Sikhism·Raag Bilaaval·Shabad 165
Verse 3 of 4

The Bright-Eyed Heart Sings

ਜਾਗੁ ਸਲੋਨੜੀਏ ਬੋਲੈ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਰਾਮ ॥
jaag salonrhee-ay bolai gurbaanee raam.
Awake, O bride of splendored eyes, and chant the Word of the Guru's Bani.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸੁਣਿ ਮੰਨਿਅੜੀ ਅਕਥ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਰਾਮ ॥
jin sun mani-arhee akath kahaanee raam.
Listen, and place your faith in the Unspoken Speech of the Lord.
ਅਕਥ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਪਦੁ ਨਿਰਬਾਣੀ ਕੋ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬੂਝਏ ॥
akath kahaanee pad nirbaanee ko virlaa gurmukh boojh-ay.
The Unspoken Speech, the state of Nirvaanaa - how rare is the Gurmukh who understands this.
ਓਹੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਮਾਏ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਏ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਸੋਝੀ ਸੂਝਏ ॥
oh sabad samaa-ay aap gavaa-ay taribhavan sojhee soojh-ay.
Merging in the Word of the Shabad, self-conceit is eradicated, and the three worlds are revealed to her understanding.
ਰਹੈ ਅਤੀਤੁ ਅਪਰੰਪਰਿ ਰਾਤਾ ਸਾਚੁ ਮਨਿ ਗੁਣ ਸਾਰਿਆ ॥
rahai ateet aprampar raataa saach man gun saari-aa.
Remaining detached, with infinity infusing, the true mind cherishes the virtues of the Lord.
ਓਹੁ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਰਬ ਠਾਈ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਉਰਿ ਧਾਰਿਆ ॥੩॥
oh poor rahi-aa sarab thaa-ee naankaa ur Dhaari-aa. ||3||
He is fully pervading and permeating all places; Nanak has enshrined Him within his heart. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Wake up, bright-eyed heart, and let the Word sing through you. Listen deeply, and let what cannot be spoken settle inside you.

That unspoken truth, that deep peace — only a rare few taste it. But whoever melts into the Word, and quietly loses the loud sense of me-first, suddenly understands the whole world.

Staying free and unhurried, soaked in the endless One, such a heart cherishes what is good — and finds that the One fills every single place. Nanak says: I keep the One in my heart.

Listen deeply enough, and the quiet truth you cannot put in words fills everything.
The deeper layer

SalonRee — the bright, beautiful-eyed one. Gurbaani bolai: the Bani speaks through her. Akath kahaanee is the unspoken story; pad nirbaani, the state of deep peace; and only the virlaa gurmukh, the rare one, tastes it. Aap gavaa-ay (losing self-conceit) becomes losing the me-first feeling. Poor rahiaa sarab thaa-ee: the One filling all places — the fruit of Suniai, deep listening.

A Question to Sit With

What helps you listen — not just wait for your turn to talk?

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

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