Sikhism·Raag Bhairao·Shabad 36
Verse 2 of 5

Your Names Beyond Counting

ਜਗਜੀਵਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਧਿਆਇ ਤਰਣੇ ॥
jagjeevan har Dhi-aa-ay tarnay.
Meditating on the Lord, the Life of the World, the mortals cross over.
ਅਨੇਕ ਅਸੰਖ ਨਾਮ ਹਰਿ ਤੇਰੇ ਨ ਜਾਹੀ ਜਿਹਵਾ ਇਤੁ ਗਨਣੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
anayk asaNkh naam har tayray na jaahee jihvaa it gannay. ||1|| rahaa-o.
Your Names are so many, they are countless, O Lord. This tongue of mine cannot even count them. ||1||Pause||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Remembering the One, the Life of the world, people cross over.

Your Names are so many, O One, beyond counting. This tongue of mine cannot count them.

The One's names are beyond counting — more than any tongue could number.
The deeper layer

Remembering the One, the Life of the world, carries you across, and the One's Names are too many to count.

This is the Rahao, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Jagjeevan means the Life of the world. The One is what keeps everything alive. Remembering that One, we tarnay, cross over, like crossing a wide river safely.

Then the Guru smiles at how big the One is. The names are anayk asakh, many and beyond counting. Try counting the stars on a clear night. You give up quickly, and you feel wonder instead. One small tongue could never list them all.

A Question to Sit With

How many different words can you think of for something wonderful?

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

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