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This pauri (stanza), revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib, is accompanied by three saloks. The first salok, comprising twelve lines, states that the entire creation and its parts are created by the eternal IkOankar (the Divine). All of creation is a manifestation of the eternal IkOankar. The second salok contains nine lines and reflects upon the greatness of IkOankar. In the third salok, comprising five lines, the world is described as the abode of IkOankar. IkOankar administers the creations according to the command of IkOankar. Only those on whom the One showers grace through Wisdom (Guru) can understand this mystery. This pauri reaffirms that the deeds of human beings are judged based on truth, and so, the meaningfulness of human existence lies solely in the practice of living truthfully.
m: 1.
vaḍī vaḍiāī vaḍā nāu.
vaḍī vaḍiāī sacu niāu.
vaḍī vaḍiāī nihcal thāu.
vaḍī vaḍiāī jāṇai ālāu.
vaḍī vaḍiāī bujhai sabhi bhāu.
vaḍī vaḍiāī puchi na dāti.
vaḍī vaḍiāī āpe āpi.
nānak kār na kathnī jāi.
kītā karṇā sarab rajāi.2.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
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Guru Nanak uses a cause and effect structure to illustrate why the glory, or praise of 1Force is so great. If we were to think about this idea in more recent contexts, we can point to historical persons that are widely regarded as great and worthy of praise, but when we talk about people like Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, or Malcolm X, there is very little that we can say about why they are great. People become personas very quickly with the passage of time, and the details of their greatness seem to get left behind.

Guru Nanak gives us the reasons for greatness: It is not the glory or praise itself that is great, but it is the 1Force Identity (the ways in which we identify with, connect to, and experience the One), or Nam, that is great. The stability is great. The justice is great. The greatness is rooted in 1Force, and it is through this that the One knows and understands every utterance and feeling of every created thing.The identity, virtues, character, and behavior of the One are all incredible and complete (and in comparison to the worldly rulers, we will not find all four of these things in their completeness). This is why the One is the Eternal Sovereign, as opposed to an earthly sovereign, subject to time. This Eternal Sovereign gives us gifts that we cannot even begin to understand or list out, because of the eternality of 1Force. The One does not consult us or anyone else before giving us these gifts — another example of the sovereignty of 1Force.

While the reasons for the greatness are elucidated, there is a clear acknowledgment that the greatness is so great that it is beyond our comprehension — the description cannot be exhausted. But despite our own lack of an ability to describe the process of creating and administering the world, we know that all that is and all that will be exists under 1Force’s Will and Order.
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