The Rahiras | Internet Sacred Text Archive

Sikhism

THE RAHIRAS[1]

SODAR[2]

GURU NANAK, RAG ASA

WHAT is that grate, what is that mansion where Thou, O God, sittest and watchest over all things?

How many various and countless instruments of Thine are played! How many Thy musicians,

How many Thy musical measures with their consorts, and how many singers sing Thee!

Wind, water, fire sing Thee; Dharmraj singeth at Thy gate;

The recording angels, who know how to write, and on whose record Dharmraj judgeth, sing Thee;

Ishar, Brahma, and Devi, ever beautiful as adorned by Thee, sing Thee;

Indar seated on his throne and the gods at Thy gate sing Thee;

Sidhs in meditation sing Thee; holy men in contemplation sing Thee;

The continent, the true, and the patient sing Thee; unyielding heroes sing Thee.

The Pandits and the supreme Rikhis, reading their Veds, sing Thee in every age.

The lovely celestial maids who beguile the heart in the upper, middle, and nether regions sing Thee.

[1. The Rahirâs is a collection of hymns by Guru Nanak, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, and Guru Arjan. It is recited by the Sikhs as divine service at sunset.

2 The following hymn is so called because in the original it thus begins.]

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The jewels created by Thee with the sixty-eight places of Hindu pilgrimage sing Thee.

Mighty warriors and heroes sing Thee; the four sources of life sing Thee.

The continents, the worlds, and the universe made and supported by Thy hands sing Thee.

O God, the saints who please Thee and who are imbued with Thy love sing Thee.

The many others who sing Thee I cannot remember; how could Nanak recount them?

That God is ever true, He is the true Lord, and the true Name.

He who made this world is, was, and shall be; he shall neither be born nor die.

He who created things of different colours, descriptions, and species,

Beholdeth His handiwork which attesteth His greatness.

He will do what pleaseth Himself; no order may be issued to Him to the contrary.

He is King, the King of kings, O Nanak; all remain subject to His will.

GURU NANAK, RAG ASA

As men have heard so all call Thee great;

But hath any one ever seen how great Thou art?

Thy worth cannot be estimated or described;

They who seek to describe it are absorbed in Thee

O my great Lord, deep and profound, brimful of excellences,

None knoweth the extent of Thine outline.

Though all meditative men were to meet and meditate upon Thee,

Though all appraisers were to meet and appraise Thee--

They who possess divine and spiritual wisdom, priests and high priests--

Yet they could not describe even a small portion of Thy greatness.

All truth, all fervour, all goodness,

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The excellences of perfect men,