ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ · ਅੰਗ ੯੧੮

O Divine, only that individual upon whom You bestow Your bounty can truly receive this gift of the divine bliss.

He alone receives (the divine joy) whom You choose to bless; what can the rest of these helpless, ever achieve on their own?

Some wander aimlessly in all directions, utterly lost in the maze of doubt and illusion, while others are beautifully transformed, anchored deeply in the love of the Divine Name.

By the exquisite mercy of the Sacred Word, their hearts are rendered perfectly pure—they who find sweet surrender in the absolute Will of the Divine.

Says Nanak: O Divine, he alone receives this supreme treasure, upon whom You graciously choose to bestow it.

Come, O beloved seekers of truth, let us unite to share the sacred discourse of the Divine—who was long believed to be unutterable.

For previously, the capacity to conceptualize the Divine had not been bestowed upon humanity. Seekers would lose themselves in the vastness of this infinite creation and the boundless potential of the Divine, concluding that He was entirely indescribable. However, the eternal Truth blessed Guru Nanak Dev Ji with this ultimate divine understanding, which he graciously shared with the world. The Divine has now unveiled His own mystery; thus, the Divine is no longer unutterable, inaccessible, or incomprehensible.

Let us tell the story of that Divine who is considered ineffable (whose identity has been revealed, though His ultimate potential remains beyond words), and through what means may we connect with Him so that we may understand that story?

Surrender body, mind, and wealth completely to the Divine; through obeying His Commandment, we connect with Him (and unlock the understanding of that story).

Completely submit to the Commander's Will, and sing the True Bani that praises that Divine (embodying it within your daily life and character).

Says the Third Nanak: Listen, O Saintly Sikhs (beloved of the Guru)! Discourse upon that story of the Divine which is deemed beyond description, but had been revealed in Sikhi.

O restless mind! The Divine is never realized through worldly cleverness or mental brilliance.

Through cleverness, no one has ever obtained that Lord; O my mind! Listen (carefully to this truth) and (enshrine it within your heart).

This worldly illusion is utterly captivating; by trapping individuals in doubt and delusion, it misleads them from the true destination of life.

This captivating illusion has been fashioned by the (Divine) Himself, who has embedded the seed of this attachment (as an intoxicating spell) inside the minds (keeping them completely absorbed in this cosmic play).

I am forever a sacrifice unto the Divine, who has made the attachment (of this Maya) seem so sweet (to the minds of beings, that they remain completely engrossed in this attachment until the time comes to exit the play).

Says the Third Nanak—O fickle mind! Through any mental brilliance or worldly cleverness (employed while entangled in this sweet illusion of Maya), no one has ever realized the Devine (so renounce your cleverness and submit to the Divine Will).

O beloved mind! Ever dwell upon the Eternal Truth.

This household (your relatives and business affairs) that you look upon—remember that when the final moment comes, none of this will accompany you.

Why bestow your devotion upon that which is fleeting and shall not accompany you in the end?

Commit yourself to no such actions (egoistic deeds of attachment and cunning) that will leave you burdened with remorse at the journey's end.

Actions executed in submission to the Divine Ordinance carry no regret, nor do they forge any karmic bonds, as they flow purely from the Will of the Divine. The Divine takes those upon Himself.

Heed the Counsel of the True Guru; it is this Word alone that shall walk with your soul until the very end.

Says Nanak: O beloved mind! Ever dwell upon the Eternal Truth.

He who was deemed Unfathomable and Incomprehensible (beyond the grasp of human senses); the ultimate limit of His boundless potential can never be found.

None has ever discovered the boundary of Your (boundless potential); You alone comprehend Your own Divine Self and the absolute magnitude of Your power.

Every creature is but an actor in Your divine play; how can a mere creation find words to capture Your infinite design?

The voice that speaks and the eye that observes throughout this creation is entirely Yours; You alone are the Architect who fashioned this world.

Says the Third Nanak—O Divine! You remain inaccessible (to those who have not yet received Your revelation), (yet) no creation can ever discover the absolute limit of Your boundless potential.

The divine beings, mortals, and meditating ascetics alike spent ages seeking that Amborsial Nectar (outwardly in wilderness, pilgrimages, or deep realms); however, that true Amrit is realized through the Divine alone.

That Ambrosial Nectar was received from the Divine when He bestowed His merciful gaze, weaving the Eternal Truth deep within the mind of the being.

All these living beings and creatures are created by You alone; (yet) only a rare few (submitting to Your Divine Ordinance) come to behold Your sacred vision.

The hunger for sensory tastes, worldly greed, and intellectual ego departed entirely, and the True Guru became boundlessly beloved to the heart.

Says the Third Nanak—The rare individual with whom the Almighty Himself is pleased (and showers grace) is the one who ultimately receives the Ambrosial Nectar from the Source.

The conduct of the enlightened seekers is wondrously unique, diverging completely from ordinary worldly behavior.

Uniquely distinct is the lifestyle of the dedicated ones, for they choose to travel a treacherous and difficult terrain against worldly temptations.

Abandoning sensory pleasures, worldly avarice, and intellectual pride, they transcend the hunger for material things and remain anchored in quiet humility, avoiding unnecessary speech.

Sharper than the razor's edge of a sword and narrower than a single strand of hair—upon this wondrously distinct path they must journey.

This signifies that the path is absolute and unyielding, leaving no room for temporary compromises or personal adjustments. The Truth must be upheld, even if it demands the ultimate sacrifice of one's own life.