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ਆਪਨ ਖੇਲੁ; ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤੀਜਾ ॥
He Himself has staged His own drama;
ਨਾਨਕ. ਕਰਨੈਹਾਰੁ; ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੧॥
O Nanak, there is no other Creator. ||1||
ਜਬ ਹੋਵਤ; ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੇਵਲ ਧਨੀ ॥
When there was only God the Master,
ਤਬ ਬੰਧ ਮੁਕਤਿ; ਕਹੁ. ਕਿਸ ਕਉ ਗਨੀ ॥
then who was called bound or liberated?
ਜਬ ਏਕਹਿ; ਹਰਿ ਅਗਮ ਅਪਾਰ ॥
When there was only the Lord, Unfathomable and Infinite,
ਤਬ ਨਰਕ ਸੁਰਗ; ਕਹੁ ਕਉਨ ਅਉਤਾਰ ॥
then who entered hell, and who entered heaven?
ਜਬ ਨਿਰਗੁਨ ਪ੍ਰਭ; ਸਹਜ ਸੁਭਾਇ ॥
When God was without attributes, in absolute poise,
ਤਬ ਸਿਵ ਸਕਤਿ; ਕਹਹੁ ਕਿਤੁ ਠਾਇ ॥
then where was mind and where was matter - where was Shiva and Shakti?
ਜਬ ਆਪਹਿ ਆਪਿ; ਅਪਨੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਧਰੈ ॥
When He held His Own Light unto Himself,
ਤਬ ਕਵਨ ਨਿਡਰੁ; ਕਵਨ ਕਤ ਡਰੈ ॥
then who was fearless, and who was afraid?
ਆਪਨ ਚਲਿਤ; ਆਪਿ ਕਰਨੈਹਾਰ ॥
He Himself is the Performer in His own plays;
ਨਾਨਕ; ਠਾਕੁਰ ਅਗਮ ਅਪਾਰ ॥੨॥
O Nanak, the Lord Master is Unfathomable and Infinite. ||2||
ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਸੁਖ; ਆਪਨ ਆਸਨ ॥
When the Immortal Lord was seated at ease,
ਤਹ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ; ਕਹੁ ਕਹਾ ਬਿਨਾਸਨ ॥
then where was birth, death and dissolution?
ਜਬ ਪੂਰਨ ਕਰਤਾ; ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸੋਇ ॥
When there was only God, the Perfect Creator,
ਤਬ ਜਮ ਕੀ ਤ੍ਰਾਸ; ਕਹਹੁ ਕਿਸੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
then who was afraid of death?
ਜਬ ਅਬਿਗਤ; ਅਗੋਚਰ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਏਕਾ ॥
When there was only the One Lord, unmanifest and incomprehensible,
ਤਬ ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਗੁਪਤ; ਕਿਸੁ ਪੂਛਤ ਲੇਖਾ ॥
then who was called to account by the recording scribes of the conscious and the subconscious?
ਜਬ ਨਾਥ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ; ਅਗੋਚਰ ਅਗਾਧੇ ॥
When there was only the Immaculate, Incomprehensible, Unfathomable Master,
ਤਬ ਕਉਨ ਛੁਟੇ; ਕਉਨ ਬੰਧਨ ਬਾਧੇ ॥
then who was emancipated, and who was held in bondage?
ਆਪਨ ਆਪ; ਆਪ ਹੀ ਅਚਰਜਾ ॥
He Himself, in and of Himself, is the most wonderful.
ਨਾਨਕ. ਆਪਨ ਰੂਪ; ਆਪ ਹੀ ਉਪਰਜਾ ॥੩॥
O Nanak, He Himself created His Own Form. ||3||
ਜਹ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਪੁਰਖੁ; ਪੁਰਖ ਪਤਿ ਹੋਤਾ ॥
When there was only the Immaculate Being, the Lord of beings,
ਤਹ ਬਿਨੁ ਮੈਲੁ; ਕਹਹੁ. ਕਿਆ ਧੋਤਾ ॥
there was no filth, so what was there to be washed clean?
ਜਹ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ; ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਨਿਰਬਾਨ ॥
When there was only the Pure, Formless Lord in Nirvaanaa,
ਤਹ ਕਉਨ ਕਉ ਮਾਨ; ਕਉਨ ਅਭਿਮਾਨ ॥
then who was honored, and who was dishonored?
ਜਹ ਸਰੂਪ; ਕੇਵਲ ਜਗਦੀਸ ॥
When there was only the Form of the Lord of the Universe,
ਤਹ ਛਲ ਛਿਦ੍ਰ; ਲਗਤ ਕਹੁ ਕੀਸ ॥
then who was tainted by fraud and sin?
ਜਹ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੀ; ਜੋਤਿ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਮਾਵੈ ॥
When the Embodiment of Light was immersed in His Own Light,
ਤਹ ਕਿਸਹਿ ਭੂਖ; ਕਵਨੁ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਾਵੈ ॥
then who was hungry, and who was satisfied?
ਕਰਨ ਕਰਾਵਨ; ਕਰਨੈਹਾਰੁ ॥
He is the Cause of causes, the Creator Lord.
ਨਾਨਕ. ਕਰਤੇ ਕਾ; ਨਾਹਿ ਸੁਮਾਰੁ ॥੪॥
O Nanak, the Creator is beyond calculation. ||4||
ਜਬ ਅਪਨੀ ਸੋਭਾ; ਆਪਨ ਸੰਗਿ ਬਨਾਈ ॥
When His Glory was contained within Himself,
ਤਬ ਕਵਨ ਮਾਇ ਬਾਪ; ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਸੁਤ ਭਾਈ ॥
then who was mother, father, friend, child or sibling?
ਜਹ ਸਰਬ ਕਲਾ; ਆਪਹਿ ਪਰਬੀਨ ॥
When all power and wisdom was latent within Him,
ਤਹ ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ; ਕਹਾ ਕੋਊ ਚੀਨ ॥
then where were the Vedas and the scriptures, and who was there to read them?
ਜਬ ਆਪਨ ਆਪੁ; ਆਪਿ ਉਰਿ ਧਾਰੈ ॥
When He kept Himself, All-in-all, unto His Own Heart,
ਤਉ ਸਗਨ ਅਪਸਗਨ; ਕਹਾ ਬੀਚਾਰੈ ॥
then who considered omens to be good or bad?
ਜਹ ਆਪਨ ਊਚ; ਆਪਨ ਆਪਿ ਨੇਰਾ ॥
When He Himself was lofty, and He Himself was near at hand,
ਤਹ ਕਉਨ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ; ਕਉਨੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਚੇਰਾ ॥
then who was called master, and who was called disciple?
ਬਿਸਮਨ ਬਿਸਮ; ਰਹੇ ਬਿਸਮਾਦ ॥
We are wonder-struck at the wondrous wonder of the Lord.
ਨਾਨਕ. ਅਪਨੀ ਗਤਿ; ਜਾਨਹੁ ਆਪਿ ॥੫॥
O Nanak, He alone knows His own state. ||5||
ਜਹ ਅਛਲ ਅਛੇਦ; ਅਭੇਦ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥
When the Undeceiveable, Impenetrable, Inscrutable One was self-absorbed,
ਊਹਾ; ਕਿਸਹਿ ਬਿਆਪਤ ਮਾਇਆ ॥
then who was swayed by Maya?
ਆਪਸ ਕਉ; ਆਪਹਿ ਆਦੇਸੁ ॥
When He paid homage to Himself,
ਤਿਹੁ ਗੁਣ ਕਾ; ਨਾਹੀ ਪਰਵੇਸੁ ॥
then the three qualities were not prevailing.
ਜਹ ਏਕਹਿ ਏਕ; ਏਕ ਭਗਵੰਤਾ ॥
When there was only the One, the One and Only Lord God,
ਤਹ ਕਉਨੁ ਅਚਿੰਤੁ; ਕਿਸੁ ਲਾਗੈ ਚਿੰਤਾ ॥
then who was not anxious, and who felt anxiety?
ਜਹ ਆਪਨ ਆਪੁ; ਆਪਿ ਪਤੀਆਰਾ ॥
When He Himself was satisfied with Himself,
ਤਹ ਕਉਨੁ ਕਥੈ; ਕਉਨੁ ਸੁਨਨੈਹਾਰਾ ॥
then who spoke and who listened?
ਬਹੁ ਬੇਅੰਤ; ਊਚ ਤੇ ਊਚਾ ॥
He is vast and infinite, the highest of the high.
ਨਾਨਕ ਆਪਸ ਕਉ; ਆਪਹਿ ਪਹੂਚਾ ॥੬॥
O Nanak, He alone can reach Himself. ||6||
ਜਹ ਆਪਿ ਰਚਿਓ; ਪਰਪੰਚੁ ਅਕਾਰੁ ॥
When He Himself fashioned the visible world of the creation,
ਤਿਹੁ ਗੁਣ ਮਹਿ; ਕੀਨੋ ਬਿਸਥਾਰੁ ॥
he made the world subject to the three dispositions.
ਪਾਪੁ ਪੁੰਨੁ; ਤਹ ਭਈ ਕਹਾਵਤ ॥
Sin and virtue then began to be spoken of.