Then was not day, or night, or moon, or sun; God was meditating on the void.

Then were not the mines of production, or voices, or wind, or water;

Neither creation nor destruction, nor coming nor going,

Then were not continents, or hells, or seven seas, or rivers, or flowing streams;

Nor was there paradise, or a tortoise,[2] or nether regions

Or the hell or heaven of the Muhammadans, or the destroyer Death;

Or the hell or heaven of the Hindus, or birth, or death nor did any one come or go.

Then was no Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiv:

No one existed but the One God.

Then was no female, or male, or caste, or birth nor did any one feel pain or pleasure.

There was no Jati, Sati,[3] or dweller in the forest

There was no Sidh, or Striver, or dweller at ease:

No Jogi, or Jangam, or religious garb; nor did any one call himself a Nath;[4]

No devotion, penance, austerity, fasting, or worship

Nor did any one speak or tell of duality.[5]

God Himself having created was pleased, and valued what He had done.

There was no purification, or self-restraint, or necklace of sweet basil;

There was no milkmaid, or Krishan, or cow. or herdsman;

[1. Arbad is here understood to be for arambh. Arbud in Sanskrit means a number of one hundred millions, so arbad narbad may also mean--for countless years.

2. Which some Hindus believe supports the earth.

3. Sati means a faithful wife, especially one who cremates herself with her deceased husband.

4. A superior of Jogis.

5. Dwait, duality. in the Sikh writings means the worship of other than God.]

{p. 166}

No incantations or spells, no hypocrisy, nor did any one play on the flute.[1]

There were no acts attaching to the soul, or religion, or the gadfly of mammon.

No one saw caste or birth with his eyes.

There was not the net of pride, nor was death written on man's brow, nor did man meditate on aught created.[2]

There was no slander, no seed, no soul, no life.

There was no Gorakh or Machhindar.[3]

Nor was there divine knowledge, or meditation, or nobility; nor did any one have conceit of himself.

There was no caste or religious garb, no Brahman or Khatri;

No demigod, no temple, no cow, no gayatri,[4]

No hom, no sacred feasts, no places of pilgrimage to bathe in, nor did any one perform worship.

There was no Mulla or any Qazi;

No Shaikh, no Disciple, no Haji;[5]

No subject or king; nor was pride in the world, nor did any one give himself a great name.

here was no love, no service, no Shiv, or energy of his;[6]

No friend, no helper, no seed, no blood.[7]

God Himself was the merchant, Himself the dealer--such was the will of the True One--

[1. One of Krishan's youthful accomplishments.