Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O young bride — be a slave to virtue, and you shall find peace.
Giving up wrong actions, following the Guru's Teachings, you shall be absorbed into the Perfect One.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line. It is the center of the whole shabad.
Guru Nanak speaks to the soul as a mundhay, a young bride. He says: gun daasee sukh ho-ay, "be a servant of goodness, and you will find peace." Usually our "me" wants to be the boss. Here goodness becomes the boss, and "me" becomes its helper.
The steps go in order. First, let goodness lead. Next, avgan ti-aag: drop the wrong actions. Then follow gurmat, the Guru's teaching. Last, samaa-ee-ai: you melt into the Perfect One.
Each step opens the door to the next one. Think of a new player who decides the team matters more than scoring her own goals. That choice changes how she plays. Soon she's listening to the coach, and then she's part of something bigger. It all begins when your "me" starts serving goodness instead of serving itself.
What virtue do you most need to serve more completely — to be more fully 'a slave to'? What stops you from serving it fully?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI