Sikhism·Raag Malaar·Shabad 72
Verse 3 of 6

Even the Great Powers Serve Him

ਜਾਂ ਚੈ ਘਰਿ ਕੁਲਾਲੁ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਚਤੁਰ ਮੁਖੁ ਡਾਂਵੜਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਬਿਸ੍ਵ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ਰਾਚੀਲੇ ॥
jaaN chai ghar kulaal barahmaa chatur mukh daaNvrhaa jin bisav sansaar raacheelay.
In His House, the four-faced Brahma, the cosmic potter lives. He created the entire universe.
ਜਾਂ ਕੈ ਘਰਿ ਈਸਰੁ ਬਾਵਲਾ ਜਗਤ ਗੁਰੂ ਤਤ ਸਾਰਖਾ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਭਾਖੀਲੇ ॥
jaaN kai ghar eesar baavlaa jagat guroo tat saarkhaa gi-aan bhaakheelay.
In His House, the insane Shiva, the Guru of the World, lives; he imparts spiritual wisdom to explain the essence of reality.
ਪਾਪੁ ਪੁੰਨੁ ਜਾਂ ਚੈ ਡਾਂਗੀਆ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਗੁਪਤੁ ਲੇਖੀਆ ॥
paap punn jaaN chai daaNgee-aa du-aarai chitar gupat laykhee-aa.
Sin and virtue are the standard-bearers at His Door; Chitr and Gupt are the recording angels of the conscious and subconscious.
ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਪਰੁਲੀ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਹਾਰੁ ॥
Dharam raa-ay parulee partihaar.
The Righteous Judge of Dharma, the Lord of Destruction, is the door-man.
ਸੋੁ ਐਸਾ ਰਾਜਾ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੋਪਾਲੁ ॥੨॥
so aisaa raajaa saree gopaal. ||2||
Such is the Supreme Sovereign Lord of the World. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

In the One's House lives Brahma, the four-faced potter who shaped the whole universe.

In the One's House lives Shiva, wild and carefree, the teacher of the world, who explains the heart of all wisdom.

Wrong and right stand at the One's door holding staffs. Chitr and Gupt, the record-keepers, write everything down.

Dharam Raa-ay, the judge who brings every life to its end, is the doorkeeper.

Such is the King, the Lord of the World.

No power is too great to be a servant of the One.
The deeper layer

Every great power people have ever pictured works in the One's house.

Namdev names them one by one. Kulaal barahmaa chatur mukh — Brahma, the four-faced one, is the potter who shaped the universe. Eesar baavlaa jagat guroo — Shiva, the wild one lost in joy, is the world's teacher. Both are here, working in this House.

Paap punn — wrong and right — stand at the door like guards holding staffs. Chitar gupat are the old record-keepers who write down every deed. Dharam raa-ay, the judge who weighs each life, is simply the doorman. In other places he can sound frightening. Here he just keeps the door.

Namdev takes the whole old picture of the universe — maker, teacher, judge, record-keepers — and makes each one part of the household staff. It is like learning that all the most famous people in town work in one kitchen, for one cook. The wonder is how much it gathers into one: no power stands outside the One, or above it.

A Question to Sit With

What does it change to imagine that even the biggest forces answer to something greater?

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

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