If man should have thousands and hundreds of thousands of devices, even one would not assist him in obtaining God.

How shall man become true before God? How shall the veil of falsehood be rent?[1]

By walking, O Nanak, according to the will[2] of the Commander as preordained.

II

By His order bodies are produced; His order cannot be described.

By His order Souls[3] are infused into them; by His order greatness is obtained.

By His order men are high or low; by His order they obtain preordained pain or pleasure.

By His order some obtain their reward;[4] by His order others must ever wander in transmigration.

All are subject to His order; none is exempt from it.

He who understandeth God's order, O Nanak, is never guilty of egoism.[5]

III

Who can sing His power? Who hath power to sing it?[6]

Who can sing His gifts or know His signs?[7]

[1. Also translated--How shall the line of falsehood be broken?

2. Rajâi, the Arabic razâ, the divine pleasure.

3. In these two lines some suppose akâr to refer to the non-sentient, jiv to the sentient world.

4. That is, to be blended with God.

5. Literally-would not be guilty of saying haun main, i.e. I exist by myself independently of God. This is the sin of spiritual pride.

6. Also translated--Whoever has the power.

7. Also translated--He who knows his signs.]

{p. 197}

Who can sing His attributes, His greatness, and His deeds?[1]

Who can sing is knowledge whose study is arduous?

Who can sing Him, who fashioneth the body and again destroyeth it?

Who can sing Him, who taketh away life and again restoreth it?

Who can sing Him, who appeareth to be far, but is known to be near.

Who can sing Him, who is all-seeing and omnipresent?[2]

In describing Him there would never be an end.

Millions of men give millions upon millions of descriptions of Him, but they fail to describe Him.

The Giver giveth; the receiver groweth weary of receiving.

In every age man subsisteth by His bounty.

The Commander by His order hath laid out the way of the world.

Nanak, God the unconcerned is happy.

IV

True is the Lord, true is His name; it is uttered with endless love.[3]

People pray and beg, 'Give us, give us the Giver giveth His gifts;

Then what can we offer Him whereby His court may be seen?

What words shall we utter with our lips, on hearing which He. may love us?

At the ambrosial hour of morning meditate on the true Name and God's greatness.

[1. Châr is understood to be a contracted form of achâr. Some translate the word 'excellent,' and make it an epithet of wadiâi.

2. This and the preceding line of this pauri are also translated--

Some sing His power according to their abilities;