Sikhism·Raag Bhairao·Shabad 86
Verse 1 of 5

The One Inside Every Scripture

ਭੈਰਉ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
bhairo mehlaa 5.
Bhairao, Fifth Mehl:
ਆਪੇ ਸਾਸਤੁ ਆਪੇ ਬੇਦੁ ॥
aapay saasat aapay bayd.
He Himself is the Shaastras, and He Himself is the Vedas.
ਆਪੇ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਭੇਦੁ ॥
aapay ghat ghat jaanai bhayd.
He knows the secrets of each and every heart.
ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਸਭ ਵਥੁ ॥
jot saroop jaa kee sabh vath.
He is the Embodiment of Light; all beings belong to Him.
ਕਰਣ ਕਾਰਣ ਪੂਰਨ ਸਮਰਥੁ ॥੧॥
karan kaaran pooran samrath. ||1||
The Creator, the Cause of causes, the Perfect All-powerful Lord. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The One is the Shaastras, and the One is the Vedas, the holy books.

The One knows the secret of every single heart. The One is light itself, and everything belongs to the One. The One is the Maker, the cause behind every cause, whole and all-powerful.

Every honest search for truth is reaching toward the same One.
The deeper layer

The One is inside every holy book, knows every heart, and is the light that everything belongs to.

Aapay saasat aapay bayd: the One is the Shaastras and the Vedas, the old sacred books of the Hindu tradition. It is said with respect. The One is the truth every scripture is reaching for.

Aapay ghat ghat jaanai bhayd: the One knows the secret of every heart.

Jot saroop means a form made of light. Everything belongs to that One.

Karan kaaran pooran samrath: the Maker, the cause behind every cause, whole and all-powerful.

Think of one song sung in many languages. The words change, but the tune underneath is the same.

A Question to Sit With

What might different holy books all be pointing at in their own ways?

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

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