[shabad] Saachaa Nirankaar Nij Thaa-ay

[Akaali]

isrIrwgu mhlw 1 ]

koit kotI myrI Awrjw pvxu pIAxu AipAwau ]

cMdu sUrju duie guPY n dyKw supnY saux n Qwau ]

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]1]

swcw inrMkwru inj Qwie ]

suix suix AwKxu AwKxw jy BwvY kry qmwie ]1] rhwau ]

kusw ktIAw vwr vwr pIsix pIsw pwie ]

AgI syqI jwlIAw Bsm syqI ril jwau ]

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]2]

pMKI hoie kY jy Bvw sY AsmwnI jwau ]

ndrI iksY n AwvaU nw ikCu pIAw n Kwau ]

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]3]

nwnk kwgd lK mxw piV piV kIcY Bwau ]

msU qoit n AwveI lyKix pauxu clwau ]

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]4]2]

sireeraag mehalaa 1 ||

kott kottee maeree aarajaa pavan peean apiaao ||

cha(n)dh sooraj dhue gufai n dhaekhaa supanai soun n thhaao ||

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||1||

saachaa nira(n)kaar nij thhaae ||

sun sun aakhan aakhanaa jae bhaavai karae thamaae ||1|| rehaao ||

kusaa katteeaa vaar vaar peesan peesaa paae ||

agee saethee jaaleeaa bhasam saethee ral jaao ||

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||2||

pa(n)khee hoe kai jae bhavaa sai asamaanee jaao ||

nadharee kisai n aavoo naa kishh peeaa n khaao ||

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||3||

naanak kaagadh lakh manaa parr parr keechai bhaao ||

masoo thott n aavee laekhan poun chalaao ||

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||4||2||

Siree Raag, First Mehla:

If I could live for millions and millions of years, and if the air was my food and drink,

and if I lived in a cave and never saw either the sun or the moon, and if I never slept, even in dreams

-even so, I could not estimate Your Value. How can I describe the Greatness of Your Name? ||1||

The True Lord, the Formless One, is Himself in His Own Place.

I have heard, over and over again, and so I tell the tale; as it pleases You, Lord, please instill within me the yearning for You. ||1||Pause||

If I was slashed and cut into pieces, over and over again, and put into the mill and ground into flour,

burnt by fire and mixed with ashes

-even then, I could not estimate Your Value. How can I describe the Greatness of Your Name? ||2||

If I was a bird, soaring and flying through hundreds of heavens,

and if I was invisible, neither eating nor drinking anything

-even so, I could not estimate Your Value. How can I describe the Greatness of Your Name? ||3||

O Nanak, if I had hundreds of thousands of stacks of paper, and if I were to read and recite and embrace love for the Lord,

and if ink were never to fail me, and if my pen were able to move like the wind

-even so, I could not estimate Your Value. How can I describe the Greatness of Your Name? ||4||2||

[Akaali]

isrIrwgu mhlw 1 ]

sireeraag mehalaa 1 ||

Sri Raga is one of the parent ragas from which other ragas have been derived. The word Sri means supreme or exalted and as such this raga powerful. - See [Ang 14 - Har Bin...]

koit kotI myrI Awrjw pvxu pIAxu AipAwau ]

kott kottee maeree aarajaa pavan peean apiaao ||

No-one can even begin to describe the feeling of Guru Nanak Sahib towards akaal purkh vaheguru, its something that must be felt and experienced. Here Gurujee is describing the modes of meditation and long penances as some sadhus use to do. He is saying If I could live for millions and millions (kott kottee) of years (aarjaa) and if pavan(air), peean(water) was my food and drink (apiaao). We even see that same example today.

"...he had been meditating for 10 months, during which his associates said he consumed no food or water..."

cMdu sUrju duie guPY n dyKw supnY saux n Qwau ]

cha(n)dh sooraj dhue gufai n dhaekhaa supanai soun n thhaao ||

Side Note: Meet Bassi Gulam, he lived 40 years in a remote cave in the high regions of the Himalayas. Wandering off to caves is not gurmat, Guru jee says, manjo door na jaye pira jeeo ghar baitheya har paaye. Back to the shabad, if I lived in a cave hence if I sit in samaadhi for a long period of time, and never see either the sun or the moon, and if I never slept even in dreams, and I get to such a high stage...

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]1]

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||1||

even so (bhee teree) I could not estimate Your Value (keemath naa pavai). And if you notice he ends with ho kaevadd aakhaa naao (how can I describe the Greatness of Your Name? ||1||) Even after such intense meditation and tapasyaa, and strict discipline and self-control I can't describe your greatness.

swcw inrMkwru inj Qwie ]

saachaa nira(n)kaar nij thhaae ||

saachaa(the true lord) nirankaar (in his own form) nij thaae(is himself in his own place), and is not found at only specific places, temples, caves, etc.

suix suix AwKxu AwKxw jy BwvY kry qmwie ]1] rhwau ]

sun sun aakhan aakhanaa jae bhaavai karae thamaae ||1|| rehaao ||

sun sun aakhan aakhaan (I have heard over and over again about him from people about his tale and how old he is and how he is, BUT), jae bhaavai karae thamaae (only if it pleases you, you instill the singing of your praises in the soul)

kusw ktIAw vwr vwr pIsix pIsw pwie ]

kusaa katteeaa vaar vaar peesan peesaa paae ||

If my body was tortured with intense meditation techniques (kusaa),

and was slashed and cut into pieces, over and over again (kattea vaar vaar), ...

and put into the mill and ground into flour...

...

AgI syqI jwlIAw Bsm syqI ril jwau ]

agee saethee jaaleeaa bhasam saethee ral jaao ||

and burnt by fire (agee saethee jaaleeaa), and get mixed with the ashes (bhasam saethee ral jaao)...

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]2]

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||2||

-even then, I could not estimate Your Value (bhee teree keemat naa paavai), how can I describe the Greatness of Your Name? (hao kevad aakhaa naao), there's so much power in that whole idea and imagery that guru sahib puts in us, like even after doing all that we can't even describe an iota of his character. It just shows the height of his greatness.

pMKI hoie kY jy Bvw sY AsmwnI jwau ]

pa(n)khee hoe kai jae bhavaa sai asamaanee jaao ||

If I was a bird soaring and flying through hundreds of heavens (asamaanee jaao), and could reach such a high place...

Jugee gyaan: The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) is a goose which breeds in Central Asia and migrates over the Himalayas to winter in the wetlands of Pakistan. It is believed to be the highest flying bird having been seen at up to 30,000 feet. It lays 3-8 eggs in a nest near mountain lakes.

ndrI iksY n AwvaU nw ikCu pIAw n Kwau ]

nadharee kisai n aavoo naa kishh peeaa n khaao ||

...and if I soared soooo high that I couldn't see anyone (nadaree kisai na aavo) and neither ate or drank anything (naa kish peeaa na khaao)

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]3]

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||3||

-even then, I could not estimate Your Value, how can I describe the Greatness of Your Name? Guru sahib is saying by going to any extent with your mind or body or even consciousness you CANNOT estimate his value or know his extent, no matter how hard you try.

nwnk kwgd lK mxw piV piV kIcY Bwau ]

naanak kaagadh lakh manaa parr parr keechai bhaao ||

O Nanak (he prabhu), whenever Guru Sahib says O' Nanak, he refers to akaal purkh himself, in punjabi translations it is 'he prabhu', O' dear lord, if I had hundreds of thousands of stacks of paper, that spoke of your greatness and your virtues and if I read them over and over again and contemplated, discussed them,...

msU qoit n AwveI lyKix pauxu clwau ]

masoo thott n aavee laekhan poun chalaao ||

and if ink were never to fail me(masoo thott n aavee), and if I were to make the wind my pen, and make it move just as fast...

BI qyrI kImiq nw pvY hau kyvfu AwKw nwau ]4]2]

bhee thaeree keemath naa pavai ho kaevadd aakhaa naao ||4||2||

-even so, I could not estimate Your Value. How can I describe the Greatness of Your Name?

[Akaali]

Bhaav (Summary): If for millions of years I sit in intense meditation and inflict torture and pain on my body, and attain the vision to the future and other miraculous powers, and if I could soar through the skies, into heavens, and solar systems, and beyond, and if I had unlimited supplies of ink and paper, and if I write your qualities, virtues on there even then I can't find the end to your greatness. You are limitless, in your own place, without any support, whosoever you bestow your grace upon, that soul sings your praises.

[Akaali]

Bhai Bakshish Singh jee