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ਅਸੰਖ ਭਗਤ; ਗੁਣ ਗਿਆਨ ਵੀਚਾਰ ॥
Countless devotees contemplate the Wisdom and Virtues of the Lord.
ਅਸੰਖ ਸਤੀ; ਅਸੰਖ ਦਾਤਾਰ ॥
Countless the holy, countless the givers.
ਅਸੰਖ ਸੂਰ; ਮੁਹ ਭਖ ਸਾਰ ॥
Countless heroic spiritual warriors, who bear the brunt of the attack in battle (who with their mouths eat steel).
ਅਸੰਖ ਮੋਨਿ; ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ਤਾਰ ॥
Countless silent sages, vibrating the String of His Love.
ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਕਵਣ; ਕਹਾ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
How can Your Creative Potency be described?
ਵਾਰਿਆ ਨ ਜਾਵਾ; ਏਕ ਵਾਰ ॥
I cannot even once be a sacrifice to You.
ਜੋ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵੈ; ਸਾਈ ਭਲੀ ਕਾਰ ॥
Whatever pleases You is the only good done,
ਤੂ ਸਦਾ ਸਲਾਮਤਿ; ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ॥੧੭॥
You, Eternal and Formless One. ||17||
ਅਸੰਖ ਮੂਰਖ; ਅੰਧ ਘੋਰ ॥
Countless fools, blinded by ignorance.
ਅਸੰਖ ਚੋਰ; ਹਰਾਮਖੋਰ ॥
Countless thieves and embezzlers.
ਅਸੰਖ ਅਮਰ; ਕਰਿ ਜਾਹਿ ਜੋਰ ॥
Countless impose their will by force.
ਅਸੰਖ ਗਲਵਢ; ਹਤਿਆ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥
Countless cut-throats and ruthless killers.
ਅਸੰਖ ਪਾਪੀ; ਪਾਪੁ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਹਿ ॥
Countless sinners who keep on sinning.
ਅਸੰਖ ਕੂੜਿਆਰ; ਕੂੜੇ ਫਿਰਾਹਿ ॥
Countless liars, wandering lost in their lies.
ਅਸੰਖ ਮਲੇਛ; ਮਲੁ ਭਖਿ ਖਾਹਿ ॥
Countless wretches, eating filth as their ration.
ਅਸੰਖ ਨਿੰਦਕ; ਸਿਰਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਭਾਰੁ ॥
Countless slanderers, carrying the weight of their stupid mistakes on their heads.
ਨਾਨਕੁ; ਨੀਚੁ ਕਹੈ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
Nanak describes the state of the lowly.
ਤੂ ਸਦਾ ਸਲਾਮਤਿ; ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ॥੧੮॥
You, Eternal and Formless One. ||18||
ਅਸੰਖ ਨਾਵ; ਅਸੰਖ ਥਾਵ ॥
Countless names, countless places.
ਅਗੰਮ ਅਗੰਮ; ਅਸੰਖ ਲੋਅ ॥
Inaccessible, unapproachable, countless celestial realms.
ਅਸੰਖ ਕਹਹਿ; ਸਿਰਿ ਭਾਰੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
Even to call them countless is to carry the weight on your head.
ਅਖਰੀ ਨਾਮੁ; ਅਖਰੀ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥
From the Word, comes the Naam; from the Word, comes Your Praise.
ਅਖਰੀ; ਗਿਆਨੁ ਗੀਤ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਹ ॥
From the Word, comes spiritual wisdom, singing the Songs of Your Glory.
ਅਖਰੀ; ਲਿਖਣੁ ਬੋਲਣੁ ਬਾਣਿ ॥
From the Word, come the written and spoken words and hymns.
ਅਖਰਾ ਸਿਰਿ; ਸੰਜੋਗੁ ਵਖਾਣਿ ॥
From the Word, comes destiny, written on one's forehead.
ਜਿਨਿ ਏਹਿ ਲਿਖੇ; ਤਿਸੁ ਸਿਰਿ ਨਾਹਿ ॥
But the One who wrote these Words of Destiny-no words are written on His Forehead.
ਜਿਵ ਫੁਰਮਾਏ; ਤਿਵ ਤਿਵ ਪਾਹਿ ॥
As He ordains, so do we receive.
ਜੇਤਾ ਕੀਤਾ; ਤੇਤਾ ਨਾਉ ॥
The created universe is the manifestation of Your Name.
ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ; ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋ ਥਾਉ ॥
Without Your Name, there is no place at all.
How can I describe Your Creative Power?
ਤੂ ਸਦਾ ਸਲਾਮਤਿ; ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ॥੧੯॥
You, Eternal and Formless One. ||19||
ਭਰੀਐ ਹਥੁ ਪੈਰੁ; ਤਨੁ ਦੇਹ ॥
When the hands and the feet and the body are dirty,
ਪਾਣੀ ਧੋਤੈ; ਉਤਰਸੁ ਖੇਹ ॥
water can wash away the dirt.
ਮੂਤ ਪਲੀਤੀ; ਕਪੜੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
When the clothes are soiled and stained by urine,
ਦੇ ਸਾਬੂਣੁ; ਲਈਐ ਓਹੁ ਧੋਇ ॥
soap can wash them clean.
ਭਰੀਐ ਮਤਿ; ਪਾਪਾ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ॥
But when the intellect is stained and polluted by sin,
ਓਹੁ ਧੋਪੈ; ਨਾਵੈ ਕੈ ਰੰਗਿ ॥
it can only be cleansed by the Love of the Name.
ਪੁੰਨੀ ਪਾਪੀ; ਆਖਣੁ ਨਾਹਿ ॥
Virtue and vice do not come by mere words;
ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਣਾ; ਲਿਖਿ ਲੈ ਜਾਹੁ ॥
actions repeated, over and over again, are engraved on the soul.
ਆਪੇ ਬੀਜਿ; ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਖਾਹੁ ॥
You shall harvest what you plant.
ਨਾਨਕ; ਹੁਕਮੀ ਆਵਹੁ ਜਾਹੁ ॥੨੦॥
O Nanak, by the Hukam of God's Command, we come and go in reincarnation. ||20||
ਤੀਰਥੁ ਤਪੁ; ਦਇਆ ਦਤੁ ਦਾਨੁ ॥
Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity
ਜੇ ਕੋ ਪਾਵੈ; ਤਿਲ ਕਾ ਮਾਨੁ ॥
these, by themselves, bring only an iota of merit.
ਸੁਣਿਆ ਮੰਨਿਆ; ਮਨਿ ਕੀਤਾ ਭਾਉ ॥
Listening and believing with love and humility in your mind,
ਅੰਤਰਗਤਿ; ਤੀਰਥਿ ਮਲਿ ਨਾਉ ॥
cleanse yourself with the Name, at the sacred shrine deep within.
ਸਭਿ ਗੁਣ ਤੇਰੇ; ਮੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋਇ ॥
All virtues are Yours, Lord, I have none at all.
ਵਿਣੁ ਗੁਣ ਕੀਤੇ; ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Without virtue, there is no devotional worship.
ਸੁਅਸਤਿ ਆਥਿ; ਬਾਣੀ ਬਰਮਾਉ ॥
I bow to the Lord of the World, to His Word, to Brahma the Creator.
ਸਤਿ ਸੁਹਾਣੁ; ਸਦਾ ਮਨਿ ਚਾਉ ॥
He is Beautiful, True and Eternally Joyful.
ਕਵਣੁ ਸੁ ਵੇਲਾ, ਵਖਤੁ ਕਵਣੁ; ਕਵਣ ਥਿਤਿ, ਕਵਣੁ ਵਾਰੁ ॥
What was that time, and what was that moment? What was that day, and what was that date?
ਕਵਣਿ ਸਿ ਰੁਤੀ. ਮਾਹੁ ਕਵਣੁ; ਜਿਤੁ ਹੋਆ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥
What was that season, and what was that month, when the Universe was created?
ਵੇਲ. ਨ ਪਾਈਆ ਪੰਡਤੀ; ਜਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਲੇਖੁ ਪੁਰਾਣੁ ॥
The Pandits, the religious scholars, cannot find that time, even if it is written in the Puraanas.
ਵਖਤੁ. ਨ ਪਾਇਓ ਕਾਦੀਆ; ਜਿ ਲਿਖਨਿ ਲੇਖੁ ਕੁਰਾਣੁ ॥
That time is not known to the Qazis, who study the Koran.
ਥਿਤਿ ਵਾਰੁ ਨਾ ਜੋਗੀ ਜਾਣੈ; ਰੁਤਿ ਮਾਹੁ ਨਾ ਕੋਈ ॥
The day and the date are not known to the Yogis, nor is the month or the season.
ਜਾ ਕਰਤਾ, ਸਿਰਠੀ ਕਉ ਸਾਜੇ; ਆਪੇ ਜਾਣੈ ਸੋਈ ॥
The Creator who created this creation-only He Himself knows.
ਕਿਵ ਕਰਿ ਆਖਾ, ਕਿਵ ਸਾਲਾਹੀ; ਕਿਉ ਵਰਨੀ. ਕਿਵ ਜਾਣਾ ॥
How can we speak of Him? How can we praise Him? How can we describe Him? How can we know Him?