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Sikhism·Raag Saarang·Shabad 168
Verse 9 of 110

The Great Coming and Going

ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
mehlaa 1.
First Mehl:
ਜੁੜਿ ਜੁੜਿ ਵਿਛੁੜੇ ਵਿਛੁੜਿ ਜੁੜੇ ॥
jurh jurh vichhurhay vichhurh jurhay.
United, the united separate, and separated, they unite again.
ਜੀਵਿ ਜੀਵਿ ਮੁਏ ਮੁਏ ਜੀਵੇ ॥
jeev jeev mu-ay mu-ay jeevay.
Living, the living die, and dying, they live again.
ਕੇਤਿਆ ਕੇ ਬਾਪ ਕੇਤਿਆ ਕੇ ਬੇਟੇ ਕੇਤੇ ਗੁਰ ਚੇਲੇ ਹੂਏ ॥
kayti-aa kay baap kayti-aa kay baytay kaytay gur chaylay hoo-ay.
They become the fathers of many, and the sons of many; they become the gurus of many, and the disciples.
ਆਗੈ ਪਾਛੈ ਗਣਤ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਕਿਆ ਜਾਤੀ ਕਿਆ ਹੁਣਿ ਹੂਏ ॥
aagai paachhai ganat na aavai ki-aa jaatee ki-aa hun hoo-ay.
No account can be made of the future or the past; who knows what shall be, or what was?
ਸਭੁ ਕਰਣਾ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਕਰਿ ਲਿਖੀਐ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਕਰੇ ਕਰੇ ॥
sabh karnaa kirat kar likee-ai kar kar kartaa karay karay.
All the actions and events of the past are recorded; the Doer did, He does, and He will do.
ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਮਰੀਐ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਤਰੀਐ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ॥੨॥
manmukh maree-ai gurmukh taree-ai naanak nadree nadar karay. ||2||
The self-willed manmukh dies, while the Gurmukh is saved; O Nanak, the Gracious Lord bestows His Glance of Grace. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Things join together and then part; they part and then join again. The living pass on, and new life keeps arriving — the coming and going never stops.

Across time, beings have been parents to many and children of many, teachers to many and students of many. No one can count it all, forward or back — who can say what will be, or what already was? Every action leaves its mark and is woven into what unfolds. When you live only for your separate self, you stay caught in the turning. When you face the Guru, you are carried across. Nanak says: this happens through the glance of the Gracious One.

Everything comes and goes, but a glance of grace carries you across.
The deeper layer

First Mehl. The wheel of union and separation, of living and passing on. Roles cycle: parents and children, teachers and students. Actions are recorded (karnaa kirat, karma). The manmukh (self-facing) and gurmukh (Guru-facing) are ways of facing, and anyone can turn; the glance of grace (nadree nadar) is what carries one across.

A Question to Sit With

What is one action you took that quietly shaped what happened next?

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

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