Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One Lord is the Giver of all. He Himself bestows all blessings.
No one else has any say in this. He gives just as He pleases.
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs obtain Him. He Himself knows Himself.
This last part says the One is the only Giver, and gives freely.
Sabhnaa kaa daataa ayk hai: the One is the Giver of all. Aapay bakhas karay-i: the One gives every blessing. Kahnaa kichhoo na jaav-ee: no one else gets a say. No person, no group, no pile of good deeds can give orders about what is given. Jis bhaavai tis day-ay: the One gives just as the One pleases. It's like the sun. Nobody tells it who to shine on.
The last words are aapay jaanai so-ay: "the One alone knows the One." This is one of the deepest ideas in Gurbani. The One knows itself fully and is whole in itself. When we say we "know God," we are really being let in to share a little of the One's own knowing. Naanak gurmukh paa-ee-ai: those who face the Guru find the One.
What does it mean to you that the divine 'knows itself'? Does that change how you think about spiritual seeking — from finding something to joining something already happening?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI