In this seventh stanza (
savaiya), Guru Arjan challenges our assumptions about where freedom comes from and who can attain it. He shows that even the greatest beings—those believed to have achieved all
—have not grasped
IkOankar (the One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). Guru Arjan references well-known figures from Indic culture, using familiar names to convey his message. He first mentions Brahma and Shiva, along with renowned sages and composers of divine hymns. Though they sing IkOankar’s virtues in search of the One’s limits, they do not grasp the One. Guru Arjan invokes Indra, the ruler of many deities; Gorakhnath, the founder of a major yogic order; and another revered sage. They, too, are searching and discovering; yet, as they seek IkOankar’s limits, they become ungrounded, adrift in the search. Guru Arjan continues: proven
Yogis, countless seekers, deities, and demons—all have not found the limits they seek. In essence, the well-trodden path of trying to understand IkOankar leads seekers astray. The mystery of IkOankar remains ungraspable, yet they keep searching in vain.
If connection cannot be found on these well-worn paths, then how is it attained? Guru Arjan is clear:
through love for the beloved Prabhu, and through sweet, devoted love, the devotees of Hari are absorbed in the glimpse of Hari. IkOankar’s virtues are brought forward here through two divine names:
Prabhu and
Hari, which portray IkOankar as the Sovereign, the fear-eliminating One, the all-pervasive One. With such vast virtues, the limits of the One cannot be found, for we ourselves are not vast enough to grasp them. Instead of striving to comprehend IkOankar’s limits, the path is that of love, praise, and devotion. Through loving devotion, devotees yearn for connection with IkOankar. If we forgo this opportunity and instead seek fulfillment through worldly things, Guru Arjan says our face, teeth, tongue—our entire body—wears out. The means by which we seek contentment aren’t made to withstand such strain. In the final line, IkOankar is described as the Bestower of comforts, and Guru Arjan urges the ignorant mind to remember and contemplate that One, for that is where ultimate freedom lies.
Rather than seeking the limits of the One, our path is to remain in love with IkOankar—to yearn for and occasionally glimpse the One. This is why Guru Arjan points to widely known cultural figures: to show that no matter who one is, whether earthly or celestial, heavenly or hellish, a great writer, spiritual music composer, or religious personality, the only way to approach IkOankar is through devotional love. The great beings mentioned, such as Brahma and Shiva, represent attempts to
fixate divine qualities, while the divine names invoked illustrate the One’s vastness. We may see certain people as holy because of their practices or supposed powers, but this is not devotional love, and it does not bring the longing that leads to IkOankar’s glimpse. Instead, they keep singing and searching, but never find the limits they seek. Guru Arjan guides us to the path of merging and being deeply in love, rather than seeking intellectual mastery.
Love for IkOankar, and the glimpse of IkOankar, keep us inspired, alive, and open to connection with the all-pervasive Sovereign. When we neglect this, the ways we seek fulfillment are quickly exhausted. Seeking ultimate fulfillment through transient things is futile—they cannot compare to what is found through loving devotion. Asking for fulfillment from these things is to pursue lesser means, which offer so little that we tire of asking. These are the distractions we fall into when we do not cultivate love within. Such a mind is ignorant, and we ought to address it—urging it toward remembrance, love, praise, and devotion. In this, we glimpse the One who is the Bestower of all, all-pervasive, sovereign, and masterful. Thus, connection with IkOankar is not reserved for the learned, skilled, or those deemed especially divine. It is available to everyone, as the capacity for devotional love exists in all.
Will we recognize and challenge common assumptions about spiritual discipline, remembering the singular importance of devotional love? Will we recognize and challenge the narratives about who is considered a spiritual being, regardless of any powers, skills, or titles they may have? Will we walk the true path of devotion, longing for and glimpsing IkOankar through our devotional love?
