Salok Sehskritee, Salok 57 — The Power That Holds Everything Up
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One's power holds up the sky and keeps fire hidden inside wood.
The One's power holds the moon, the sun and the stars, and puts light and breath into the body.
The One's power feeds the baby in the mother's womb and keeps sickness from striking it.
Nanak says: the One's power holds back the ocean, so its waves do not wash away the land.
One and the same power holds up the stars and holds you.
The salok uses the word kalaa, power. The One's power holds up the sky. It keeps fire hidden inside wood. It keeps the moon, the sun, and the stars in place. It puts light and breath into the body.
Then the verse comes close. The same power fed you in your mother's womb and kept you safe. The same power holds back the ocean, so the waves do not swallow the land.
Think of a single power grid that lights a whole city and also your bedside lamp. The biggest things and the smallest things run on the same power. The One holding up the stars is holding you right now.
When you look up at the stars, does it feel scary how big everything is, or comforting to be part of it? Why?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI