Sikhism·Raag Sorath·Shabad 139
Verse 5 of 8

Deep Stillness — and Every Name Belongs to You

ਸੁੰਨ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਮਹਾ ਪਰਮਾਰਥੁ ਤੀਨਿ ਭਵਣ ਪਤਿ ਨਾਮੰ ॥
sunn samaaDh mahaa parmaarath teen bhavan pat naamaN.
The consciousness in deep Samaadhi, the Supreme Being, the Lord of the three worlds - these are Your Names, Lord.
ਮਸਤਕਿ ਲੇਖੁ ਜੀਆ ਜਗਿ ਜੋਨੀ ਸਿਰਿ ਸਿਰਿ ਲੇਖੁ ਸਹਾਮੰ ॥
mastak laykh jee-aa jag jonee sir sir laykh sahaamaN.
The creatures born into this world have their destiny inscribed upon their foreheads; they experience according to their destinies.
ਕਰਮ ਸੁਕਰਮ ਕਰਾਏ ਆਪੇ ਆਪੇ ਭਗਤਿ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਮੰ ॥
karam sukaram karaa-ay aapay aapay bhagat darirh-aam.
The Lord Himself causes them to do good and bad deeds; He Himself makes them steadfast in devotional worship.
ਮਨਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਜੂਠਿ ਲਹੈ ਭੈ ਮਾਨੰ ਆਪੇ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਅਗਾਮੰ ॥੫॥
man mukh jooth lahai bhai maanaN aapay gi-aan agaamaN. ||5||
The filth of their mind and mouth is washed off when they live in the Fear of God; the inaccessible Lord Himself blesses them with spiritual wisdom. ||5||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The deep silence of stillness, the highest reality, the One behind all the worlds, every one of these names is pointing at You.

Each life unfolds along its own path, carrying what it carries. And somehow it is You moving quietly through it all.

When I live in loving awe of You, the cloudiness clears from my heart and my words, and understanding I could never reach on my own arrives as a gift.

Every name people reach for is pointing at the same one Reality.
The deeper layer

sunn samaaDh — the void-stillness of deep absorption; teen bhavan pat — Lord of the three worlds; all these are naaman (Your Names). mastak laykh — destiny 'written on the forehead,' treated as each life's given path (karma), not a fatalistic sentence. karam sukaram karaa-ay aapay — the One even behind our doings, a strong non-dual line. joothh lahai bhai maanan — the not-clean washes off through reverent awe. bhai here is awe, not fear.

A Question to Sit With

What are some different names people use for the same big mystery?

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

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