Hymns of the Sikh Gurus
Page 16
You Yourself are the Absolute One,
From Your Radiance we are produced,
You dwell afar and yet so close to each and all.
You see, You recognize, and You reason,
You Yourself are the One, You Yourself are the many,
You are immortal and invincible,
You are never born, You never die,
Says Nanak, You are forever present in us.
7 You are the source of instruction, You are its recipient,
You are with everyone,
You extend Your own vastness,
Everything belongs to You, the Creator of all,
Nothing is apart from You,
You permeate all land and space,
You conduct Your own sport,
How wondrous are Your infinite workings.
You are in us, and we in You,
Says Nanak, how priceless is this treasure.
8 True, true, true is our Sovereign,
Seen only by the Guru’s grace.
True, true, true is Creation,
One in a million recognize this.
Blessed, blessed, blessed is Your Form,
So beautiful, boundless, and unmatched.
Perfect, perfect, perfect is Your Word,
It resonates within, It resounds on every tongue.
Pure, pure, utterly pure are they,
Says Nanak, who recite the Name with love.
13 They who take shelter in the faithful find ultimate liberation
They who denigrate the faithful migrate from birth to birth
again and again.
1 Offending the faithful, our lifespan shortens,
Offending the faithful, we succumb to the god of death,
Offending the faithful, our comfort departs,
Offending the faithful, we end in hell,
Offending the faithful, our thoughts corrupt,
Offending the faithful, we lose our stature,
Struck by the faithful, there is no protection,
Offending the faithful, our space is desecrated,
When the benevolent faithful grant their grace,
Says Nanak, even the corrupt are liberated with them.
2 Offending the faithful, our faces distort,
Offending the faithful, we caw like crows,
Offending the faithful, we take rebirth as snakes,
Offending the faithful, we crawl like worms,
Offending the faithful, we seethe with desire,
Offending the faithful, we cheat everyone,
Offending the faithful, we lose our radiance,
Offending the faithful, we sink lower than the low,
Offending the faithful, we are left without shelter
But, says Nanak, if the faithful so please, even the offenders
are saved.
3 Slanderers of the faithful are the most offensive,
Slanderers of the faithful are without a moment’s rest,
Slanderers of the faithful are brute murderers,
Slanderers of the faithful are punished by the Supreme,
Slanderers of the faithful have no power,
Slanderers of the faithful live in pain and poverty,
Slanderers of the faithful suffer from many diseases,
Slanderers of the faithful are always alienated,
Slandering the faithful is the vilest offence,
But, says Nanak, if the faithful so please, even the slanderers
are liberated.
4 Offenders of the faithful are always impure,
Offenders of the faithful are nobody’s friend,
Offenders of the faithful are soon punished,
Offenders of the faithful are shunned by all,
Offenders of the faithful are full of pride,
Offenders of the faithful live corruptly,
Offenders of the faithful revolve in transmigration,
Offence against the faithful casts out peace,
Offenders of the faithful have no refuge,
But, says Nanak, if the faithful so please, even the offenders
attain union.
5 Offenders of the faithful are left in mid-air,
Offenders of the faithful have nothing complete,
Offenders of the faithful wander in the wilderness,
Offenders of the faithful stray from the straight path;
Offenders of the faithful are hollow inside
Like a corpse without breath.
Offenders of the faithful have no roots,
For what is sown, that alone is reaped.
Offenders of the faithful have no other protector,
But, says Nanak, if the faithful so please, even the offenders
are delivered.
6 Offenders of the faithful lament,
As a fish out of water writhes in pain.
Offenders of the faithful are never satisfied,
As fire devours wood and rages for more.
Offenders of the faithful are left alone,
As burnt weeds lie abandoned in the field.
Offenders of the faithful cast righteous action away.
Offenders of the faithful speak only lies.
The deeds of the offenders are written from the Beginning,
Says Nanak, whatever pleases You, that comes to pass.
7 Offenders of the faithful grow deformed,
Offenders of the faithful are punished in the Court,
Offenders of the faithful forever gasp with thirst,
Offenders of the faithful are neither alive nor dead,
Offenders of the faithful have unfulfilled dreams,
Offenders of the faithful depart from this world in despair,
Offenders of the faithful do not find peace.
As You will, so we become,
Your destined deed cannot be undone.
Says Nanak, only the True One knows.
8 All our bodies are Yours, Creator,
Our salutations to You for ever.
Sing praise of the Divine night and day,
Remember the One with every breath, every bite you take,
All happens according to Your Decree,
As You design, so we become.
The cosmos is Your sport and You are the player,
Who else could think it out?
They whom You favour receive the gift of Your Name,
Says Nanak, they indeed are most fortunate.
14 Good people, give up all cleverness,
and contemplate the Divine.
Nurture desire only for the One, so, says Nanak,
our suffering, doubt, and fear are undone.
1 Realize how worthless is human support,
There is only one Giver—the Transcendent One.
We are replete with the gifts we receive,
And thirst no longer.
The One alone destroys and creates,
We humans hold nothing in our hands.
To follow that Command brings peace,
So, wear the necklace, beaded with the Name,
Remember, remember, remember the One,
Thus, says Nanak, no obstacles block our path.
2 Exalt the Formless One within,
Mind, be forever in commerce with Truth,
Tongue, drink the ambrosial nectar,
Life, be forever peaceful,
Eyes, behold the divine Radiance.
In the company of the faithful, all others disperse.
Feet, walk towards our Protector.
A little meditation cancels all misdeeds.
Hands, do good; ears, hear the Word.
Says Nanak, so may our foreheads shine in the Divine Court.
3 Blessed in this life
Are they who forever sing praise of the Divine.
They who reflect upon the Name
Are rich and powerful in this world.
They who recite the Divine with their mind, body and tongue
Are always and always the most peaceful.
&nb
sp; They who recognize the One, the absolutely single One,
Understand the here and hereafter.
They whose minds are bathed in love for the Name,
Says Nanak, they know the Immaculate One.
4 They who, by the grace of the Guru, discover their self
Are quenched of desire.
They who exalt the Divine in the company of the faithful
Are set free from all disease.
They who sing songs of praise night and day
Find sacred bliss in married life.
They who centre their hopes on the One alone
Are freed from the snare of death.
They who hunger for the Transcendent,
Says Nanak, their suffering is stilled.
5 They who hold the Divine in their mind
Are ever faithful, they never waver.
They who are blessed by the Divine,
Why should those devotees fear another?
The perfection of the Absolute is revealed to them
Permeating the many forms.
Through searching and reflecting, our efforts bear fruit,
By the grace of the Guru, we discern the Centre.
Whichever way we turn, we see our Source,
Says Nanak, the One has form, and yet the One is formless.
6 Nothing is ever born nor does it ever die,
It is simply Your sport, and Your play.
All comings and goings, all things seen and unseen,
Truly, the entire creation—everything—follows Your Will.
You are the Absolute Reality, pervading all,
You devise and dissolve in so many ways,
You are invincible, You are immutable,
You have the whole universe under Your command.
Ineffable and unfathomable is Your splendour,
If You will, says Nanak, we may contemplate You.
7 They who know the Divine are honourable,
Through their teaching, the world is delivered.
The devotees of the Divine save us all,
The devotees of the Divine dispel our suffering.
You graciously unite them with Yourself,
By reciting the Word, they are blessed.
Those on whom You bestow good fortune,
They in turn serve Your devotees.
By contemplating the Name, we find peace,
Says Nanak, honour such people as supreme.
8 All their actions shine with divine Radiance,
Always and always, they dwell with the One,
Every event is natural to them,
For they recognize its ultimate Designer.
Divine action is sweet for them,
They see things as they truly are.
They unite with their Source,
The prize is peace.
How You reciprocate their honour,
Says Nanak, between You and Your devotees,
no difference lies.
15 You are all-powerful, You are all-knowing.
We are saved by contemplating You, says Nanak,
I offer myself to You.
1 You mend our broken ties,
You sustain us,
You cherish us,
No one is without You,
May my mind always contemplate You.
You are immutable, You are the Absolute Reality,
Nothing happens of our accord.
Though we may strive a hundredfold,
Without You, nothing avails.
Says Nanak, we find liberation only by remembering You.
2 Why should the beautiful be attached to their selves?
It is Your Light which adorns all bodies.
Why should the wealthy be vain?
It is Your wealth that endows them.
Why should some be called mighty heroes?
Without Your power, they would not move.
When we regard ourselves as munificent,
Our Giver knows how crude we are.
Those who are cured of ego by the grace of the Guru,
Says Nanak, are always healthy.
3 As a building rests on pillars,
So our mind is sustained by the Guru’s Word.
As a stone is carried in a boat,
So we are liberated by holding on to the Guru’s feet.
As a lamp shines light into darkness,
So we are elated by a vision of the Guru.
As a path is found in the jungle,
So we are enlightened by the company of the faithful.
I seek to follow the faithful,
Says Nanak, please fulfil my wish.
4 My foolish mind, why do you weep?
We obtain what was ordained for us.
Suffering and joy come from the One,
So abandon all else, and contemplate the One.
Whatever happens, accept with joy,
Why are you lost, my ignorant fool?
Did anything come with you at birth?
So why do you cling like a greedy moth?
By remembering the One in our hearts,
We enter our Home in honour, says Nanak.
5 We came to buy treasure in this world—
The Name, found in the home of the faithful.
Bartering away our pride, we must purchase our self,
And weigh the Name in the scales of our heart.
Loaded with this freight, we must travel with the faithful,
Casting aside all poisonous entanglements.
Whoever meets us calls us blessed,
And with glowing faces, we enter the Court.
Very rare are they who engage in this trade,
Says Nanak, I offer myself to them.
6 Let us wash the feet of the faithful,
And dedicate our lives to them.
Let us bathe in the dust from their feet,
And offer ourselves to them.
Fortunate are they who serve the faithful,
Together let us sing praise of the Divine.
The faithful protect us from many dangers,
And we taste the ambrosial nectar by singing Divine praise.
Seeking the shelter of the faithful,
I have come to their portal, says Nanak, and I have won
perfect joy.
7 The dead are granted life,
The hungry are given sustenance,
Your vision is bountiful,
We obtain what was ordained for us.
All things belong to You, You are their Creator,
There has been no other but You, nor will there ever be.
Let us always remember You day and night,
This is the highest and purest of deeds.
They who are graciously given the Name,
Says Nanak, they become pure.
8 They who place their trust in the Guru,
The Divine One enters their consciousness.
Their devotion is renowned in every land,
Their hearts are immersed in the single One.
Their action is Truth, Truth their life,
Truth is in their hearts, Truth is on their lips
Truth is their sight, Truth their form,
Truth is their way, Truth their revelation.
They who discern the Transcendent as Truth,
Says Nanak, they themselves merge with Truth.
16 You have no form, no feature, no colour.
You are apart from the three strands of the universe.
Says Nanak, they who please You
are the ones who discern You.
1 We must keep the Immortal inside ourselves,
And discard our attachment to mortals.
There is no one beyond the Transcendent,
And That One abides immutably in all.
You are the Seer, You are the Knower,
You are unfathomable, deep, profound and wise,
You are transcendent, our supreme Being, our
True Sovereign,
You are the Treasury of c
ompassion, kindness
and forgiveness.
May I be devoted to Your faithful,
Says Nanak, this is my heart’s desire.
2 Fulfiller of our wishes! Our worthy protector!
What You write on our palms always comes to pass.
All creation and dissolution are a blink of Your eye,
But no other knows Your Mystery.
You are the embodiment of bliss—all joys lie in You;
You are the precious Treasury—all things are stored
with you.
You are the Ruler of rulers, Yogi of yogis,
You are the Ascetic of ascetics, part of the family.
By contemplating You, Your devotees win peace,
Says Nanak, no one has found the extent of Your Being.
3 There is no limit to Your sport,
Gods have given up their search in vain,
For how can the child know the birth of its parent?
The entire universe is beaded on Your thread.
They to whom You impart wisdom, knowledge and
contemplation
Are Your devotees, they recite Your Name.
They who are deluded by the three strands of the world
Migrate from one birth to another.
High and low, all belong to You,
Says Nanak, what You will, that is what we know.
4 You have countless forms, You have countless colours
You have countless guises, yet You are One.
You have designed Your expanse in countless styles,
Yet You are eternal, transcendent, the singular Being.
You put on myriad shows in a flash,
Yet you are completely present everywhere.
You have created the world in countless ways,
Yet You alone know Your own worth.
All hearts are Yours, all places Yours,
Says Nanak, we live only to recite Your Name.
5 Your Name is the ground of all beings,
Your Name is the ground of all continents and constellations,
Your Name is the ground of all Smritis, Vedas and Puranas,
Your Name is the ground of all hearing, knowledge and
contemplation,
Your Name is the ground of all earths and skies,
Your Name is the ground of all forms,
Your Name is the ground of all spheres and universes,
All are liberated by hearing Your Name.