Sikhism·Closing Sections·The Closing Saloks
Verse 69 of 152

Salok Vaaraan Te Vadheek (Mehl 3), Salok 69 — the Maker knows the whole making

ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਜਗਤੁ ਬਰਲਿਆ ਕਹਣਾ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
bin sabdai jagat barli-aa kahnaa kachhoo na jaa-ay.
Without the Shabad, the world is so insane, that it cannot even be described.
ਹਰਿ ਰਖੇ ਸੇ ਉਬਰੇ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਹੇ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥
har rakhay say ubray sabad rahay liv laa-ay.
Those who are protected by the Lord are saved; they remain lovingly attuned to the Word of the Shabad.
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਰਤਾ ਸਭ ਕਿਛੁ ਜਾਣਦਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਰਖੀ ਬਣਤ ਬਣਾਇ ॥੩੬॥
naanak kartaa sabh kichh jaandaa jin rakhee banat banaa-ay. ||36||
O Nanak, the Creator who made this making knows everything. ||36||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Without the Word, the world has gone so crazy that it cannot even be described.

Those the One protects are saved; they stay lovingly tuned to the Word.

Nanak says: the Creator, who made this whole making, knows everything.

Even when the world looks like chaos, it is not chaos to its Source.
The deeper layer

Without the Word the world loses its way; the Maker of it all knows everything.

Bin sabdai jagat barli-aa: without the Word, the world has gone wild. Har rakhay say ubray: those the One protects are saved, staying tuned to the Word. The last line, kartaa sabh kichh jaandaa, is a note of trust: the world is never chaos to its Maker, even when it looks that way to us.

A Question to Sit With

When things feel out of control, what helps you trust that they will be okay?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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