Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Without the teaching — without genuine guidance — how can anyone find their way across to peace?
As it pleases you, Lord, you save me. There is no other for me at all.
This one says that we can't cross life's deep water on our own. We need the Guru, and we need grace.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line. It is the center of the whole shabad. Gur bin ki-o taree-ai sukh ho-ay: "Without the Guru, how can anyone swim across and find peace?"
This doesn't mean sitting back and doing nothing. Guru Nanak's own life was full of work, travel and service. It means knowing that the biggest crossing needs help beyond our own strength. That help is grace, a gift freely given.
Then comes mai avar na doojaa ko-ay: "for me there is no other at all." This is not about one religion against another. It is about the deepest moment of need. Parents, friends and teachers are real help, and they matter a lot. At the very bottom of things, though, there is only the One.
Think of a river too wide to swim alone. Asking for a hand isn't giving up. It is being honest about how wide the river is.
Is there something you've been trying to figure out entirely on your own that might go better with help? What's stopping you from asking?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI