Japji Sahib



By thinking and thinking, nothing happens, though I may think a thousand times. Deep in silence, nothing happens, though the string of longing plays. The hungry people stay hungry, with the weight of the world on their backs. You may be incredibly clever, but you can’t take it Home with you. How can I live the Truth? How can I cut through the net of lies? Walk in God's Will within and without. O Nanak! It's written in your Soul. || 1 ||

In God's Will all structures are formed, beyond words. In God’s Will all Souls are formed and become great. In God's Will we are high or low. In God's Will are pleasure and pain. In God's Will are loss and gain. God's Will is alive within us. No one is without it. O Nanak! When you understand God's Will, All thoughts of self depart. || 2 ||

Someone is singing of power, to whom does the power belong? Someone is singing of giving, knowing the sign in the song. Someone is singing of excellence, of wonder and beauty divine. Someone is singing of knowledge, through long and deep meditation. Someone is singing of bodies, created and turned to dust. Someone is singing of souls, given and taken away. Someone is singing that God seems to be far away. Someone is singing he sees God's face every day. There has been no lack of well-told tales. Millions and millions have talked and talked. The Giver gives, and the takers get tired. Through all the ages, the eaters eat. By the command of the One Commander the Path goes ever on. O Nanak! Blossom and live carefree. || 3 ||


God is Truth and True Justice, bestowed with Infinite Love. People plead "give me, give me!" The Giver of all keeps giving. What offering can I make to enter the kingdom of heaven? What words could come from my lips that I can make you love me? Meditate in the sweet hours before dawn on the Nam, deep and vast. Your karmas will all be covered and the door of freedom will open. O Nanak! Know this: A person of Truth contains the whole universe. || 4 ||


Unborn, unmade, Himself alone, the pure One. Serve that One, and gain glory in this world O Nanak! Sing of the treasure of excellence. Sing and listen, and let Love fill your mind. Pain will fly away, and peace will come home to your heart.

One with the Guru — merged in the Naad. One with the Guru — filled with all knowledge. One with the Guru — merged with the One. The Guru is the form of God that you can meditate on, imagine, and love. The Guru is the Divine mother, Maya. When I know it I can't say it, Words are useless. The Guru has given me one understanding: All souls are gifts of the One. May I never forget Him! || 5 ||


Pleasing God is the only ritual I do. Without inner experience all rituals mean nothing. How many created beings there are! I see them spread all around me. Without working hard, how can anyone get anything? If you hear just one of the Guru's lessons you will find the gems, jewels, and rubies in your mind. The Guru has given me one understanding: All souls are gifts of the One. May I never forget Him. || 6 ||


You may live through all the ages, or even ten times more. Everyone may know you; People may even follow you around. You may be well thought of and praised throughout the world. But if you don't see the unseen, then none of it matters at all. You'll live as a worm among worms and guilty people will place all their guilt on you. O Nanak! God gives goodness to those who have it and those who don't, but the person does not exist who can give any goodness to Him. || 7 ||


Listening… saints, heroes, masters. Listening… the earth, the power, the ethers. Listening… high and low realms, oceans of light. Listening… beyond time. O Nanak! God's lovers bloom forever. Listening destroys all pain and error. || 8 ||


Listening… men become gods. Listening… praise comes from the mouth of the most negative person. Listening… the way of yoga and the body's secrets. Listening… all holy books and scriptures. O Nanak! God's lovers bloom forever.. Listening destroys all pain and error. || 9 ||


Listening… Truth, patience, wisdom. Listening… bathing at all holy places. Listening…reading and reading gains honor. Listening…concentration comes easy. O Nanak! God's lovers bloom forever. Listening destroys all pain and error. || 10 ||


Listening… deep oceans of grace. Listening… kings, emperors, saints. Listening… blind ones find the Path. Listening… the unknown is known. O Nanak! God's lovers bloom forever. Listening destroys all pain and error. || 11 ||


If you merge with the God inside, your state of consciousness cannot be described. Anyone who tries will be sorry he tried. No writer can write it. No pen can list it. Even those who have sat and reflected have missed it. Such is the Nam. It makes you pure. If you let go and surrender, your mind becomes sure. || 12 ||


When you surrender, you tune in, become wise. When you surrender, you know all the universes and worlds. When you surrender, you gain dignity and grace. When you surrender, death cannot touch you. Such is the Nam. It makes you pure. If you let go and surrender, your mind becomes sure. || 13 ||
When you surrender, your path becomes clear. When you surrender, you go Home with honor. When you surrender, you are not of this world. When you surrender, you embrace the Dharma. Such is the Nam. It makes you pure. If you let go and surrender, your mind becomes sure. || 14 ||


When you surrender, your tenth gate opens. When you let go, your family is saved. When you let go, you cross over the ocean, taking the Guru's Sikhs by your side. O Nanak! When you surrender, you never wander this earth as a beggar again. Such is the Nam. It makes you pure. If you let go and surrender, your mind becomes sure. || 15 ||



The chosen are worthy. The chosen, supreme. The chosen are honored in the courts of kings. The chosen look beautiful in the kingdom of heaven. The chosen meditate focused on the Guru. If someone speaks from his deep meditation, he still cannot count all the acts of creation. Dharma is the support of the earth, born of compassion and kindness. It patiently holds the thread of creation together. Understand this and become a person of Truth. What a great load the Dharma sustains! There are worlds beyond worlds. What holds them each in their orbit? The names of the countless colors; the many sorts of creatures; they all flow like ink from an endlessly moving pen.
If someone could actually write all this down, can you imagine how much writing that would be? What divine music! What beautiful forms! What incredible gifts untold! One gesture, one word, and ten thousand rivers flow! How can I speak or reflect on this power? I cannot be a sacrifice even one time. I want to do only what pleases Thee. Formless... Peaceful... Divine... || 16 ||


Countless chant. Countless love. Countless do worship and create inner heat. Countless read books and recite the scriptures. Countless yogis live unattached… Countless devotees. Countless virtues. Countless knowledge and deep meditation. Countless people of Truth, and givers. Countless heroes who face steel without fear. Countless are silent, suspended on a string of longing. How can I speak or reflect on this power? I cannot be a sacrifice even one time. I want to do only what pleases Thee. Formless... Peaceful... Divine.... || 17 ||


Countless maniacs, horribly blind, countless thieves and countless sneaks. Countless killers, countless villains, countless despots, countless freaks. Countless traitors who turn and flee. Countless liars, lost in their lies. Countless wretches eating dirt. Countless slanderers spreading their hurt. Nanak, the lowly and humble one, speaks from his deep meditation; I cannot be a sacrifice even one time. I want to do only what pleases Thee. Formless... Peaceful... Divine... || 18 ||


Countless names, countless places, countless realms remote. Even to speak the word "countless" is really just a joke. In primal sounds are Nam and praise. In primal sounds are knowledge and song. In primal sounds are words spoken and written. In primal sounds is your destiny written. The One who writes is beyond all that. As God commands, so people get. As great as Creation, so great is Nam. Without it nothing could ever be done. How can I speak or reflect on this power? I cannot be a sacrifice even one time. I want to do only what pleases Thee. Formless... Peaceful... Divine... || 19 ||

When your hands, your feet and your body are dirty, take water and wash all the dust away. When your clothes become stained with urine, take soap and wash out the stain. When your mind becomes loaded with error and pain, then wash your mind clean with the love of the Name. Talking will never make you a saint. It's by the actions you do again and again that you create your own life and death. What you eat is what you sow. In God's will, O Nanak! We come and go. || 20 ||


By going to church, by acting good, by giving gifts, by sharing food, just a small seed of honor is won. Listen..., let go..., let love fill your mind; wash away all dirt of the inner kind. All virtues are Thine. I have none. Without inner virtue there's no real devotion. Hail to the primal Word! Creator! Beautiful Truth! Happy mind! What is the hour, what is the time? What is the day, the month, the season in which this whole cosmos appeared? If the wise men knew, it would be written in the scriptures. If the teachers knew, it would be written in their books. Even the yogis have puzzled looks. As the Creator creates, He understands when. How can I speak? How can I praise? How can I imagine? How can I know? O Nanak! Everyone talks, and talks, and talks, each more clever than the last. God is great! His hand is True. There's nothing anyone else can do. O Nanak! If you think you can do it all alone you'll never look bright in your One True Home. || 21 ||



There are thousands of worlds and underworlds both solid and etheric. Searching through them all, in the end will only make you tired. The Torah, the Bible and the Koran say that there are 18,000 worlds. But at the root of them all, there is only the One. If all this could be written and one were to try, while trying to write it, he surely would die. O Nanak! All say that God is great, but only He knows how great! || 22 ||


The praisers sing God's praises, but they have no power to hear. The rivers and streams flow into the ocean and lose themselves in its vastness. Even kings, who own oceans and mountains and treasure, are not equal to an ant, which forgets not its Maker. || 23 ||

There is no end of praising God; no end to what is said. No end of doing, no end of giving, No end of seeing, hearing and living. There is no end in sight. What mantra lies within God's mind? See the structure of the universe... There is no end in sight. See its endless expansion... There is no end in sight. Many wail in frustration, because there is no end in sight. No one can find the end. The more you try to tell, the more there is to say. God is high. The Nam is high. You must get that high to see. God knows how high He is, O Nanak! One glance can set you free. || 24 ||


There is so much Karma, you can't write it all down, but the great Giver has not one bit of greed. Not even as little as a sesame seed. Many soldier saints are begging. Many people are meditating. There are many unrighteous, broken wretches. Many take and take, and are never thankful. There are many fools. The eaters keep eating. Hunger and pain give so many a beating! But these too are Thy gifts. O, Giver of all! Liberation and slavery are also Thy gifts. No one else has any say about this. If anyone's foolish enough to speak, he will feel the effects of his folly. God gives... God knows... But only a few people speak of these things. The one whom He blesses to praise Him and love Him, O, Nanak, is king among kings! || 25 ||



Priceless Thy virtues. Priceless Thy dealings. Priceless Thy traders. Priceless Thy treasures. Priceless they come and priceless they go. Priceless the lovers, lost in Thy embrace. Priceless the Dharma. Priceless Thy court. Priceless Thy weights and priceless the weighers. Priceless Thy gifts. Priceless Thy signs. Priceless Thy actions. Priceless Thy orders. Priceless... priceless beyond speaking. Priceless... priceless beyond speaking. But speaking and speaking, many long to belong. They recite the scriptures from memory. They recite so many descriptions of Thee. Brahmas speak and Indras speak. Many Gopis and Krishnas speak. Shivas speak and siddhas speak. Many, many Buddhas speak. Demons speak and gods speak. Saints and Jains and servants speak. Many, many, many speak. And in the middle of speaking... they die and depart. And even if Thou created twice as many speakers, Thou art still beyond description. God is simply as great as He pleases. O Nanak! The True One knows! If anyone disagrees with this he's a fool, wherever he goes! || 26 ||



In what house, behind what door, who sit and remember the One? How many musicians play how many tunes? How many enchanting songs are sung? How many singers are singing? The winds, waters, and fire — vibrating, sing Thy praises. The king of the Dharma sings at the door. The angels of the conscious and unconscious minds, who write the records of our actions, sing, as the king of Dharma reflects on that record. Shivas, Brahmas, and Devis sing. Their beauty is beyond compare. Sings Indra seated on his throne, And all the boddhisattvas there. The siddhas sing in deep Samadhi. The saddhus sing in deep reflection. The patient, chaste, and true ones sing. The great and fearless warriors sing. The pundits and the ancient sages sing and sing through all the ages. The mind bewitching beauties sing on earth, in hells and heavens. Those of gem-like consciousness sing at all the holy places. The brave and mighty warriors sing. The soldiers sing along. The four wellsprings of life constantly sing Thy song. The planets, solar systems and galaxies sing as they rotate in their places. They sing of Thee, who please Thee, with shining, loving faces. So many others sing Thy song, who never cross my mind. O Nanak! How can I tell this tale? That One True God is always True — gracious, loving, kind. He is Now, and shall always be. He does not come and go. Creating the countless colors of all hues and sorts and kinds; great Master of illusions, made, and seen within His Mind. He does whatever pleases Him. No one tells Him what to do. He is the King! The King of kings, O Nanak! Live ever in His Will. || 27 ||


Wear the earrings of patience. Carry the begging bowl and wallet of humility, and smear the ashes of meditation on your body. Let your patchwork coat be remembrance of Death. Follow the path of purity, with the walking stick of faith. Let your sect be the family of man. Conquer your own mind and be victorious in the world. Hail! Hail! Hail! unto Him — Primal, Pure, and equal to none. There is no beginning and no end. Through all ages only the One. || 28 ||


Take your pleasure in wisdom. Make kindness your servant. In every heart plays one sound current. He is the Master, with mastery of all magic powers and wealth, and every pleasure. Both Union and loneliness come from Him… Your actions write your great destiny. Hail! Hail! Hail! unto Him. Primal, Pure, and equal to none. There is no beginning and no end. Through all ages only the One. || 29 ||


Out of the marriage of God and Maya three worthy students are born: the Generator, Organizer and Destroyer of all life and worldly forms. As He pleases, all things move according to His order. He sees it all, but none see Him, and all are filled with wonder. Hail! Hail! Hail! unto Him. Primal, Pure, and equal to none. There is no beginning and no end. Through all ages only the One. || 30 ||


Within the Light of every heart — One Soul, the house of treasure. Placed there once, and for all time - the Watcher and the Actor. O Nanak! The actions of Truth are True. Hail! Hail! Hail! unto Him. Primal, Pure, and equal to none. There is no beginning and no end. Through all ages only the One. || 31 ||



From one tongue there came thousands more, and millions came from them. Millions of tongues are turning and churning, repeating the One Lord's Name. On the Master's Path are many steps. Climb them, and come back Home. Even worms who hear of heavenly things are longing to come back Home. O Nanak! We get to come back Home only by the One God's Grace. But the liars all boast, "I did it myself!" || 32 ||



No power to be silent. No power to speak. No power to beg. No power to give. No power to die. No power to live. No power lies in worldly might. No power lies in earthly treasure. They only increase your mental chatter. No power to meditate or know the unknown. No power to leave this world and go Home. One Power. One Actor. One Doer. One Knower. O Nanak! No one is higher or lower. || 33 ||


Nights... days... weeks... seasons... winds… water and fire... all earthly regions... Here live souls of countless colors and names, for this planet earth is the Realm of Dharma, and here is where we reflect on our Karma. True is He, and True is His Court. There all are beautiful — perfect equals. Grace covers their Karmas. They see the sign. Even those whose fruits aren't yet ripe can see it. O Nanak! When you go Home you shall see it. || 34 ||


Such is life in the Realm of Dharma, but now let us speak of the Realm of Wisdom. So many waters, winds and fires! So many Krishnas! So many Shivas! So many Brahmas creating colors shapes and forms of countless kinds! So many planets, mountains and actions! So many ways to learn devotion! So many Indras, suns and moons! So many galaxies! So many places! So many souls of power and wisdom! So many goddesses! So many yogis! So many gods and demons and sages! So many jewels! So many oceans! So many sources and manners of speaking! So many kingdoms! So many kings! So many ways to tune in and to serve! O Nanak! So many things! || 35 ||



True Knowledge gains strength in the Realm of Wisdom, where there are so many joyful sounds and sights.. In the Realm of Realization the word is Beauty! To speak of this, no one has any might. So incredibly beautiful is this realm, that to speak of it just sounds trite. From here comes all power to listen and know. From here the saints come. To here the saints go. || 36 ||



In the Realm of Action the word is Power! Here are the warriors. Men of the hour! Full of God's strength! Completely fulfilled! And here are the cool and graceful ladies whose beauty is beyond compare. They live far beyond deception and death. Their minds full of God — aware! And here live God's lovers. Full of Light! Full of Joy! Full of His might! In the Realm of Truth lives the Formless One. He watches and blesses everyone. Planets... stars... galaxies spinning... Far beyond speech... No end... No beginning. Here all things are filled with Light! As His command comes forth, all things are born.
Reflecting deeply, He sees and rejoices! O Nanak! I can't describe it! || 37 ||



Working over the forge of self-control, the goldsmith of patience pounds the hammer of wisdom upon the anvil of deep understanding. With the bellows of awe and reverence, he fans the flames of his body's inner heat. In the crucible of love, he melts the golden nectar and mints the True Coin of the Word. This is the labor of those who've been blessed. O Nanak! The Giver of blessings has made them truly happy! || 38 ||
Air is the Guru... Water the Father... and Earth the great Mother of all. In the laps of the two nurses, Night and Day, The whole world lives in an endless play. We must judge the results of our own actions. By our actions we live near or far. Those who deeply know who they are, and have worked hard, can rejoice and go Home. O Nanak! Their faces shine with joy and they take many others along. || 1 ||

i think someone posted this before, and i'll say again what i said then.

this is a really weird translation.

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Sikh 80 ji

Do you have a link for this -- a source document. I would like to see where it comes from just as Jasleen ji would like to know. I have a hunch about this but would like to see a source document first.

Or is this the source?

If so I have an idea Jasleen why it is the way it is.

Thank you

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ਮਨ ਕਰਹਲਾ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥ man karehalaa gur govindh samaal O camel-like mind, dwell upon the Guru and the Lord of the Universe.

Hi aadji,
Yes, that you have stated is the source document. But one can Googl eout there should be no problem.
Could you kindly upload/post the translation[english] that is generally acceptable to you. Aman ji had also posted one translation that is also full of mistakes.
I think english translations are generally not as good as gurmukhi. BUt I get the point.

Sikh80 ji,

I did find the document as a pdf file through Google. There is some background to the translation. Which will take me time to reconstruct. Maybe later tonight. I think the background for this particular translation will clear up some of the clouds that hang over English translations in general. Gurmukhi is always better. In English translations, what sometimes may look like mistakes are not actually mistakes. The translator is trying to bring two languages into relationship so the central meaning is carried through. But translation is an art -- and an art that is changing with the philosophies of the times.

I have no problem with this translation. There are some advantages to the approach taken by Mukhtia and Gurusha Singh. My own preference in English translation is Sant Singh Khalsa but then there are those who find him unacceptable. Let me do some study and come back to this.

Then of course there are just plain old mistakes. Which I am making a collection of and then what to do with them I do not know.

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ਮਨ ਕਰਹਲਾ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥ man karehalaa gur govindh samaal O camel-like mind, dwell upon the Guru and the Lord of the Universe.

Back veer ji

I'll start first with this. The translation we are talking about comes from Espanola New Mexico, the home of Ashram Guru Ram Das and the headquarters of many 3HO based organizations (e.g., Sikhnet to name one).

The overall difficulty of doing a Gurmukhi to English translation is described by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa, a respected member of SPN , also living in Espanola New Mexico, and also a 3HO who has completed several translations of Gurbani. Here is what she says, and then I will go back to the original issue raised about Jap (u) ji. She talks about getting ready to translate Anand Sahib.

So to translate the Anand Sahib was a step more than simply text, subtext and spiritual experience. To translate the Anand Sahib was to attempt to understand those terms in the context of the map of reality the Guru was describing. The words: Anand, Bani, Guru, Shabad, Sach, Amrit, Naam, Har, Ananhat, and others. What did they mean – not in English equivalents – but in relationship with each other? What world, by playing together, where they describing? Because if you just look at English equivalents, you loose the way those words are working together and defining each other. And this was the problem translating the Anand Sahib. The map of reality created by the English language and the map of reality created by Gurbani are not the same map.

So what sources did I draw on to try to discover and understand this map?

• Dictionaries – incomplete, yes, but still they gave me an initial direction.
• Lectures by the Siri Singh Sahib
• Discussions with Dr. Balkar Singh
• One brief and beautiful meeting with the late Bhai Avtar Singh. Me, asking questions through his son, Bhai Kultar Singh, trying to bridge generations and cultures, languages and spiritual experience.
• As always, looking at it from the inside through meditation

Is the map complete? No. It’s just begun. But what’s important is that this translation of the Anand Sahib is not about translating a word of Gurmukhi into a word of English or even a line of Gurmukhi into a few lines of English. It’s an attempt to understand that underlying map of reality indicated by Gurbani and communicate it in proportional relationship through the English language.

Here is the entire essay.

Ek Ong Kaar ji has translated Anand Sahib -- An example of the first few lines. It is very different from other English translations.

There is a state of consciousness
Where every action
Reflects
The reality of the soul.

Oh mother -
This consciousness
Is with me now
For I have found
The Teacher of Truth
Whose wisdom awakens me
To my own Infinite Reality.

I have found
The Teacher of Truth
Whose wisdom takes me
From the darkness of my own
Ignorance and ego
To the light
Of my Inner Divinity.

Mukhia Singh Sahib Guruka Singh Khalsa are also part of the Espanola New Mexico 3HO community. Gurukha ji has done several translations of the daily Hukamanama for Sikhnet when Sukha Singh Akaali has had to travel. Gurukha ji will say at times "I don't know what is going to come out of my mouth" meaning that he too is looking for the glimmer or grasp of a divine map that will connect the original text of Gurbani onto the English language. This is how the naad fits in to their translation of Jap(u)ji "The Words of Siri Guru Granth Sahib. These Words are expressed in Naad Yoga, the Technology of the Sound Current. When we speak and sing the Words of the Gurus, we may experience the elevation of consciousness which the technology of Naad Yoga induces. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Gurbani

The last sentence in the paragraph is not consistent with Sikh understanding of Word or Shabad, in my opinion, for what it is worth.

There is always the question of what gets lost in translation. That never goes away. But sometimes "what gets lost" is not a mistake or inaccuracy. Aman ji's translation worked for me. I am always wondering -- what is Guruji getting at. Then I try to go back and understand the Gurmukhi in relation to the English words. An even bigger loss in translation, bigger than the meaning given to words, is the loss of the poetic form of the shabads. That is another reason to study a shabad in Gurmukhi and try to hear it. Sometimes the sound patterns are simply magical.

Please forgive me for talking on and on about this. Jasleen ji, it is your turn now. What is your reaction to all of this?

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ਮਨ ਕਰਹਲਾ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥ man karehalaa gur govindh samaal O camel-like mind, dwell upon the Guru and the Lord of the Universe.

i'm afraid i don't have anything insightful to say, except that the 3HO translation (and other attempts at "poetic" translation) *feels* weird to me.

i'd rather recite in the original language, and use translations for better understanding. so for me, the closest to "word for word" translations are what i'm looking for.

for people who recite in english, i guess the poetic translations make sense.

i suppose it's just personal preference.

FWIW, i have a poetic translation nitnem gutka done by a punjabi professor, and it seems weird to me too.

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response!

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ਮਨ ਕਰਹਲਾ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥ man karehalaa gur govindh samaal O camel-like mind, dwell upon the Guru and the Lord of the Universe.

Any translation from Gurmukhi to English is likely to fall short of that was originally intended to be conveyed due to lack of the exact words in English to express the concept of the words as contained in Gurmukhi or Punjabi Bani.It is a difficult task. I find it difficult sometime. My profession includes the translation of technical documents from one international language to English. Even though both languages are rich but one fails to find an exact match for the equivalent in the language.

Punjabi that is inscripted/contained in Granth sahib is not a prose. There is difficulty in converting the words to express the meaning.

1. Because there may not be exact word to express the concept [like Baley Baley!...How to put the feelings in the words of english......]

2. Because of the poetic nature of the text.

3. Because of excessive usage of metaphor.

4.Our limited knowledge of the scripture.

5. No one is a master of the dialect of the Granth sahib ji, hence the difficulty.

6. Words, in themselves , are not a perfect medium to transport the thoughts.

7. We do not know in the context of which Guru sahibs have authored particular lines. Things become difficult for us also who have a working knowledge of Gurmukhi.

Hope it satisfies.
Sorry for mistakes.


I have never read the Mool Mantra in English. Today I have read it and I could only smile.

I hope some professionals may do the job to translate the work of Dr, Sahib Singh ji., It should be fine.

Sikh80

I think you summed things up. The list covers the entire problem completely.

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ਮਨ ਕਰਹਲਾ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥ man karehalaa gur govindh samaal O camel-like mind, dwell upon the Guru and the Lord of the Universe.