Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Gurmukhs buy the real thing. The True goods are bought with True money.
Those who buy these True goods through the Perfect Guru are blessed.
O Nanak, the one who keeps these True goods in stock will know the real thing when they see it.
This one closes the shabad with a shop: the Gurmukh buys the real thing, with real money.
Sach vakhar sach raas — true goods, bought with true money. The true goods are the Name, the steady turning of the heart toward the One. It goes with you through life and beyond.
The money is truth itself. You can't buy the real thing with fake money, like showing off, being clever, or just looking holy. Think of trying to pay at a shop with play money from a board game. It won't work. You can only receive the real thing when you bring something real to the trade.
Gur pooray saabaas — those who trade this way through the Perfect Guru are praised. And sach sa-udaa jis paas — the one who keeps this true stock learns to know the real thing when they see it.
Another shabad in Siree Raag uses a merchant too. Guru Nanak often uses buying and selling to make matters of the spirit easy to follow.
What does 'investing in yourself' actually mean to you? What are the things you've done for yourself that have actually paid off over time?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI