Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Within your own conscious mind, you may say anything. But without the Guru, selfishness and conceit are not eradicated.
The Dear Lord is the Lover of His devotees — the Giver of Peace. By His Grace, He abides within the mind.
O Nanak — God blesses us with the sublime awakening of consciousness. He Himself grants glorious greatness to the Gurmukh.
Aapai man chetai kich naahi, bin gur bharam na bhaa-ee — within your own conscious mind, you may say and plan anything — but without the Guru, delusion (bharam) is not cleared and ego cannot be eradicated. Aapai man chetai — whatever the self-propelled mind thinks up on its own. The self-reliant effort, the self-directed spiritual search without the Guru: it produces output but not transformation. Bharam (delusion, wandering, error) remains.
Prabh bhagat vachhal sukhdaataa, nadar man vasaa-ee — the Lord is the Lover of His devotees (bhagat vachhal — one who is fond of, who cherishes His devotees), the Giver of Peace. By His Grace (nadar), He abides within the mind. The divine is not a distant judge but the Lover of devotees — drawn toward those who are turned toward Him. And His coming into the mind is by His own grace, His own movement toward the devotee.
Naanak aap jagas chitvaavai, gurmukh pat paa-ee — O Nanak, God Himself awakens (jagas — awakens, brings to consciousness, chitvaavai — stirs the awareness) and grants the Gurmukh glorious honor (pat paa-ee). The closing is Guru Amar Das's characteristic theological signature: the divine is the agent of everything. The awakening of consciousness is not something the Gurmukh accomplishes; it is something God does within the Gurmukh. The greatness granted is not earned; it is given. And it is given to those who have turned toward the Guru — which is itself a gift.
What would it mean for your consciousness to be genuinely awakened — and what would be different about your daily life?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI