Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Wherever I look, I see the Lord pervading — in the union of consciousness and matter, in every thing that exists.
The three qualities hold the body in bondage — whoever comes into the world is subject to them.
Through the Guru's teaching, the soul escapes this bondage. The bonds are released. Not by force — by understanding.
This pauri contains a profound non-dual statement: Shiv shakti aap upaaey — the union of Shiva and Shakti (consciousness and creative energy) is where the Lord is seen. Guru Nanak does not reject other traditions' frameworks — he sees them as pointing at the same reality.
The three qualities (trai guṇ) bind the body to the cycle of coming and going — but the Guru's teaching liberates. The liberation is through understanding (vichar), not through the suppression of the qualities themselves.
Where do you most easily feel connected to something larger than yourself — in nature, in music, in quiet, in service? What is it about that?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI