Sikhism·Raag Gauree·Shabad 294
Verse 7 of 112

The One Is Real; Nothing Is Ever Separate From It

ਪਵੜੀ ॥
pavrhee.
Pauree:
ਸਸਾ ਸਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਸੋਊ ॥
sasaa sat sat sat so-oo.
SASSA: True, True, True is that Lord.
ਸਤਿ ਪੁਰਖ ਤੇ ਭਿੰਨ ਨ ਕੋਊ ॥
sat purakh tay bhinn na ko-oo.
No one is separate from the True Primal Lord.
ਸੋਊ ਸਰਨਿ ਪਰੈ ਜਿਹ ਪਾਯੰ ॥
so-oo saran parai jih paa-yaN.
They alone enter the Lord's Sanctuary, whom the Lord inspires to enter.
ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਇ ਸੁਨਾਯੰ ॥
simar simar gun gaa-ay sunaa-yaN.
Meditating, meditating in remembrance, they sing and preach the Glorious Praises of the Lord.
ਸੰਸੈ ਭਰਮੁ ਨਹੀ ਕਛੁ ਬਿਆਪਤ ॥
sansai bharam nahee kachh bi-aapat.
Doubt and skepticism do not affect them at all.
ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪੁ ਤਾਹੂ ਕੋ ਜਾਪਤ ॥
pargat partaap taahoo ko jaapat.
They behold the manifest glory of the Lord.
ਸੋ ਸਾਧੂ ਇਹ ਪਹੁਚਨਹਾਰਾ ॥
so saaDhoo ih pahuchanhaaraa.
They are the Holy Saints - they reach this destination.
ਨਾਨਕ ਤਾ ਕੈ ਸਦ ਬਲਿਹਾਰਾ ॥੩॥
naanak taa kai sad balihaaraa. ||3||
Nanak is forever a sacrifice to them. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

**S** — this letter stands for *Sat*, which means real, true, and lasting. True, true, truly real is the One. And nothing and no one is ever separate from it.

Those who feel drawn to take shelter in it — they were drawn there by the One itself. They keep it in mind, again and again, and sing its goodness out loud for others to hear.

Worry and confusion cannot get a grip on them. They see the glory of the One shining right out in the open. These are the good and wise ones, who reach the destination. I would give anything to be near them.

The One is real, real, real — and nothing is ever separate from it, so shelter means remembering where you already belong.
The deeper layer

Now the acrostic proper begins, with the letter Sassa (S) — chosen because it opens Sat, "true." The section hammers the word three times: sat, sat, sat — the One is real in a way nothing else is. In this project's lens, Sat means real, genuine, permanent — the opposite of the flimsy, washable "reality" of ego and status. The lovely detail is the second line: sat purakh tay bhinn na ko-oo — no one is separate from the True One. So the "shelter" people run to is not somewhere else; it is recognizing what they already belong to. The one whose confusion (sansai bharam) has lifted sees the glory pargat — manifest, out in the open, not hidden. Guru Arjan closes as he often does, bowing to such people: sad balihaaraa, "forever a sacrifice."

A Question to Sit With

What feels most solid and real to you when everything else seems to change or wash away?

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

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