agam agocarā terā antu na pāiā.
anto na pāiā kinai terā āpaṇā āpu tū jāṇahe.
jīa jant sabhi khelu terā kiā ko ākhi vakhāṇae.
ākhahi ta vekhahi sabhu tūhai jini jagatu upāiā.
kahai nānaku tū sadā agammu hai terā antu na pāiā.12.
-Guru Granth Sahib 918
This pauri is addressed to IkOankar (the Divine). It is stated that IkOankar is beyond the reach of the human mind and senses. No one has found the limits of IkOankar. Bliss does not lie in trying to find the limits of IkOankar; rather it is in surrendering to and living by the will of IkOankar.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the eleventh pauri, the eleventh step of the ladder, Guru Amardas revealed instruction to the beloved mind always to remember the truth. Truth is vast; truth is intangible. Moving on to the twelfth pauri, the twelfth step of the ladder, Guru Amardas says, How can the limited describe the unlimited form? O Unreachable! O Imperceivable! No one has found Your end. Guru Amardas lovingly addresses IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One) and submits that the mind cannot fathom the vastness of the One. The body cannot comprehend what it cannot experience. It is beyond the capabilities of the mind and body. How can the finite grasp the infinite? No one has succeeded in determining the limits of the One because of the immense expanse of the One. Only the One knows who the One is; only the One knows the One’s vastness. We question why. The answer: Because all beings, animals, and lifeforms are the One’s creation. How can those created by the One describe the One? What can they say? What can they see? The One sees and speaks to all, for the One is the creator of creation. No one can fully express the One. The One will always transcend the mind’s capabilities. No one can define One’s limits. Guru Amardas concludes this ladder step by saying; You are forever unreachable! No one has found Your end.
We reflect. Anand, the bliss, is a connection. To know Anand, to experience bliss, one need not know everything, for the One is far too immense. Our pursuit isn’t about comprehending all—such vastness is solely within the realm of the One. The quest for knowing everything is in vain, for authentic joy isn’t discovered in that endeavor. It’s akin to a river trying to define the entirety of the ocean or a stream attempting the same feat—the task is impossible. Only the ocean comprehends itself; the river can merely encounter the ocean’s expanse. The human mind, remarkable though it may be, has finite boundaries when grasping the intricate complexities of the universe, consciousness, and existence. Imagine using a single telescope to fathom the vastness of the cosmos—the countless stars, galaxies, and celestial wonders. No matter how advanced the tool or technology, it cannot encompass the entire universe. Likewise, no matter how refined, the human intellect cannot embrace the entirety of knowledge, wisdom, and reality. Only the artist knows their creation. People can appreciate, discuss, and describe it, yet they cannot define its essence. Their perspectives stem from their bodily, mental, and material capacities. However, the One who perceives, the One who communicates, only that One truly knows. After all, the One crafted this entire creation. Those who claim to understand and expound upon creation do so through their finite, microcosmic minds. Anand, the bliss, transcends our yearning for comprehensive knowledge of the One.
We may ask ourselves: Are we willing to acknowledge that the One transcends the faculties of our minds and bodies? Are we prepared to accept that genuine fulfillment and bliss are not found in attempting to encompass everything but in nurturing an open mindset that savors the beauty of discovery, the marvel of learning, and the vastness of the unknown? Can we embrace that the One alone comprehends the One’s own vastness? Can we value the experience of the One more than the comprehension of the One?
We reflect. Anand, the bliss, is a connection. To know Anand, to experience bliss, one need not know everything, for the One is far too immense. Our pursuit isn’t about comprehending all—such vastness is solely within the realm of the One. The quest for knowing everything is in vain, for authentic joy isn’t discovered in that endeavor. It’s akin to a river trying to define the entirety of the ocean or a stream attempting the same feat—the task is impossible. Only the ocean comprehends itself; the river can merely encounter the ocean’s expanse. The human mind, remarkable though it may be, has finite boundaries when grasping the intricate complexities of the universe, consciousness, and existence. Imagine using a single telescope to fathom the vastness of the cosmos—the countless stars, galaxies, and celestial wonders. No matter how advanced the tool or technology, it cannot encompass the entire universe. Likewise, no matter how refined, the human intellect cannot embrace the entirety of knowledge, wisdom, and reality. Only the artist knows their creation. People can appreciate, discuss, and describe it, yet they cannot define its essence. Their perspectives stem from their bodily, mental, and material capacities. However, the One who perceives, the One who communicates, only that One truly knows. After all, the One crafted this entire creation. Those who claim to understand and expound upon creation do so through their finite, microcosmic minds. Anand, the bliss, transcends our yearning for comprehensive knowledge of the One.
We may ask ourselves: Are we willing to acknowledge that the One transcends the faculties of our minds and bodies? Are we prepared to accept that genuine fulfillment and bliss are not found in attempting to encompass everything but in nurturing an open mindset that savors the beauty of discovery, the marvel of learning, and the vastness of the unknown? Can we embrace that the One alone comprehends the One’s own vastness? Can we value the experience of the One more than the comprehension of the One?
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