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Sikhism·Sidh Gosht·Shabad 112
Verse 23 of 74

By the Flow We Come and Go

ਕਹਾ ਤੇ ਆਵੈ ਕਹਾ ਇਹੁ ਜਾਵੈ ਕਹਾ ਇਹੁ ਰਹੈ ਸਮਾਈ ॥
kahaa tay aavai kahaa ih jaavai kahaa ih rahai samaa-ee.
"Where did we come from? Where are we going? Where will we be absorbed?
ਏਸੁ ਸਬਦ ਕਉ ਜੋ ਅਰਥਾਵੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰ ਤਿਲੁ ਨ ਤਮਾਈ ॥
ays sabad ka-o jo arthaavai tis gur til na tamaa-ee.
One who reveals the meaning of this Shabad is the Guru, who has no greed at all.
ਕਿਉ ਤਤੈ ਅਵਿਗਤੈ ਪਾਵੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਲਗੈ ਪਿਆਰੋ ॥
ki-o tatai avigatai paavai gurmukh lagai pi-aaro.
How can one find the essence of the unmanifest reality? How does one become Gurmukh, and enshrine love for the Lord?
ਆਪੇ ਸੁਰਤਾ ਆਪੇ ਕਰਤਾ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਬੀਚਾਰੋ ॥
aapay surtaa aapay kartaa kaho naanak beechaaro.
He Himself is consciousness, He Himself is the Creator; share with us, Nanak, your wisdom."
ਹੁਕਮੇ ਆਵੈ ਹੁਕਮੇ ਜਾਵੈ ਹੁਕਮੇ ਰਹੈ ਸਮਾਈ ॥
hukmay aavai hukmay jaavai hukmay rahai samaa-ee.
By His Command we come, and by His Command we go; by His Command, we merge in absorption.
ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਸਾਚੁ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿ ਸਬਦੇ ਪਾਈ ॥੨੨॥
pooray gur tay saach kamaavai gat mit sabday paa-ee. ||22||
Through the Perfect Guru, live the Truth; through the Word of the Shabad, the state of dignity is attained. ||22||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

"Where do we come from? Where are we going? Where do we finally rest?

Whoever explains the meaning of this is the Guru, with not a trace of greed.

How do we reach the hidden heart of everything? How does one face the Guru and come to love the One?

The One is the awareness, and the One is the Maker. Share your wisdom with us, Nanak."

By the flow of existence we come, by it we go, and in it we merge.

Through the perfect Guru, live the Truth; through the Word, you reach a place of honor.

We come, go, and rest inside one great flow, and belonging to it is peace.
The deeper layer

We come, go, and rest inside one flow. Hukmay aavai hukmay jaavai hukmay rahai samaa-ee: by the Hukam, the flow of existence, we come and go and rest. It is not a hand pushing from outside but the one current we are already part of. The one to trust with such questions is the Guru who til na tamaa-ee, has not a trace of greed.

A Question to Sit With

Does it feel different to be carried by a river than to be pushed by a hand?

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

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