Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I have broken into shops and well-guarded palaces, stolen, and crept back home. I looked ahead and I looked behind to see if anyone saw -- but where could I ever hide from you?
You can hide from every witness except the One.
This is a startling confession of doing wrong. Guru Nanak speaks as the soul that has done wrong. He does not talk down to it; he stands inside it. Hat patan bij mandar bhannai — breaking into shops and guarded palaces. Kar choree ghar aavai — stealing, and sneaking home again.
The thief checks all around for anyone watching. Agahu daykhai pichhahu daykhai — he looks ahead, he looks behind. But he forgets the One who knows every heart from the inside. Tujh tay kahaa chhapaavai — where could anyone hide from You?
Think of a kid sneaking a cookie while checking that the kitchen door is shut. They forgot that the One is already right there. With the One who is everywhere, there is no "behind your back."
Does it change how you act to imagine that nothing is ever truly hidden?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI