Hymns of Divine Grace

In every age, the Lord has raised up His devotees and has always protected His honor. He destroyed the wicked Harnakash and saved Prahlad. He turned His back on the arrogant and slanderous, but placed Namdev to His face. Servant Nanak says, one who serves the Lord in such a way is liberated in the end.

Pain is the medicine, and pleasure is the disease, for where there is pleasure, there is no desire for the Lord. You are the Creator, the Doer; I am nothing. When I try to do something, it does not happen.

I am a sacrifice to Your almighty creative power, which pervades everywhere. Your limit cannot be known.

Within the castes is the Light, and within the Light are the castes; You are pervading with Your power and might. You are the True Lord and Master, praised by all; one who praises You crosses over the world-ocean. Says Nanak, the Creator's affairs are such that whatever He has to do, He continues to do.

At the Gate of the Lord, in Rag Asa, First Mehl, the One Universal Creator God, by the Grace of the True Guru.

What is that Gate of Yours, and what is that House, where You sit and care for all? Your musical instruments and sounds are countless, and so are Your musicians. How many are Your ragas and melodies, sung by the fairies? How many are the singers who sing of You? The wind, water and fire sing of You; the Righteous Judge sings at Your Door. The recording angels, Chit and Gupt, who know and write, and who judge righteousness, sing of You.

Shiva, Brahma, and the Goddess, ever adorned and beautiful, sing of You. Indra, seated on His throne, sings of You with the deities at Your Door. The Siddhas in deep meditation sing of You; the holy men in contemplation sing of You. The celibates, the truthful, and the contented sing of You; the fearless warriors sing of You. The Pandits, the religious scholars who recite the Vedas, with the four Vedas, sing of You through the ages.

The enchanting beauties who captivate the mind sing of You; the heavens, the earth, and the netherworlds sing of You. The jewels created by You, and the sixty-eight holy places of pilgrimage, sing of You. The mighty warriors and great heroes sing of You; the four sources of creation sing of You. The planets, solar systems, and universes, created and sustained by You, sing of You.

Those who please You sing of You; Your devotees, imbued with Your love, are the sweetest. There are many others who sing of You, but I cannot recall them all; what can Nanak say about them?

That Lord, the True Master, is forever the same, the same; His Name is True. He is, and shall always be; He shall not pass away. He created the creation.

He created Maya in so many colors and forms, with so many species. He creates, and beholds His creation; such is His greatness. Whatever pleases Him, He does; no one can issue any order to Him. He is the King, the King of kings, the Lord of kings. Nanak, to live by His Will, is to live in peace.

Everyone calls You great. But how great are You? Only You can be seen. Your value cannot be estimated, nor can it be described. Those who describe You are absorbed in You.

Great is my Lord and Master, deep and profound, full of virtues. No one knows how great and vast You are.

All the intellects, when they unite, can only create one intellect. All the estimates, when they unite, can only arrive at one estimate. The spiritual teachers, the meditators, and the gurus of gurus cannot describe even an iota of Your greatness.

All truths, all austerities, all good deeds, and the greatness of the Siddhas and spiritual masters— none of these can be attained without You. They are obtained only by Your grace; they cannot be held back.

What can the poor speaker do? Your stores of praise are overflowing. One to whom You give, what can he do? Nanak, the Lord is the True Embracer of all.

By chanting Your Name, I live; when I forget You, I die. It is difficult to chant Your True Name. If I feel hunger for the True Name, that hunger consumes all my pains.

So why should I forget You, O my mother? The True Lord and Master, with His True Name.

The True Name is a grain of greatness. All who have tried to describe it have grown weary and cannot find its value. Even if all gathered together and tried to describe it, the Lord is not increased or decreased.

He does not die, nor is there any sorrow for Him. He keeps giving, and His gifts never cease. This is His virtue; there is no other. He never was, nor ever will be, any other.

As great as You are Yourself, so great is Your gift. You created the day and then the night. Those who forget their Lord and Master are low-born. Without the Name, Nanak, they are outcasts.

O humble servant of the Lord, O True Guru, O Holy Being, I make this prayer to the Guru. I am a mere worm, an insect; I seek the sanctuary of the True Guru. Grant me Your grace, and reveal the Lord's Name to me.

O my friend, my divine Guru, reveal the Lord's Name to me. Through the Guru's teachings, the Name is my life's companion; the Kirtan of the Lord is my sustenance.

The humble servants of the Lord have great and glorious destiny; they have faith and thirst for the Lord. When they obtain the Lord's Name, they are satisfied; joining the holy congregation, their virtues shine forth.

Those who do not obtain the taste of the Lord's Name are unfortunate and fall into the power of Death. Those who do not come to the sanctuary of the True Guru and the holy congregation— cursed is their life, and cursed is their living.

Those who obtain the company of the holy servant of the Lord, the True Guru, have such destiny written on their foreheads from the very beginning. Blessed, blessed is the holy congregation, where the Lord's essence is obtained. Joining them, servant Nanak, the Name is revealed.

Why, O mind, do you worry and fret, when the Dear Lord Himself is your Provider? He created the creatures in rocks and stones, and He placed their sustenance before them.

O my Lord, meeting the holy congregation, one is saved. By Guru's grace, one obtains the supreme status; the dry wood becomes green again.

Mother, father, people, sons, and spouses— no one belongs to anyone. The Lord provides sustenance to each and every being; why, O mind, do you fear?

The bird flies hundreds of miles away, leaving its young behind. Who feeds them, who provides them with food? Meditate on the Lord in your mind.

All the nine treasures and the eighteen supernatural powers are held in the palm of the Lord's hand. Servant Nanak is a sacrifice, a sacrifice, forever a sacrifice to You; Your limits cannot be known.

Rag Asa, Fourth Mehl, So Purakh, One Universal Creator God, by the Grace of the True Guru.

That Being, the Immaculate Lord, the Immaculate Divine Being, is inaccessible, unfathomable, and infinite. All meditate on You, all meditate on You, O True Creator Lord. All beings are Yours; You are the Giver of all souls. Meditate on the Lord, O saints; He is the dispeller of all sorrows. The Lord Himself is the Master, and the Lord Himself is the servant; what is poor Nanak, a mere being?

You are within each and every heart, pervading all; the One Divine Being is permeating all. Some are givers, some are beggars; all are Your wondrous plays. You Yourself are the Giver, and You Yourself are the Enjoyer; I know no other besides You. You are the Supreme Lord, infinite and endless; what virtues of Yours can I describe and proclaim? Those who serve You, those who serve You— servant Nanak is a sacrifice to them.

Those who meditate on the Lord, those who meditate on You, O Lord, are at peace throughout the ages. They are liberated, they are liberated, who meditate on the Lord; the noose of Death is cut away from them. Those who meditate on the Fearless Lord, the Fearless Lord, are rid of all fear. Those who serve my Lord, who serve my Lord, are absorbed into the Lord's form. Blessed, blessed are those who meditate on the Lord; servant Nanak is a sacrifice to them.

Your devotion, Your devotion is the treasure; it is infinitely overflowing. Your devotees, Your devotees praise You, O Lord, in countless, endless ways. They perform countless, countless forms of worship, O Lord; they perform austerities and chant endlessly. They study countless, countless scriptures and Shaastras; they perform the six ritual actions. Those devotees, those devotees are good, O servant Nanak, who are pleasing to my Lord God.

You are the Primal Being, the Infinite Creator; there is no other equal to You. You are the same through all ages, forever and ever the same; You are the Unchanging Creator. Whatever pleases You, that happens; You Yourself do whatever happens. You Yourself created the entire universe; You Yourself will destroy it and absorb it back into Yourself. Servant Nanak sings the glories of the Creator, who knows all.

You are the True Creator, my Lord and Master. Whatever pleases You, that alone happens; whatever You give, that I receive.

All are Yours; You are meditated upon by all. One whom You bless with grace obtains the jewel of the Name. The Gurmukh obtains it, while the self-willed manmukh loses it. You Yourself separate, and You Yourself unite.

You are the river of life; all are within You. There is no other besides You. All beings and creatures are Your play. They meet and separate, and by Your will, they are united again.

One whom You cause to know, that person knows You. He forever speaks of the Lord's virtues. One who serves the Lord obtains peace, and is spontaneously absorbed in the Lord's Name.

You Yourself are the Creator; all that is done is by You. There is no other besides You. You create, and behold Your creation; You know it all. Servant Nanak, the Gurmukh, realizes and sees the Lord manifested.

In that lake, they built their homes; they made fire and water their elements. The lotus of worldly attachment blooms; their feet do not move. I see them drowning there.

O mind, you foolish mind, you do not remember the One Lord. Forgetting the Lord, your virtues decay.

I am not a celibate, a truthful one, or a scholar; I am a foolish, ignorant fool, and this life has been wasted. Prays Nanak, I seek the sanctuary of those who have never forgotten You.

This human body has been given to you as an opportunity— this is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe. Other works are of no use to you. So join the company of the holy, and meditate on the Lord's Name alone.

Prepare yourself to cross the terrifying world-ocean. Your life is being wasted in the love of Maya.

I have not practiced chanting, austerity, self-discipline, or righteousness. I have not served the holy ones, O Lord King. Says Nanak, I am of lowly actions. I seek Your sanctuary; please preserve my honor.

Grant me Your protection, O Lord, and fulfill the desires of my heart. Let my mind remain attached to Your feet. Treat me as Your own, and nurture me.

Destroy all my enemies, O Lord. Take me by the hand and save me. Let my family live in peace, and all my servants and disciples, O Creator Lord.

Grant me Your protection with Your own hand. Destroy all my enemies today. Fulfill my hopes, and let my thirst for Your devotional worship remain.

Forsaking You, I will not meditate on any other. Whatever blessings I seek, I obtain from You. Save my servants and disciples, and destroy my enemies one by one.

Take me by the hand and save me. Remove the fear of death. Always be my support. O Sri Asidhuja, grant me protection.

Save me, O Savior Lord. O Lord and Master, be my loving support. O Friend of the poor, Destroyer of enemies, You are the Lord of the fourteen worlds.

By the power of Time, Brahma was embodied. By the power of Time, Shiva incarnated. By the power of Time, Vishnu was manifested. All the play of Time is performed.

By that Time, the yogi Shiva was made; by that Time, the Vedic king Brahma was made. By that Time, all the worlds were created. Unto that Time, I bow.

By that Time, the entire universe was created; gods, demons, and yakshas were produced. From beginning to end, one Avatara — consider that as my Guru.

My salutation is to Him alone, who Himself created all the people. He gave the virtues and peace to His servants, and destroyed the enemies in an instant.

He knows the inner secrets of each and every heart. He recognizes the pain of the good and the evil. From the ant to the elephant, all are blessed by His graceful glance.

He is grieved by the pain of the saints, and happy at the happiness of the holy. He recognizes the pain of each one, and knows the secrets of every heart.

When You create, O Creator, the people receive bodies in abundance. When You withdraw, all bodies merge back into You.

As many faces as the creation bears, each one speaks according to its own understanding. You are distinct from all; the Vedas, scriptures, and the learned know Your mystery.

Formless, without defect, without attachment; the Primal, the Unfathomable, the Beginningless, the Unborn. The fool tries to describe His mystery, but even the Vedas cannot find His secret.

Those who consider Him as stone are great fools; they do not know His mystery. They call Shiva the eternal Lord, but they do not understand the secret of the Formless One.

As many intellects as there are, they describe You in so many different ways. Your expanse cannot be known. How did You create the universe in the beginning?

One form, incomparably beautiful; He becomes the beggar and the king. He created the egg-born, womb-born, and sweat-born, and then the earth-born species.

Sometimes He expands and becomes a king; sometimes He contracts and becomes a mere ascetic. He shows the entire creation, wonderful and amazing. He is the Primal, the Primordial Being, the Self-Existent.

Now, please protect me. Save Your Sikhs and destroy the wicked. All the evil-doers who create disturbances— destroy all the mlechhas in battle.

Those who come to Your sanctuary, O Asidhuja, their enemies die in pain. The person who places his feet at Your feet— You remove all his troubles.

Whoever meditates on You even once in the Kali Yuga— death does not approach him. He is protected from all calamities, and evil omens are averted instantly.

On whom You cast Your glance of grace, his pains are removed in an instant. All riches and spiritual powers come to his home, and no enemy can cast an evil shadow on him.

Those who remember You even once are saved from the noose of death. The person who utters Your Name is freed from poverty, enemies, and sins.

O Khadgketu, I seek Your sanctuary. Take me by the hand and save me. Be my support in all places, and save me from enemies and sins.

Since I have grasped Your feet, no one has been able to look me in the eye. The Ram, the Rahim, the Puranas, the Quran— they say many things, but I do not accept any other. The Smritis, Shaastras, and Vedas all speak of many mysteries, but I know only one. O Sri Asipani, by Your grace, I have not spoken; all this has been spoken by You.

Abandoning all other doors, I have grasped Your door. This is the honor of holding Your arm, O Gobind, Your servant.

Bliss has come, O my mother, for I have found the True Guru.

I have found the True Guru, with intuitive ease; my mind vibrates with joy.

The jewels of ragas, along with their families, have come to sing the Word of the Shabad.

Sing the Shabad of the Lord, which has enshrined itself in the mind.

Says Nanak, bliss has come, for I have found the True Guru.

O my mind, remain always with the Lord. Remain with the Lord, O my mind, and all sorrows will be forgotten. He will accept you as His own, and all your affairs will be resolved. The Lord Master is all-powerful; why should you forget Him from your mind? Says Nanak, O my mind, remain always with the Lord.

O True Lord and Master, what is not in Your home? Everything is in Your home; only those receive it, whom You give to. Forever praise and glorify the Lord; let the Name dwell in your mind. Those in whose minds the Name abides, the many sounds of the Shabad resound. Says Nanak, O True Lord and Master, what is not in Your home?

The True Name is my only support. The True Name is my support; it has eradicated all my hunger.

Peace and comfort have come to abide in my mind; it has fulfilled all my desires.

I am forever a sacrifice to the Guru, who gave me these great gifts.

Says Nanak, listen, O saints, love the Shabad. The True Name is my only support.

The five primal sounds resound in that blessed home. In that blessed home, the Shabad resounds; the Lord has infused His power there. The five demons are subdued, and the tormentor Death is slain. Those who have such pre-ordained destiny are attached to the Lord's Name. Says Nanak, there is peace in that home, and the unstruck sound resounds.

Listen to the song of bliss, O fortunate ones; all your desires shall be fulfilled.

The Supreme Lord God has been found; all your anxieties are over.

Sorrows, diseases, and afflictions are gone, hearing the True Bani.

The saints and friends are in ecstasy, knowing the Perfect Guru.

Those who hear it are purified, and those who speak it are sanctified; the True Guru is pervading everywhere.

Prays Nanak, grasping the Guru's feet, the unstruck sound of the trumpet resounds.

In the plate are placed three things: truth, contentment, and contemplation.

The Ambrosial Name of the Lord is also placed there, which is the support of all.

One who eats and enjoys it is liberated. This treasure cannot be forsaken; keep it enshrined in your heart forever.

The dark world-ocean is crossed by grasping the Lord's feet. Nanak, all is the manifestation of God.

I do not know the value of Your creation; You have made me worthy. I am worthless; I have no virtue at all. You Yourself have taken pity on me. By Your mercy and kindness, I have met the True Guru, my Friend. Nanak, when I obtain the Naam, I live; my body and mind become green and fresh.

You are the Almighty, where there is no one else.

There, You protected me in the fire of the womb.

Hearing Your Name, the messengers of Death retreat.

The terrible, unfathomable world-ocean is crossed through the Word of the Guru's Shabad.

Those who feel thirst drink in the Ambrosial Nectar.

In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, this is the only act of virtue— to sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the Universe.

You are merciful to all; You watch over each and every breath.

No one who comes to You goes away empty-handed.

Within, worship the Guru; with the tongue, chant the Guru's Name.

With the eyes, behold the True Guru; with the ears, listen to the Guru's Name.

Those who are attuned to the True Guru obtain a place in the Court of the Lord.

Says Nanak, He showers His grace on whom He wishes; such a person is given this gift.

They are distinguished as the most excellent in the world; very rare are such beings.

The Lord Himself is the Protector; He has saved me.

He placed me at the feet of the Guru, and resolved my affairs.

He became merciful; He did not forget me. In the company of the holy, I have crossed the terrifying world-ocean.

The slanderers and wicked enemies were destroyed in an instant.

Nanak, the mind is held steady by the support of the Lord Master.

Remembering Him in meditation, peace comes, and all pains depart.