They All Call Themselves Virtuous, but I Have No Virtue at All
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
They all call themselves virtuous, but I have no virtue at all.
With the Lord as her Husband, the soul-bride is happy. I, too, love that God.
O Nanak — through the Shabad, union is obtained. There is no more separation.
This one says that humble love is what brings us close to the One.
Sabh gunvantee aakhee-ahi mai gun naahee ko-ay: "they all call themselves good, but I have no goodness at all." At the end of this song, Guru Nanak stands in the humble place. The scholars in the earlier verses showed off their learning. Here he simply says, "I have nothing to show. I just love this God."
It is like the kid who does not brag but quietly helps clean up after the party. That quiet kindness is what people remember.
Naanak sabad milaavrhaa: "O Nanak, through the Word we are joined." The Shabad, the Guru's Word, is what brings us together with the One. It is not studying about the Word or arguing over it. It is taking the Word in and living with it. Then naa vaychhorhaa ho-ay: there is no more being apart.
What is the simplest spiritual practice that has most consistently moved you toward connection rather than separation? What is it about that practice that works?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI