Sikhism·Raag Tilang·Shabad 9
Verse 3 of 4

Steady Remembrance Makes You Resemble What You Behold

ਜੋ ਦੀਸੈ ਸੋ ਤੇਰਾ ਰੂਪੁ ॥
jo deesai so tayraa roop.
Whatever is seen, is Your form,
ਗੁਣ ਨਿਧਾਨ ਗੋਵਿੰਦ ਅਨੂਪ ॥
gun niDhaan govind anoop.
O treasure of virtue, O Lord of the Universe, O Lord of incomparable beauty.
ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਜਨ ਸੋਇ ॥
simar simar simar jan so-ay.
Remembering, remembering, remembering the Lord in meditation, His humble servant becomes like Him.
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਰਮਿ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥
naanak karam paraapat ho-ay. ||3||
O Nanak, by His Grace, we obtain Him. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Whatever is seen is Your own form, treasure of goodness, Lord of matchless beauty.

Remembering and remembering the One, the servant becomes like the One. Nanak says: by grace, we reach it.

Whatever you look at is the One's own form — and steady remembrance slowly makes the rememberer resemble what it beholds.
The deeper layer

The verse states the raag's non-dual vision at its most beautiful: "whatever is seen is Your form." The whole visible world is the One's own shape — not a veil over the One, but the One's face turned toward us. And it holds the raag's boldest promise, guarded by grace: "remembering the Lord, His humble servant becomes like Him." We become what we behold; steady remembrance of the One slowly makes the rememberer resemble it. Attention is transformation.

A Question to Sit With

If you become a little like whatever you dwell on, what are you becoming? What would you want to dwell on?

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

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