ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਨਿਕਟਿ ਨਿਕਟਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਿਕਟ ਹੀ ਬਸਤੇ ਤੇ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਜਨ ਸਾਧੂ ਹਰਿ ਭਗਾਤ ॥
har kai nikat nikat har nikat hee bastay tay har kay jan saaDhoo har bhagaat.
Those who are near, near to the Lord - those who dwell near the Lord - those humble servants of the Lord are the Holy, the devotees of the Lord.
ਤੇ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਜਨ ਹਰਿ ਸਿਉ ਰਲਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਜੈਸੇ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਲਲੈ ਸਲਲ ਮਿਲਾਤਿ ॥੨॥੧॥੮॥
tay har kay jan har si-o ral milay jaisay jan naanak sallai salal milaat. ||2||1||8||
Those humble servants of the Lord merge with their Lord, O Nanak, like water merging with water. ||2||1||8||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Those who live near the One, near, so near — they are the One's people, the saints, the devotees.
Nanak says: they blend into the One the way water blends into water, and there is no telling them apart anymore.
To come home to the One is like water slipping back into water.
nikat, near, is repeated to press home the closeness of the devotees to the One. The landmark image is sallai salal milaat, water merging with water — a picture of union without any remaining separation, the heart of Ik Onkar and an image that recurs across the Guru Granth Sahib. When the drop rejoins the water, nothing is lost; only the illusion of being separate.
A Question to Sit With
What does it feel like to belong somewhere so completely there's no separation?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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