ਖਾਣੀ ਨ ਬਾਣੀ ਪਉਣ ਨ ਪਾਣੀ ॥
khaanee na banee pa-un na paanee.
There were no sources of creation or powers of speech, no air or water.
ਓਪਤਿ ਖਪਤਿ ਨ ਆਵਣ ਜਾਣੀ ॥
opat khapat na aavan jaanee.
There was no creation or destruction, no coming or going.
ਖੰਡ ਪਤਾਲ ਸਪਤ ਨਹੀ ਸਾਗਰ ਨਦੀ ਨ ਨੀਰੁ ਵਹਾਇਦਾ ॥੨॥
khand pataal sapat nahee saagar nadee na neer vahaa-idaa. ||2||
There were no continents, nether regions, seven seas, rivers or flowing water. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Back then there was no way for anything to be born, no words, no air, no water.
Nothing began and nothing ended; nothing came and nothing went.
There were no lands, no oceans, no rivers flowing anywhere, only the great calm.
All the busy world we know was once perfect stillness.
None of it existed yet: the sources of life, speech, the elements, the continents and seas. Each 'no' points at the vast stillness that came before creation.
A Question to Sit With
Can you imagine complete stillness, with nothing moving at all?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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