Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One fills every place.
I see no other. So to whom else would I offer worship?
The One fills every place, so there is no "other" to bow to.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. It says ayko rav rahi-aa sabh thaa-ee: the One is in every place. This is Ik Onkar, the One Creator, at its simplest.
Then comes a gentle question: avar na deesai kis pooj charhaa-ee. I see no other, so to whom would I offer worship? It is like a fish asking where the water is. The water is all around. The line quietly questions aiming worship at something separate, because nothing stands apart from the One. It is said in wonder. It is not a put-down of anyone's practice.
If the same One were in every place, where would you not expect to find it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI