Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In one person You show up as bold and proud; in another, as gentle and humble.
In one You stand entirely on Your own; in another, You appear small and lowly.
Here begins Guru Arjan's astonishing vision: the same One is present as every human type. Ayk mahal means 'in one dwelling / one person.' In one You are afaaro (proud), in another nimaano (humble); in one aapay aapay (fully self-sufficient), in another gareebaano (poor). This is not saying people are puppets with no agency; commentators read the refrain in light of Ik Onkar, as placing every kind of person within the divine address. Read that way it quietly levels all hierarchy — an invitation to humility, and a refusal to rank people's worth.
Can you see something you share with a person who seems totally different from you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI