He made His own expansion ; 1 Everything is His, He is the Creator—
Say can anything be effected without Him ?
The one God is in every place ;
He Himself acteth His own parts ;
He exhibiteth plays of endless kinds ;
He is in the soul, and the soul is in Him ;
Nanak, His worth cannot be described.
True, true, true is the Lord God ;
By the Guru’s favour some rare person describeth Him. True, true, true is He who created all.
Among millions some rare one knoweth Thee, 0 God ; Excellent, excellent, excellent is Thy form,
Very beautiful, unbounded, and incomparable.
Pure, pure, pure is Thy Word ;
Every one heareth it with his ears, and repeateth it. Holy, holy, holy, holy
Is Thy name ; Nanak uttereth it with heartfelt love. Slok XIII
He who entereth the asylum of the saints shall be saved ; He who slandereth the saints, Nanak, shall be born again and again.
Ashtapadi XIII
By calumniating the saints man’s life is shortened,
By calumniating the saints man escapeth not from Death, By calumniating the saints all happiness vanisheth,
By calumniating the saints man falleth into hell,
By calumniating the saints the understanding is clouded, By calumniating the saints man is without glory—
None can save him who is accursed of the saints—
By calumniating the saints man falleth from his position. Nanak, even a slanderer shall be saved in the company of the saints.
If the merciful saints but show him mercy.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN
By calumniating the saints man’s face becometh crooked, By calumniating the saints man croaketh like a raven,
By calumniating the saints man is bom as a creeping worm,
By calumniating the saints man burneth with thirst,
By calumniating the saints man deceiveth every one,
By calumniating the saints all man’s influence departeth, By calumniating the saints man becometh the lowest of the low;
There is no abiding place for him who calumniateth the saints ;
But if it please the saints, O Nanak, he too may obtain salvation.
'3
The slanderer of the saints is a great malefactor, 1 The slanderer of the saints hath not a moment’s rest, The slanderer of the saints is a great murderer,
The slanderer of the saints is accursed of God,
The slanderer of the saints loseth his dominion,
The slanderer of the saints becometh afflicted and poor, The slanderer of the saints contracteth every disease,
The slanderer of the saints is ever separated from God, The slanderer of the saints committeth sin upon sin ;
But, O Nanak, if it please the saints, he too may obtain salvation.
He who slandereth the saints is ever impure.
He who slandereth the saints is no man’s friend,
He who slandereth the saints shall be punished,
He who slandereth the saints shall be abandoned by all, He who slandereth the saints is very proud,
He who slandereth the saints is ever a sinner,
He who slandereth the saints dieth and is bom again,
He who slandereth the saints swerveth from happiness, He who slandereth the saints hath no abiding place ;' But if it please the saints, O Nanak, they will join him with themselves—
He who slandereth the saints breaketh down half way, 1 He who slandereth the saints succeedeth in nothing,
He who slandereth the saints shall wander in deserts,
He who slandereth the saints shall fall into the wilderness, He who slandereth the saints is hollow within—
As the corpse of a dead man hath no breath—
He who slandereth the saints hath no root whatever ;
He shall himself eat of the fruit he hath planted ;
He who slandereth the saints hath no protector ;
But if it please the saints, O Nanak, they will save him too—
He who slandereth the saints shall cry aloud,
As a fish without water wriggleth in agony ;
He who slandereth the saints shall never be full.
As a fire is not satisfied with firewood ;
He who slandereth the saints is left alone Like a miserable barren sesame stalk in a field ;
He who slandereth the saints is void of honesty;
He who slandereth the saints ever uttereth falsehood— Such is the fate of the slanderer from the beginning ; Nanak, whatever pleaseth God shall take place—
He who slandereth the saints shall become deformed,
He who slandereth the saints shah receive punishment in God’s court, ' ..
He who slandereth the saints ever gaspeth,
Uhd eh’ man nur den halben Weg erreicht,
Muss wohl ein armer Teufel.sterhen,
,„ Goethe’s Faust.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 239
He who slandereth the saints is neither dead nor living, He who slandereth the saints never hath his hopes fulfilled, He who slandereth the saints departeth disappointed^, No one obtaineth permanence 1 by slandering,the saints— Man is as it pleaseth God to make him ; ,
No one can set aside his destiny—
Nanak, the True One knoweth everything ;
Every heart is His, He is the Creator;
Ever and ever bow to Him ;
Praise God day and night;
Meditate on Him at every breath you draw and at every morsel you eat.
Everything prevaileth that God hath done.
Man shall become as God maketh him.
God playeth His own play ;
Who else can criticize Him ?
He giveth His name to those to whom He is merciful; And, Nanak, very fortunate are they.
Slok XIV
Quit devices, my good friends, and remember God, God the King;
Treasure in thy heart thy hopes in the one God, O Nanak, so shall suffering, error, and fear depart.
Ashtapadi XIV
Know that all reliance on man is vain ;
It is God alone who bestoweth,
By whose gifts we remain satisfied,
And not again, feel thirst.
The one God alone destroyeth and pxotectefh •,
There i/nothing in man’s power.
Happiness cometh from understanding the will of God; String His name and wear it on thy neck;
Remember, remember, remember that God, _
Nanak, and no obstacle shall come in thy way. '
z 1 Exempttoiiifrom transmigration., , .//
O man, praise the Formless One in thy heart;
O man, practise works of righteousness ;
Quaff the nectar of the Name, and thy tongue shall become pure,
And thou shalt render thy soul for ever happy.
Behold God’s splendour with thine eyes.
In the company of the saints love for all other company shall vanish.
Walk with thy feet in God’s way :
Thy sins shall be erased if thou even for a moment repeat God’s name.
Do God’s work, hear His story with thine ears,
And thy countenance, O Nanak, shall be bright in His court.
Very fortunate are they in the world Who ever and ever sing God’s praises.
He who meditateth on God’s name Shall be accounted rich in the world.
Know that he shall ever and ever be happy Who uttereth the Supreme God’s name with mind and tongue.
He who recognizeth the one only God
Shall obtain knowledge of this world and the next.
He whose mind is won over to the Name,
Nanak, sljall know God the Pure One.
Know that his thirst shall be quenched
• Who by the Guru’s favour knoweth himself.
♦ The holy man Who repeatcth God’s praises in the company of the saints,
Shall be exempt from all disease.
He who night and day singeth the one God’s praises Shall be saved even in the bosom of his family.
Death’s noose shall be cut for him Who putteth his hopes in God alone.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN
He whose soul hungereth for the Supreme God,
Shall, O Nanak, have no suffering.
He who thinketh upon the Lord God,
Is a happy saint and wavereth not.
The servant to whom God showeth His mercy—
Say of whom shall he be afraid :
As God is, so doth He appear unto him—
Contained in His own creation.
He who is successful in his long search for God ,
By the Guru’s favour knoweth the whole reality.
When I look I see God is the root of all things ;
Nanak, He is at once minute and great ;
He is not born, neither doth He die ;
He playeth His own parts.
Things visible and invisible, which come and go,
The whole creation is supported by the Commander,
And He Himself is contained in everything.
Employing many devices He maketh and unmaketh.
He is imperishable and infrangible ;
He supporteth the universe ;
He is unseen, inscrutable, and glorious.
Nanak, they whom He Himself causeth to repeat His name repeat it.
They who know God are glorious ;
The whole world shall be saved by their spell.
God’s servants shall save all :
God’s servants shall cause sorrow to be forgotten.
They who repeat the Name under the Guru’s instruction shall be happy ;
The Merciful One shall blend them with Himself;
The fortunate man to whom God showeth mercy,
Shall apply Himself to their service.
R
SIKH. HI
He who uttereth the Name shall obtain rest;
Nanak, consider him as the best:
Whatever he doeth is for the love of God ;
He shall ever and ever abide with Him—
Whatever naturally happeneth, happeneth—
And recognize Him as the Creator.
What God doeth is pleasing to the saints ;
As He is, so He appeareth unto them.
They shall be absorbed in Him from whom they have sprung,
And be alone deemed worthy of the treasure of happiness. He Himself giveth honour to His own ;
Nanak, know that God and His servant are one.
Slok XV
God is full of till power and knoweth the affairs 1 of His creatures ;
I am a sacrifice to Him, 0 Nanak, by remembering whom salvation is obtained.
Ashtapadi XV
God is the mender of what is broken ;
He Himself cherisheth all creatures.
Nobody applieth in vain to Him Whose heart feeleth anxiety for all.
O man, ever repeat God’s name ;
He Himself is the imperishable Lord.
From what man doeth himself nothing resulteth.
O mortal, even though thou desire it hundreds of times, Without God nothing shall avail thee.
* Salvation, Nanak, is obtained by repeating the name of the one God.
If man be handsome, he should not be charmed thereby, Since it is God’s light that shineth in everybody.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 243
If man be wealthy, why should he be proud thereof, Since all the wealth that God hath given belongeth to Him ?
Even though one be a mighty hero,
What efforts can he make without obtaining power from God?
If any one plume himself on being very liberal,
God the real Giver will think him a fool.
He whose malady of pride is cured by the Guru’s favour, Shall, O Nanak, never suffer from it again.
As a pillar supporteth a house,
So the word of the Guru supporteth the heart;
As a stone floateth when put into a boat,
So are mortals saved by clinging to the Guru’s feet;
As a lamp giveth light in the darkness,
So man shineth on beholding the Guru ;
As man can find his way in a great wilderness if he have a guide,
So light shall shine for him when he joineth the congregation of the saints.
I desire the dust of such saints’ feet ;
O God, fulfil Nanak’s desires.
O foolish man, why dost thou bewail ?
Thou shalt obtain what was written for thee in the beginning.
God is the Dispenser of woe and weal;
Abandon others and think of Him :
Whatever He doeth gladly agree to—
Why wanderest thou astray, O thoughtless one ?
O greedy moth, attached to pleasures,
What came into the world with thee ?
Repeat God’s name in thy heart,
Nanak, and thou shalt go to thy home with honour.
R 2
In the dwelling of the saints God’s name is found—
The merchandise thou earnest into the world to obtain. Renounce pride, weigh God's name in thy heart,
And purchase it with thy life.
Load thy merchandise, set out with the saints,
And, having freed thyself from the entanglements of the deadly sins,
Every one will congratulate thee ;
Thy countenance shall be bright, and thou shalt obtain honour in God’s court.
Few are the merchants who deal in this merchandise,
And to them Nanak is ever a sacrifice.
. Bathe the saints’ feet and afterwards drink the bathing water;
Dedicate thy soul to the saints ;
Bathe thyself in the dust of the saints’ feet,
And become a sacrifice unto them.
The service of the saints is obtained by good fortune ; Sing God’s praises in their company :
The saints preserve man from various dangers.
He who singeth God’s praises shall taste the savour of nectar.
He who cometh to the door of the saints and seeketh their protection,
Shall, 0 Nanak, obtain all happiness.
God reanimateth the dead ;
He giveth support to the hungry ;
All wealth is in His glance ;
But man only obtaineth what was originally destined him. Everything is God’s ; He is Omnipotent.
There neither was nor shall be any but Him ;
O man, ever and ever repeat His name day and night; This is the most exalted and sacred duty.
He to whom God hath mercifully granted His name, Shall, O Nanak, become pure.