Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The devotees of the Lord have the Name as their wealth and their savings. With the Guru's guidance, they carry on their trade.
They praise the Name forever. The Name is their merchandise and their support.
The Perfect Teacher has implanted this Name within them. It is a treasure that never runs out.
This one says that people who love the One have a kind of money that never runs out.
Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, picks up the trading picture Guru Nanak used in an earlier shabad. This time the trader is the bhagat, the devotee. Har bhagtaa har dhan raas hai: the devotees' wealth and savings are the One. Gur poochh karahi vaapaar: they ask the Guru for advice before they trade.
This savings account is special. It doesn't lose value. It needs no interest payments. It doesn't care whether the market is up or down.
The Name does three jobs at once. It is raas, the money you start with. It is vakhar, the goods you trade. And it is adhaar, the ground you stand on. Think of a lunchbox that is also your backpack and your chair — all in one!
Gur poorai har naam drirh-aa-i-aa: the Perfect Guru has planted the Name deep inside the devotees. Atut bhandaar: it is a treasure that never runs out.
What in your life serves as your 'capital' — the thing that makes everything else possible? Is it something that can be taken away?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI