Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
First, even Brahma, the great creator-being of the old stories, had to enter the house of Death.
He went down into the lotus and searched the hidden worlds below, but he could not find the end of the mystery.
He did not accept the Order, the flow of existence. So doubt led him astray, and he only wandered further into confusion.
This one says you cannot reach the Infinite by searching harder. You meet it by resting in the One's will.
Guru Nanak opens with a picture from the Puranas, the old story-books of India. Brahma is the creator-god of Hindu tradition. Parathmay barahmaa kaalai ghar aa-i-aa — first, even Brahma came into the house of Death. Then he went down into a lotus and searched the pa-i-aal, the worlds below. He wanted to find where creation begins and ends. Barahm kamal pa-i-aal na paa-i-aa — he could not find its end.
Nanak tells this with full respect for the tradition it comes from. The point is not that Brahma is foolish. The point is that even the mightiest being cannot measure the Infinite by effort. It is like trying to measure the ocean with a school ruler.
Aagi-aa nahee leenee bharam bhulaa-i-aa — he did not accept the Order, so doubt led him astray. The Order is the Hukam, the flow of existence. Brahma did not rest in it. Trying to grab the Boundless is not how you meet it.
Is there something you have tried to figure out completely, when maybe it was meant to be wondered at instead?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI