ਮਾਇ ਨ ਹੋਤੀ ਬਾਪੁ ਨ ਹੋਤਾ ਕਰਮੁ ਨ ਹੋਤੀ ਕਾਇਆ ॥
maa-ay na hotee baap na hotaa karam na hotee kaa-i-aa.
When there was no mother and no father, no karma and no human body,
ਹਮ ਨਹੀ ਹੋਤੇ ਤੁਮ ਨਹੀ ਹੋਤੇ ਕਵਨੁ ਕਹਾਂ ਤੇ ਆਇਆ ॥੧॥
ham nahee hotay tum nahee hotay kavan kahaaN tay aa-i-aa. ||1||
when I was not and you were not, then who came from where? ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When there was no mother and no father, no karma and no body,
when there was no me and no you, then who came from where?
Underneath everything that seems separate is one shared beginning.
A contemplation of the state before creation: no parents, no karam (action or karma), no body, no you, no me. The question kavan kahaaN tay aa-i-aa, who came from where, is a doorway rather than a riddle to be solved. It points under all separateness to one shared Source.
A Question to Sit With
Where do you think you came from, before you were you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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