pa-unai paanee agnee jee-o tin ki-aa khusee-aa ki-aa peerh.
Living beings are formed of air, water and fire. They are subject to pleasure and pain.
ਧਰਤੀ ਪਾਤਾਲੀ ਆਕਾਸੀ ਇਕਿ ਦਰਿ ਰਹਨਿ ਵਜੀਰ ॥
Dhartee paataalee aakaasee ik dar rahan vajeer.
In this world, in the nether regions of the underworld, and in the Akaashic ethers of the heavens, some remain ministers in the Court of the Lord.
ਇਕਨਾ ਵਡੀ ਆਰਜਾ ਇਕਿ ਮਰਿ ਹੋਹਿ ਜਹੀਰ ॥
iknaa vadee aarjaa ik mar hohi jaheer.
Some live long lives, while others suffer and die.
ਇਕਿ ਦੇ ਖਾਹਿ ਨਿਖੁਟੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਇਕਿ ਸਦਾ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਫਕੀਰ ॥
ik day khaahi nikhutai naahee ik sadaa fireh fakeer.
Some give and consume, and still their wealth is not exhausted, while others remain poor forever.
ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਾਜੇ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਢਾਹੇ ਏਕ ਚਸੇ ਮਹਿ ਲਖ ॥
hukmee saajay hukmee dhaahay ayk chasay meh lakh.
In His Will He creates, and in His Will He destroys thousands in an instant.
ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਨਥੈ ਨਥਿਆ ਬਖਸੇ ਤੋੜੇ ਨਥ ॥
sabh ko nathai nathi-aa bakhsay torhay nath.
He has harnessed everyone with His harness; when He forgives, he breaks the harness.
ਵਰਨਾ ਚਿਹਨਾ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਲੇਖੇ ਬਾਝੁ ਅਲਖੁ ॥
varnaa chihnaa baahraa laykhay baajh alakh.
He has no color or features; He is invisible and beyond calculation.
ਕਿਉ ਕਥੀਐ ਕਿਉ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਾਪੈ ਸਚੋ ਸਚੁ ॥
ki-o kathee-ai ki-o aakhee-ai jaapai sacho sach.
How can He be described? He is known as the Truest of the True.
ਕਰਣਾ ਕਥਨਾ ਕਾਰ ਸਭ ਨਾਨਕ ਆਪਿ ਅਕਥੁ ॥
karnaa kathnaa kaar sabh naanak aap akath.
All the actions which are done and described, O Nanak, are done by the Indescribable Lord Himself.
ਅਕਥ ਕੀ ਕਥਾ ਸੁਣੇਇ ॥
akath kee kathaa sunay-ay.
Whoever hears the description of the indescribable,
ਰਿਧਿ ਬੁਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥੧॥
riDh buDh siDh gi-aan sadaa sukh ho-ay. ||1||
is blessed with wealth, intelligence, perfection, spiritual wisdom and eternal peace. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In plain words
Living beings are made of air, water and fire. They feel both joy and pain.
On the earth, in the worlds below, and in the skies above, some stay as ministers at the One's door.
Some live long lives, and some suffer and die.
Some give and eat, and their wealth never runs out. Others stay poor forever.
In the One's will, the One builds, and in the One's will tears down thousands in a single moment.
The One has put a harness on everyone. When the One forgives, the harness breaks.
The One has no color and no marks, cannot be seen and cannot be counted.
How can the One be described? The One is known as the Truest of the True.
Nanak says: all the doing and all the telling is done by the One, who is beyond words.
Whoever listens to the story of the One beyond words
is blessed with plenty, good sense, success, wisdom and peace forever.
We are all made of the same few things, held in one great flow.
The deeper layer
Every living thing is made of the same few things, and all of it moves in the flow of the One's will.
Pa-unai paanee agnee jee-o: beings are made of air, water and fire, so every one of us knows joy and pain. Some live long and some short, some have plenty and some go without. Hukmee saajay hukmee dhaahay: in the hukam, the flow of the One's will, things are built and taken down in a moment. Everyone wears a harness, and forgiveness breaks it.
The One has no color or mark and is alakh, beyond seeing, yet known as sacho sach, the Truest of the True. Akath kee kathaa sunay-ay: whoever listens to the story of the One beyond words is filled with good sense, wisdom and lasting peace.
A Question to Sit With
When you remember you are made of air and water and warmth, how does it change the way you see other people?
