Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
The earth, the sky, and the stars stand in awe under the vast order of the One.
Wind, water, and fire move in that same awe; even the bright ruler of the old stories bows within it.
Everything in the universe stands in awe of the One.
Guru Arjan opens this shabad with Ik Oankaar, Satgur Parsaad: "One Creator, known by the True Guru's grace."
The key word is darpai. It is often translated "fear," but here it means awe. Awe is the wide-eyed feeling you get before something huge and wonderful. It is not being scared. It is being amazed and respectful at once.
The earth, the sky and the stars all move inside amar, the One's great order. Wind, water and fire move in it too. Even Indra, the king of the gods in old Indian stories, bows within it.
Think of standing at the edge of the ocean at night, under a sky full of stars. You feel very small. And yet you feel wonderfully held, part of something vast and beautiful.
What in nature fills you with awe?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI