Awe Is Where Devotion Begins

ਪਉੜੀ ॥

pa-orhee.

Pauree:

ਭੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਨਾਮਿ ਨ ਲਗੈ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥

bhai bin bhagat na hova-ee naam na lagai pi-aar.

Without the Fear of God, there is no devotional worship, and no love for the Naam, the Name of the Lord.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਭਉ ਊਪਜੈ ਭੈ ਭਾਇ ਰੰਗੁ ਸਵਾਰਿ ॥

satgur mili-ai bha-o oopjai bhai bhaa-ay rang savaar.

Meeting with the True Guru, the Fear of God wells up, and one is embellished with the Fear and the Love of God.

ਤਨੁ ਮਨੁ ਰਤਾ ਰੰਗ ਸਿਉ ਹਉਮੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਮਾਰਿ ॥

tan man rataa rang si-o ha-umai tarisnaa maar.

When the body and mind are imbued with the Lord's Love, egotism and desire are conquered and subdued.

ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਅਤਿ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਭੇਟਿਆ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ॥

man tan nirmal at sohnaa bhayti-aa krisan muraar.

The mind and body become immaculately pure and very beautiful, when one meets the Lord, the Destroyer of ego.

ਭਉ ਭਾਉ ਸਭੁ ਤਿਸ ਦਾ ਸੋ ਸਚੁ ਵਰਤੈ ਸੰਸਾਰਿ ॥੯॥

bha-o bhaa-o sabh tis daa so sach vartai sansaar. ||9||

Fear and love all belong to Him; He is the True Lord, permeating and pervading the Universe. ||9||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Without awe — a deep, respectful wonder — there is no devotion, and no love for the Naam.

Meeting the True Guru, that awe wells up, and you are made beautiful with the color of awe and love.

When body and mind are dyed in that love, ego and restless wanting quiet down.

Mind and body come clean and very beautiful, meeting the One, Krishna, the One who ends all pride.

Awe and love all belong to the One; the True One is present everywhere in the world.

Devotion begins with awe — and even that awe is a gift.

The deeper layer

bhau = awe and reverence, the seedbed of bhagti, not dread. krisan muraar = a name for the One (Krishna), kept as a divine name. bhau bhaa-o sabh tis daa = both the awe and the love belong to the One — even our devotion is grace received.

A Question to Sit With

What fills you with wonder, the kind that makes you go quiet?

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

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