He whose heart hath faith in the Guru Shall remember the Lord God ;
They in whose hearts is the one God,
Are called saints in the three worlds.
True are the acts and true the ways of those In whose hearts is the truth, and who utter the truth with their mouths.
True is God’s glance, true His world,
True His practice, and true His creation.
He who recognizeth the Supreme Being as true,
Shall, O Nanak, be absorbed in the True One. 1
Slok XVI
God hath no form, outline, or colour ; He is exempt from the three qualities ;
He causeth him, O Nanak, with whom He is well pleased to know Him.
Ashtapadi XVI
Keep thou the imperishable God in thy heart,
And renounce human love.
There is nothing superior to God ;
He is one without interruption in all things ;
He is far-seeing ; He is knowing.
O deep, profound, and all-wise,
Supreme Brahm, Supreme God, Gobind,
Treasure of mercy, compassionate Pardoner,
Nanak’s heartfelt desire is To fall at the feet of Thy saints.
Of him who recognizeth God as true True are the acts, true the ways.
There is truth in his heart •, with his tongue he uttereth truth; True are his eyes, true his body,
True his conduct, and true his property:
Nanak, such a man shall be absorbed in the True One.
God is the fulfiller of desires and capable of giving protection ;
What He hath inscribed in man's destiny shall take place. He can destroy and create in the twinkling of an eye ; None but Himself knoweth His counsel;
He is ever happy and joyous ;
All things are, I have heard, in His palace ;
He is King of kings and Supreme Jogi among Jogis ;
In penance He is king of the penitents ; in the domestic state He is an enjoyer :
By constant meditation on Him the saints obtain happiness—
Nanak, no one hath found the limit of such a Being ;
To His play there is no limit;
All the demigods have grown weary searching for it. What doth a son know of His father’s birth ? 1 God hath strung all things on His own string.
His servant to whom He giveth wisdom, divine knowledge, and meditation,
Meditateth on Him.
They whom He leadeth astray among the three qualities, Die to be born again, and again suffer transmigration. The high and the low places of the earth are His—:
O Nanak, man knoweth as God causeth him to know Him.
God hath various forms and various colours ;
He assumeth various guises, and yet remaineth the same. God the indestructible who hath one form,
* Hath extended Himself in various ways ;
He acteth various parts in a moment.
The Perfect One filleth every place ;
He hath made creation in various forms ;
He Himself knoweth His own worth ;
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN
All hearts are His, all places are His.
Nanak liveth by ever uttering God’s name.
By the Name are sustained all creatures ;
By the Name are supported the regions of the earth and the universe ;
By the Name are supported the Simritis, the Veds, and the Purans ;
By the support of the Name we hear God's praises , and obtain divine knowledge and meditation ;
By the Name are supported the firmament and the nether regions ;
By the Name is the whole world upheld ;
By the Name are maintained all cities and houses ;
By hearing the Name with attention man is saved.
He whom God mercifully attacheth to His name,
Shall, O Nanak, obtain final deliverance.
God’s form is true, true is His place ;
He is the True Spirit, He alone is Supreme ;
His acts are true, His word is true ;
The true Spirit is contained in everything ;
His deeds are true, His creation is true ;
The Root of the world is true, and true what springeth from it;
Pure are His acts, the purest of the pure.
Everything turneth out well for him to whom God giveth knowledge.
The true name of God bestoweth happiness ;
True faith, Nanak, is obtained from the Guru.
'true are the words and instruction of the saints;
True are they into whose hearts they enter.
He who knoweth how to search for the truth,
Shall obtain salvation by uttering the Name.
God Himself is true, and true is everything He hath made ; He Himself knoweth His own measure and condition.
The creation belongeth to its Maker ;
He taketh counsel with none but Himself.
The measure of the Creator is not known to the creature ; Nanak, what pleaseth God prevaileth.
Man wondereth at the wonders upon wonders of creation, But it is only he who knoweth God who obtaineth bliss. The men of God who are enamoured with His love, Receive under the Guru’s instruction the great boons ; They are generous and dispellers of sorrow ;
In their company the world shall be saved.
He who serveth the saints is very fortunate ;
In the society of the saints man fixeth his attention on the one God.
They who sing the excellences and praises of God,
Shall, Nanak, by the favour of the Guru obtain their reward.
Slok XVII
The True One was in the beginning ; the True One was in the primal age.
The True One is now also, O Nanak ; the True One also shall be.
Ashtapadi XVII
His feet are true, and true is he who toucheth them ;
His worship is true, and true is His worshipper;
A sight of Him is true, and true is he who obtaineth it; True is His name, and true is he who meditateth on it; He Himself is true, and so is everything He sustaineth ; He Himself is excellence and the Bestower of excellence ; The Word is true, and true is God who uttereth it;
The ears are true which hear the praises of the True One ; To him who linderstandeth, everything is true—
Nanak, God is altogether true.
He who knoweth in his heart Him whose form is true, Shall recognize the Root of all things, the Cause of causes.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 249
Divine knowledge shall be revealed to him Into whose heart faith in God hath entered ;
He shall abide free from fear,
And be absorbed in Him from whom he sprang.
If one take a thing and blend it with another of the same kind ,
It cannot be said to be separate from it.
A man of understanding can understand that.
When God is found, O Nanak, man becometh one with Him.
The servant of the Lord obeyeth His order,
The servant of the Lord ever adoreth Him,
The servant of the Lord possesseth faith in his heart; Pure is the conduct of the Lord’s servant :
His servant knOweth that God is with him.
God’s servant is dyed with His name,
God cherisheth His servant,
The Formless One preserveth the honour of His servant— He is a servant to whom the Lord showeth mercy ; Nanak, such a servant remembereth God at every breath.
God will draw a veil over the faults of His servant,
And will assuredly preserve his honour; (
He will bestow greatness on His slave,
Cause him to repeat His name,
And preserve his honour.
No one knoweth God’s condition or measure—
No one is equal to God’s servant;
God’s servant is the most exalted of the exalted.
The servant whom God applieth to His service,
Shall be renowned, O Nanak, in every direction.
If God infuse power into a little ant,
It can reduce to ashes armies of hundreds of thousands and millions of men.
God preserveth and holdeth out a hand to him Whom He desireth not to deprive of life.
Though man make efforts of many kinds,
His exertions are in vain.
No one can kill or preserve but God ;
He is the Preserver of all creatures.
Why art thou anxious, O mortal ?
Nanak, repeat the name of God the unseen, the wonderful;
Ever, ever, ever repeat God’s name ;
Satisfy thy soul and body by quaffing its nectar.
The holy man who obtaineth the jewel of the Name, Will look on no one but God ;
He will deem the Name his wealth, the Name his beauty and delight,
The Name his happiness, God’s name his companion.
He who is satisfied with the savour of God’s name,
Shall be absorbed soul and body in it.
To utter the Name standing, sitting, or sleeping,
Saith Nanak, is ever the duty of the man of God.
God gave the gift to His worshipper To utter His praises day and night.
They who serve with heartfelt love,
Shall be absorbed in the Lord.
They shall know the past and the present,
And recognize the order of their God.
Who can describe His greatness ?
I know not how to describe even one of His excellences. They who abide the whole day in the presence of God, Saith Nanak, are the perfect men.
0 man, take shelter with them ;
Give them thy soul and body.
He who recognizeth his God Is bountiful in all things ;
In His shelter thou shalt find all happiness ;
By a sight of Him thou shalt blot out all sin.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 251
Renounce all other cleverness,
And attach thyself to His service.
Nanak, ever worship His feet,
And thou shalt suffer no more transmigration.
Slok XVIII
He who knoweth the True Being is called the true Guru 1 ; His disciple is saved by association with him, 0 Nanak, and by singing God’s praises.
Ashtapadi XVIII
The true Guru cherisheth his disciple,
The true Guru is ever compassionate to his servant,
The Guru will remove the filth of his disciple’s wickedness—
Under the Guru’s instruction the disciple will repeat God’s name—
The true Guru will cut the fetters of his disciple,
If the disciple recoil from evil deeds.
The disciple to whom the true Guru giveth the wealth of the Name,
Is very fortunate.
The true Guru adjusteth this world and the next for his disciple.
Nanak, the true Guru loveth his disciple as his life.
The servant who dwelleth in his Guru’s house,
Should heartily accept his order,
Not overrate himself,
Ever meditate on God’s name in his heart,
And sell his soul to the true Guru—
The affairs of such a man shall prosper.
He who serveth the true Guru without any desire Of reward , shall obtain the Lord.
The servant to whom God showeth favour,
Nanak, will accept the Guru’s instruction;
The servant who fully 1 conciliateth the Guru,
Shall know the state of the Supreme Being.
He in whose heart is God’s name is the true Guru;
I am many times a sacrifice to such a Guru ;
He bestoweth all treasure on men,
And is day and night imbued with love for the Supreme Being.
The holy man is in God and God in the holy man, - God Himself is one ; of this there is no doubt.
The Guru is not obtained by a thousand devices ;
Nanak, such a Guru is only found by good fortune.
.A sight of the Guru is profitable ; he who beholdeth him is purified;
By touching his feet man’s conduct and practice become spotless;
He who on meeting him uttereth God’s praises,
Shall arrive at the court of the Supreme Being.
On hearing his words the ears are satisfied ;
The mind gaineth contentment and the spirit consolation. He on whom the perfect Guru, whose spell is immortal, Looketh with his ambrosial glance becometh a saint.
His excellences are endless; his worth cannot be appraised. Nanak, whoso pleaseth him he blendeth with himself.
Man has but one tongue, God’s praises are manifold ;
He is the True Being of perfect discrimination ;
Mortal cannot by any words succeed in describing Him. He is inaccessible, incomprehensible and unperturbed.
He liveth not by food, He is without enmity, the Giver of comfort;
No one hath found His worth.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 253
Many saints continually make obeisance to Him,
And meditate in their hearts on His lotus feet.
Nanak is ever a sacrifice to his true Guru,
By whose favour the name of such a God is repeated.
This divine essence only few obtain,
But they who drink it become immortal.
That being shall never perish
In whose heart the Lord of excellences appeareth.
He who taketh God’s name during the eight watches, Who giveth true instruction to his servant,
Who is not veneered by worldly love,
Who keepeth but the one God in his heart—
For him a lamp shall shine in the darkness,
And, O Nanak, his doubts, worldly love, and sorrows flee away.
By the perfect instruction of the saints,
Man becometh cool in the midst of heat;
Sorrow is put to flight, happiness resulteth,
The fear of birth and death is removed,
Fear ceaseth, man abideth fearless,
And all troubles vanish from his mind.
God showeth mercy to his own
Who in the company of the saints repeat His name.
By listening, O Nanak, to God’s praises with attention Mental stableness is obtained, and superstition and transmigration cease.
He whose power fascinateth the whole world,
Is without the three qualities, and yet possesseth all qualities.
God Himself performeth His own playi*
Only He Himself knoweth His worth.
There is no other than God ;
He, the one Spirit, pervadeth all things without interruption ;
He, the warp and the woof, is contained in all forms and colours;
He becometh manifest by association with the saints ;
He who made creation infused His power into it— Nanak is many times a sacrifice unto Him.
Slok XIX
Except God’s worship nothing shall go with thee, 0 man ; worldly things are ashes :
Nanak, the essence of wealth is the repetition of God’s name.
Ashtapadi XIX
•In the company of the saints reflect on God ;
Remember the one God and rest upon His name ;
Forget all other efforts, my friend ;
Put God’s lotus feet into thy heart;
He is the Omnipotent, the Cause of causes ;
Firmly grasp His name ; it is the best thing ;
Lay up this wealth and thou shalt be fortunate.
Pure is the instruction of the saints ;
Keep the hope of the one God in thy heart,
Nanak, and all thy maladies shall be healed.
By serving God thou shalt obtain the wealth After which thou now hastest in every direction.
The happiness which thou ever desirest, my friend.
Shall be found by loving the society of the saints.
The glory for which thou performest good acts,
Shall be obtained by hastening to God for protection.
It is not by many remedies maladies are healed ;
It is by administering the medicine of God’s name.
Of all treasures God’s name is the treasure ;
Repeat it, Nanak, and thou shalt be acceptable in God’s
court.