Sikhism·Raag Saarang·Shabad 166
Verse 12 of 13

Highest of All, Yet Close at Hand

ਸਭ ਤੇ ਊਚ ਭਗਤ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ॥
sabh tay ooch bhagat jaa kai sang.
He is above all, and yet He dwells with His devotees.
ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਵਹਿ ਰੰਗਿ ॥
aath pahar gun gaavahi rang.
Twenty-four hours a day, they sing His Praises with love.
ਅਨਿਕ ਅਨਾਹਦ ਆਨੰਦ ਝੁਨਕਾਰ ॥
anik anaahad aanand jhunkaar.
Many unstruck melodies resound and resonate with bliss.
ਉਆ ਰਸ ਕਾ ਕਛੁ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰ ॥੧੧॥
u-aa ras kaa kachh ant na paar. ||11||
There is no end or limit of that sublime essence. ||11||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The One is higher than everything there is — and yet it chooses to live right beside those who love it. All through the day and night, they sing with a full heart.

And a music with no beginning and no end keeps ringing softly through them, pure happiness. That sweetness has no bottom. You could taste it forever and never reach the end.

The highest One of all chooses to live right beside those who love it.
The deeper layer

The turn from vastness to nearness: sabh tay ooch, highest of all, yet bhagat jaa kai sang, dwelling with those who love. aath pahar is all eight watches of the day and night. anaahad is the unstruck sound, resounding in bliss (jhunkaar) — a sweetness, ras, with no end to it.

A Question to Sit With

When have you felt someone important choose to be close to you?

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

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