabad: man ray raam naam jas lay-ay. O mind, take up the Name and sing its praise.
Then a real question: bin gur ih ras ki-o laha-o? Without the Guru, the Teacher, how would I get this taste? The answer is the Guru, and the sangat, good company.
Here's the surprising part. Sant janaa mil sangtee gurmukh tirath ho-ay. For a gurmukh, someone who faces the Teacher, sitting with good people is itself a tirath, a holy place of pilgrimage. People once traveled far to bathe at sixty-eight famous holy places. Guru Nanak says meeting the Teacher gives all of that.
Pilgrimage isn't bad. The point is where the real thing lives. Think of a family trip to see the ocean. Often the best part is the people in the car.
Who are the people whose company makes you a better, kinder version of yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI