Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The devotion of the Lord — of Allah — is unique and wondrous: it is known only through reflection on the Guru.
O Nanak, in whom the Name dwells — through awe and devotion — that one is adorned by the Name itself.
Guru Amar Das ends with a quiet surprise that is easy to miss.
Bhagat niraalee alaah dee — the devotion of Allah is unique and wondrous. Allah is the name for God used by Muslims. Here it sits in the crowning line of the hymn, as naturally as breathing. Guru Amar Das, closing a Sikh hymn, uses his Muslim neighbors' word for the One. The One answers to every true calling. And this devotion is niraalee — one of a kind, bigger than any fence between traditions.
Think of a mother whose children call her Mom, Mama and Maa. It is the same mother, and she answers to every one of them.
How is this devotion known? Not by arguing, the verse says, but by gur veechaar, reflecting on the Guru's teaching. And the one in whom it lives, through bhai bhagtee, awe and devotion, needs no other decoration. The Name itself does the adorning.
What do you feel when you hear God called by another tradition's name — and what would the Guru feel?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI