Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Many millions are the fields of creation, the galaxies upon galaxies.
Many millions are the skies and the solar systems; many millions the divine forms He has worn. In so many ways He has unfolded Himself - expansion after expansion.
And forever and ever, He remains the One.
Countless forms pour out of Him - and pour back into Him. No one has found His limits. Nanak says: of Himself, and by Himself, the One exists.
Countless worlds pour out of the One and flow back into the One, and still He stays the One.
This is the outermost ring of the count. Khaanee ar khand are the kinds and fields of creation. Akaas barahmand are the skies and the galaxies. Even the avtaar, the divine forms people worship, are counted among the millions. They too are forms the Formless has worn. A hymn in Raag Aasaa makes the same point about the One behind all the gods.
Then comes the heartbeat of the verse: ka-ee baar pasri-o paasaar, "so many times He has spread out His spread." Countless forms come from God and merge back into God. Picture breathing. The universe is breathed out into many things and breathed back into One. And through every breath, sadaa sadaa ik aikankaar, "forever and ever, He is the One."
The last line reaches the deepest ground Gurbani names: aapay aap naanak parabh so-ay, "of Himself, and by Himself, God exists." This is Saibhang from the Mool Mantar, the opening lines of Japji: the One who exists by Himself. Nothing made Him. Nothing holds Him up. He does not rest on anything, because He is what everything rests on.
Everything comes from somewhere. What would it mean for there to be One that comes only from itself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI