Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Guru's teaching is the most precious thing I have. Blessed is the moment I can be in the Guru's presence.
Without the Name, I cannot last even a single moment. Without it, I am already dying.
I am blind without the Name — may I never let it slip away. Under the Guru's shelter, I will find my way home.
Gurmat pat sabaas — the Guru's teaching brings honor and dignity (pat). This is significant: Guru Nanak often warns against the ego's hunger for honor. Here he says the genuine honor — the kind that is real and lasting — comes through the Guru's teaching. The worldly honor is kachaa (impermanent); the honor of the Guru's teaching is pakkaa (permanent, fast-dyed).
Andhulay (blind) — the self declares itself blind. This self-knowledge is the beginning of healing. The one who does not know they cannot see cannot ask for help. The declaration of blindness is not self-deprecation — it is clear sight about the limits of unaided sight.
"Without Him, I cannot live even for a moment" is not hyperbole. It is the experiential reality of the devotee who has touched the Name: everything else feels hollow by comparison. The Name is not one option among others — it is the ground beneath all options.
Ghar jaao (I shall go home) under the Guru's protection: ghar (home) appears throughout Guru Nanak's compositions as the inner home — the place within where the divine dwells. The blind self, guided by the Guru, finds the home it could never locate on its own.
Where in your life do you notice that you need guidance — and what makes you willing to accept it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI