Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
So many are His forms, so many His colors, so many the faces He wears - and He remains One.
In countless ways He has stretched Himself out; the Eternal is one single Maker.
His plays flicker past in an instant; His fullness fills every place. He built the creation along so many roads -
and only He can price what He is worth. Every heart is His; every place is His. I live by saying His Name, and saying it again.
This one says the One wears a million forms and is still only One.
The first verse of this song said the One has no form. This verse says the One has countless forms. Both are true at once. Naanaa roop naanaa jaa kay rang — so many forms, so many colors. And still, one.
The One did not break a promise by wearing a universe. The colors are the One's clothes, not the One's rivals. Think of an actor who plays a hundred roles and is still the same person. Sukhmani keeps coming back to this truth, like a jeweler turning one stone to see its sides. The twelfth and eleventh ashtapadees speak of it too.
Naanaa chalit karay khin maahi — the One plays out many plays in an instant. To us, history feels endless. To the Author, it is a flicker.
The last line is about Guru Arjan's own life. Jap jap jeevai naanak har naa-o — Nanak lives by repeating the Name. Not "lives, and also repeats it." Lives by it. Remembering is like breathing. Other verses say to remember with every breath. Here that teaching becomes a whole life story.
Look at how many different things exist - trees, people, stars, songs. What would it mean for all of them to be one thing dressed differently?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI