Praise the Giver, Not Just the Gift

ਮਹਲਾ ੨ ॥

mehlaa 2.

Second Mehl:

ਕੀਤਾ ਕਿਆ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਕਰੇ ਸੋਇ ਸਾਲਾਹਿ ॥

keetaa ki-aa salaahee-ai karay so-ay saalaahi.

Why praise the created being? Praise the One who created all.

ਨਾਨਕ ਏਕੀ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਦੂਜਾ ਦਾਤਾ ਨਾਹਿ ॥

naanak aykee baahraa doojaa daataa naahi.

O Nanak, there is no other Giver, except the One Lord.

ਕਰਤਾ ਸੋ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਤਾ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥

kartaa so salaahee-ai jin keetaa aakaar.

Praise the Creator Lord, who created the creation.

ਦਾਤਾ ਸੋ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਜਿ ਸਭਸੈ ਦੇ ਆਧਾਰੁ ॥

daataa so salaahee-ai je sabhsai day aaDhaar.

Praise the Great Giver, who gives sustenence to all.

ਨਾਨਕ ਆਪਿ ਸਦੀਵ ਹੈ ਪੂਰਾ ਜਿਸੁ ਭੰਡਾਰੁ ॥

naanak aap sadeev hai pooraa jis bhandaar.

O Nanak, the treasure of the Eternal Lord is over-flowing.

ਵਡਾ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰੁ ॥੨॥

vadaa kar salaahee-ai ant na paaraavaar. ||2||

Praise and honor the One, who has no end or limitation. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Why spend all your wonder on the things that were made? Praise instead the One who made them all. Nanak says: there is no other Giver, only the One.

Praise the Maker who shaped every form you see. Praise the great Giver who feeds and holds up all of life. Nanak says: the One's storehouse is forever full and never runs low. Call it great, honor it, for it has no end and no edge anywhere.

Wonder is best aimed at the Giver, not only the gift.

The deeper layer

Second Mehl. The created gift (keetaa) versus the Creator and Giver (kartaa, daataa): the heart is turned past the gift to the Giver, who sustains all (sabhsai day aadhaar). The storehouse (bhandaar) is always full; the One has no limit (ant na paaraavaar).

A Question to Sit With

When you love a gift, do you ever remember to love the one who gave it?

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

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