I love my Dear One ; how shall I meet my beloved Friend ?
I search for that Friend who is adorned with truth.
The true Guru is my friend ; if I meet him I will sacrifice my life unto him.
The dear one will show me God the Friend, the Creator.
Nanak, I was searching for my Beloved, but the true Guru hath shown Him unto me.
The holy man is the true lover who finds the truly Beloved :—
The holy man is the true lover by whom the truly Beloved is found.
Nanak, man is then happy night and day and naturally absorbed in God.
The love and affection vouchsafed by God through the Guru are not forfeited :—
True love and affection are obtained from the perfect Guru ;
They shall never be forfeited ; Nanak singeth God's praises.
God is pleased with the saints who are pleased with Him.
The Lord of light will blend their light with His, and both lights shall unite.
When God is merciful, He will fix man's attention on Him.
The slave Nanak hath sought the asylum of God's gate, and God will protect His honour.
KALIAN ASHTAPADI
An injunction to speedily seek the society of the saints :—
O God, make me the slave of Thy slaves ;
As long as there is breath in my body, nourish me with the dust of the saints' feet.
Shiv, Narad, Sheshnag1, and the Munis long for the dust of the saints' feet.
Every house where the saints put their feet becometh holy.
Renounce shame of the saints' Service ; renounce all pride ; when you meet a saint abide with him.
He will cause you to disregard Dharmraj, and extricate you though drowning in a sea of poison.
They who are parched by superstition are thoroughly parched, but they shall bloom again by association with the saints :
Wherefore make not a moment's waiting or delay : go and take the protection of the saints' feet.
The singing of God's name is a precious thing which God deposited with His saints.
It is offered him who obeyeth the Guru's word as the truest of the true.
Hear, hear, ye brother saints ; the Guru raiseth his arm and calleth unto men.
Let him who desireth supreme mental happiness, enter the true Guru's protection.
The serpent which, in the Hindu dispensation, supports the earth. It is said to possess a thousand heads which formed the couch of Vishnu whilst sleeping between the different creations and destructions of the world.
HYMNS OF GURU RAM DAS 349
Let him who is greatly fortunate and very virtuous, fix the Name in his heart under the Guru's instruction.
All worldly love is troublesome, but, by drinking the elixir of God's name, man shall cross the world in comfort.
They who possess excessive worldly wealth pine away in the midst of it.
The way of ignorance is very gloomy and difficult, specially when man is weighted with the load of pride.
Nanak, by ever repeating God's name salvation is obtained.
By meeting the true Guru the Name is fixed in the heart, and by it man is blended with God.
^ God is not found even by search without the true Guru :—