6 Love and joy arise within,
Mind and body are ecstatic.
The vision of the One brings peace,
The mind blossoms in the company of the faithful.
The devotees shine in body and mind,
Rare are they who join their company.
Have compassion and bestow one gift:
By the grace of the Guru, may we contemplate Your Name.
You are beyond compare,
Says Nanak, You are ever present in us all.
7 The One is compassionate and giving,
Beloved of the devotees, ever gracious,
Shelter of the homeless, Protector of the earth,
Present in all, sustaining all.
Creator, You are the Primal Being,
You are our Primal Cause.
You are the very life of Your devotees.
They who contemplate You become pure,
For they are deeply in love with You.
We are worthless, base and ignorant,
Says Nanak, we seek Your shelter, Supreme One.
8 They who exalt You even for a moment
Reach paradise and liberation.
Great power, glory, and pleasure abound
In the telling of the Name.
The joys of delicious food, silk and music abound
In the constant recitation of the Name.
Morality, honour and wealth belong
To those whose hearts carry the full teaching of the Guru.
May we abide in the company of the faithful,
Says Nanak, all joys are thus revealed to us.
21 Formless One, You are both unseen and seen, You are the
Primal Silence.
Having created everything, says Nanak, You reflect upon Your
creation.
1 When all that we see was not yet created,
Where then was good and evil?
When You were still in primal silence,
Where then was any antithesis?
When there was no shape or colour,
Who then felt joy or sorrow?
When all that existed was the Transcendent,
Where then was attachment or duality?
You created Your sport, and You are the Player,
Says Nanak, You are the Doer, there is no other.
2 When You alone were the owner,
Who could be deemed bound or free?
When the inscrutable and infinite One alone existed,
Where then were heaven, hell or incarnations?
When the Formless was present alone,
Where then were the forms of Shiva and Shakti?1
When You alone were shining in Your light,
Who then was fearlesss? Who then quaked in fear?
You perform Your own wonders,
Says Nanak, You are our inscrutable infinite Ruler.
3 When You sat peacefully on Your throne, Eternal One,
Where then were birth, death or dissolution?
When You the all-perfect Creator were all by Yourself,
Who then could fear death?
When You were the only One—ineffable and inscrutable—
Whose records could be questioned by the messengers
of death?
When You alone existed, our immaculate inscrutable Ruler,
Who then was liberated? Who then was in bondage?
You Yourself are the absolute Wonder of wonders,
Says Nanak, You Yourself reveal Your own Self.
4 When You alone existed, my Sovereign Immaculate One,
Where was impurity? What had to be cleansed?
When all was the immaculate, infinite One in bliss,
Who was honoured? Who dishonoured?
When the only form was the Sovereign alone,
Who then could be blamed with deceit or misdeeds?
When all was You—Your own light merged with light,
Who then was hungry? Who satisfied?
You are the Creator, the Maker, the Primal Cause,
Says Nanak, we can never fathom Your limits.
5 When You were absorbed in Your own radiance,
Where then were mother, father, friend, son and brother?
When You, our Ultimate Wisdom, alone existed,
Who then reflected on any scriptures of East or West?
When You abided in Your very own heart,
What then could have been ominous or auspicious?
When You Yourself were high above, You Yourself deep down,
Who then could be called owner or slave?
We are awed by Your marvels,
Says Nanak, You alone know Your own extent.
6 When there was only the invincible, invulnerable One,
Who then could be enticed by the illusory world?
When You greeted but Your Own Self,
The three strands of the world were not yet present.
When there was the One, only the absolute One,
Who could then be carefree or worried?
When You were content in Yourself,
Who then spoke? Who would have heard?
You are infinite, the Highest of the high,
Says Nanak, Your limits You alone can reach.
7 When You formed the phenomenal world
Its three strands expanded.
It was then that evil and good appeared
And the notions of heaven and hell.
It was then that the visible world spread its snares,
Deceiving with ego, attachment, duality, fear.
It was then that suffering, joy, respect and dishonour
Were spread abroad in different ways.
All is Your sport which You eagerly watch,
Says Nanak, when the play is over, the One alone remains.
8 Wherever the Formless One is, the devotees are there,
But the phenomenal world is also formed for the fame
of the faithful.
You are the ruler of the here and hereafter
Your glory You alone can appraise.
You are the creator of all wonders and delights,
And You delight in them, transcendent though You are.
They who please You, You inspire with Your Name
They who please You, You engage in Your sport
You are infinite and immeasurable
Says Nanak, I speak only as You command.
22 You are our Ruler, and You dwell in us too.
Says Nanak, only the One exists, we see no other.
1 You are the speaker, You are the listener too,
You are both the Single One and the Infinite Expanse.
When You Will, creation is formed,
By Your Will, it is dissolved.
Without You, nothing comes to pass,
Our whole cosmos rests as a bead on Your thread.
Only they whom You enlighten recognize You,
They receive the True Name,
Wise to Your Essence, they see everyone alike,
Says Nanak, they triumph throughout the world.
2 All life is held in Your control,
You champion the poor and forlorn.
Those You protect, no one can harm,
But those You neglect are instantly destroyed.
Abandoning You, where do we go?
Formless One, You are our sole support.
The workings of the universe are driven by Your Hand,
Within and without, You are ever with us.
The infinite Transcendent is full of virtue,
Says Nanak, I offer myself to You forever.
3 Compassionate One, perfectly present,
You bless everyone,
You know Your own affairs,
And the secrets of every heart.
You nurture life in varied ways,
Those You create, meditate upon You,
They who please You are united to You,
They love You, they sing Your praise,
Their minds are filled with fa
ith,
Says Nanak, they trust their single Creator.
4 Your devotees are devoted to Your Name,
May their wishes never be in vain.
The faithful will serve for ever,
They discern Your Will, they earn the highest bliss.
Absorbed in the Formless One,
They think of no other.
Free from bondage, free from hate,
They worship You night and day.
They are happy in this life and beyond,
Says Nanak, You grant them union with Yourself.
5 Let us celebrate in the company of the faithful,
Recite songs of transcendent joy,
Reflect upon divine Glory,
Recover our precious body.
To sing the ambrosial Word
Is our ultimate goal.
To know You near by day and night
Dispels darkness and ignorance from our life.
Keeping divine Instruction in our heart,
Says Nanak, we win the fruit of all our desires.
6 We are exalted in the here and hereafter,
If we wear the Name in our heart.
The perfect Instruction by the perfect Guru
Shows our minds the ultimate Truth.
In mind and body, devoted to the Name,
We dispel all fear and suffering.
Let us be traders in the business of Truth,
This product alone will take us to the true Court.
If we focus on our sole Support,
Says Nanak, we return to birth no more.
7 To whom can we turn apart from You?
We live only by remembering You.
Fearless One, Your remembrance banishes fear,
Your compassion brings us freedom.
There is no suffering for those You sustain,
All joy is won by contemplating Your Name.
Anxiety and pride depart for ever,
No rival can ever match us.
When the Almighty stands above us,
Says Nanak, all our deeds are perfected.
8 The embodiment of wisdom and ambrosia,
Our whole cosmos is liberated by Your sight.
Your lotus feet are beyond compare,
Your beautiful form brings fulfilment to all.
Blessed is Your devotion, blessed Your devotees,
You the Almighty are intimate with every heart.
They who contemplate You are exalted,
Death cannot touch them,
They are immortal, they win eternity,
Says Nanak, in the company of the faithful,
we remember You.
23 They to whom the Guru gives the eyeliner of wisdom,
their dark ignorance disappears.
Through grace, we meet the faithful, says Nanak, our mind is
enlightened.
1 Amidst the faithful, we discover the One within,
And we taste the delicious Name.
The vibrant and diverse cosmos
We see existing in Your single heart.
Your ambrosial Name embracing all treasures
Dwells in our very body.
We hear the unstruck melody within,
We experience ineffable joy within.
Only they whom You enlighten see You,
Says Nanak, they are fully knowing.
2 The One within is the infinite, transcendent One without,
You are in us all,
Earth, sky, underworld
And all galaxies are nourished by You.
Forests, grass, mountains are You, Transcendent,
And everyone obeys Your command.
You are in air, water and fire,
And in the four quarters, and in the ten directions.
There is no space devoid of You.
Says Nanak, we find bliss by the grace of the Guru.
3 Behold the One in the Vedas, Puranas and Smritis.
In the moon, sun and constellations that very One abides.
Everyone speaks Your Word in various tongues,
While You stay immutable in all.
You create all forms, You play Your own sports,
We can never assess the value of Your virtues.
All creatures are informed by Your light,
All are grounded in You.
By the grace of the Guru, all doubts are erased,
Says Nanak, we have faith only in You.
4 The faithful see the Divine everywhere,
The faithful clasp morality to their hearts,
The faithful hear only good words,
They are absorbed in the all-pervading One.
This is the way of life of those who know,
And the faithful say only what is true.
Whatever happens they accept happily,
For they know the ultimate Creator and Cause.
The One exists inside us, the One exists outside us,
Says Nanak, we are enchanted by Your presence.
5 You are Truth, You created Truth,
All creation is from You.
If You Will, You expand into diversity,
If You Will, You are the One Being.
We cannot express Your infinite powers.
They whom You please, You unite with Yourself.
Who can we say are near to You? Who far?
You, You Yourself are everywhere.
Those whom You grant inner wisdom,
Says Nanak, they see into their essence.
6 You exist in every creature,
You are the sight of all who see.
The whole cosmos is Your body,
You are the praise, You are its audience.
You designed this game of come and go,
This world of flux obeys Your Will.
At the centre of all beings, ever transcendent, You remain.
Whatever is said is spoken by You.
We come by Your Will, we go by Your Will,
Says Nanak, we merge with You if You will.
7 Your deeds are never in vain,
We do nothing without You.
You are goodness itself, and so are Your deeds,
Only You can know Your inner workings.
You are Truth, You created Truth alone,
The whole cosmos is woven into You.
Your dimensions no one can tell,
For who but an equal could measure You?
Your actions we fully accept,
Says Nanak, such assent comes by the grace of the Guru.
8 Those who recognize You are always in bliss,
You unite them with Yourself.
They enjoy true wealth, noble birth and honour,
With You in their hearts, they are free in this world.
Blessed, blessed is their birth,
For they bring freedom to the world by their grace.
The goal of their life is to inspire their companions
To contemplate the Name.
Free themselves, they bring freedom to the world,
Says Nanak, my homage to them for ever.
24 We revere the Absolute, whose Name is absolute too.
Says Nanak, we win the Absolute, if we sing the praise
of that Absolute.
1 Listen to the teaching of the Absolute Guru,
Let us see the Transcendent intimately within us.
Let us remember the Protector with every breath,
So shall our worries depart.
Let us discard our desires rolling like waves,
Let us yearn for the company of the faithful.
Abandoning our ego, let us pray
That we swim across the ocean of fiery waves.
Let us fill our treasury with the Name,
Says Nanak, my homage to the Absolute Guru.
2 As we remember the Transcendent with the faithful,
Comfort, peace and eternal bliss are ours,
Hell is evaded, life redeemed,
We sing divine praise, and we drink the amb
rosial nectar.
Our mind contemplates the Supreme One,
The Formless One of so many different colours.
Preserver of all, compassionate of the lowly,
You annul our suffering, our absolute and beneficent One.
Let us remember Your Name again and again,
Says Nanak, for this is our only support.
3 The words of the faithful are glorious,
They are jewels most precious.
Listening to them and abiding by them,
We liberate ourselves and we liberate others.
They whose minds are suffused with radiance,
Are triumphant, triumphant are their friends.
They who resonate with the unstruck melody,
Hear the One, they enjoy supreme bliss,
Their foreheads shine with revelation,
Says Nanak, we too are liberated by their presence.
4 Hearing of You as our Refuge, we have come to You,
Have compassion on us, that we may unite with You.
We have expelled hate, we welcome humility,
In the company of the faithful,
we sing Your ambrosial Name.
By pleasing You, our supreme Guru,
The devotion of Your devotees is fully fulfilled.
We are freed from all entanglements and vice
As we hear Your Name and recite Your praise.
Through compassion, You bestow Your grace,
Says Nanak, so we profit in our trade.
5 My good friends, let us sing divine praise,
With single mind, ever alert.
The pearls of peace shine on the thread of the Name,
Those who wear them are treasuries of wealth,
All their desires are fulfilled,
They are exalted and celebrated through all the worlds,
They win the highest station,
Are subject to birth and death no more.
Only they who receive your gifts,
Says Nanak, walk away with the sacred wealth.
6 Comfort, peace, riches, the nine treasures,
Intelligence, wisdom, the various miraculous powers,
The merit of knowledge, austerity, penance and
contemplation,
Of supreme discernment, and most sacred ablution,
Life with its four goals, the self ever blossoming like a lotus
Living in the midst of all yet free from all constraints,
Hymns of the Sikh Gurus Page 18