Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji · Dasam Bani · Kabitt
Akal Ustat: know all humanity as one
Akal Ustat, 'praise of the Timeless One', stands in the Dasam Granth and is attributed to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Its language is Braj, written in Gurmukhi. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism dates the opening to 1684 and the rest to 1691. It reports a note in the text saying that the first four lines are copied from Guru Ji's own hand. These two stanzas are verses 85 and 86, in the kabitt metre, and they are among its most quoted.
Sikh tradition holds Guru Ji to be the author of this composition, and part of Akal Ustat is recited daily in Nitnem. The wider Dasam Granth has an open authorship debate. One view gives the whole collection to Guru Ji, another to poets of his court, and a third divides it between them. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism says the authorship of some writings in it is questioned. Wikipedia's survey of the debate does not single out Akal Ustat for dispute, and reports that the question has not been settled. Sources also differ on the dates of the earliest compilations.
The passage names the religious divisions of its time and sets one humanity and one God against them.
- 1ਕੋਊ ਭਇਓ ਮੁੰਡੀਆ ਸੰਨਿਆਸੀ ਕੋਊ ਜੋਗੀ ਭਇਓ ਕੋਊ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਚਾਰੀ ਕੋਊ ਜਤੀ ਅਨੁਮਾਨਬੋ ॥kouoo bhio munddeeaa sanniaasee kouoo jogee bhio kouoo brahamachaaree kouoo jatee anumaanabo
One becomes a shaven monk, one a sannyasi, another a yogi, one takes a vow of celibacy, another is counted an ascetic.
- 2ਹਿੰਦੂ ਤੁਰਕ ਕੋਊ ਰਾਫਜੀ ਇਮਾਮ ਸਾਫੀ ਮਾਨਸ ਕੀ ਜਾਤਿ ਸਬੈ ਏਕੈ ਪਹਿਚਾਨਬੋ ॥hindhoo turak kouoo raafajee imaam saafee maanas kee jaat sabai ekai pahichaanabo
Hindu, Muslim, Shia, Sunni: know that the whole human race is one.
Note. 'Turak' is a Muslim. 'Rafzi' and 'imam shafi' name Shia and Sunni, as BaniDB's English has it. 'Jat' here means kind or class of being, and the same word can mean caste.
- 3ਕਰਤਾ ਕਰੀਮ ਸੋਈ ਰਾਜਕ ਰਹੀਮ ਓਈ ਦੂਸਰੋ ਨ ਭੇਦ ਕੋਈ ਭੂਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਮਾਨਬੋ ॥karataa kareem soiee raajak raheem oiee dhoosaro na bhedh koiee bhool bhram maanabo
The Creator and the Merciful are one, the Sustainer and the Compassionate are one. Take no other difference to be real, for it is error and illusion.
Note. 'Karim', 'Razak' and 'Rahim' are Arabic names of God used by Muslims, and they are set beside 'Karta', the Creator.
- 4ਏਕ ਹੀ ਕੀ ਸੇਵ ਸਭ ਹੀ ਕੋ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਏਕ ਏਕ ਹੀ ਸਰੂਪ ਸਬੈ ਏਕੈ ਜੋਤ ਜਾਨਬੋ ॥੧੫॥੮੫॥ek hee kee sev sabh hee ko gurdhev ek ek hee saroop sabai ekai jot jaanabo
Serve the One alone, the one Divine Guru of all. Know all as one form, and see one light in all.
- 5ਦੇਹਰਾ ਮਸੀਤ ਸੋਈ ਪੂਜਾ ਔ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਓਈ ਮਾਨਸ ਸਬੈ ਏਕ ਪੈ ਅਨੇਕ ਕੋ ਭ੍ਰਮਾਉ ਹੈ ॥dheharaa maseet soiee poojaa aau nivaaj oiee maanas sabai ek pai anek ko bhramaau hai
A temple and a mosque are the same, and so are puja and namaz. All people are one, and the appearance of many is a mistake.
- 6ਦੇਵਤਾ ਅਦੇਵ ਜੱਛ ਗੰਧ੍ਰਬ ਤੁਰਕ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨਿਆਰੇ ਨਿਆਰੇ ਦੇਸਨ ਕੇ ਭੇਸ ਕੋ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਉ ਹੈ ॥dhevataa adhev ja'chh gandhrab turak hindhoo niaare niaare dhesan ke bhes ko prabhaau hai
What sets apart gods and demons, yakshas and gandharvas, Muslims and Hindus is only the dress each land wears.
Note. Yakshas and gandharvas are celestial beings of Indian tradition.
- 7ਏਕੈ ਨੈਨ ਏਕੈ ਕਾਨ ਏਕੈ ਦੇਹ ਏਕੈ ਬਾਨ ਖਾਕ ਬਾਦ ਆਤਸ ਔ ਆਬ ਕੋ ਰਲਾਉ ਹੈ ॥ekai nain ekai kaan ekai dheh ekai baan khaak baadh aatas aau aab ko ralaau hai
The same eyes, the same ears, the same body, the same make, all mixed of earth, air, fire and water.
Note. 'Ban' is uncertain. BaniDB's English has habits. 'Make' is a cautious rendering.
- 8ਅਲਹ ਅਭੇਖ ਸੋਈ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਔ ਕੁਰਾਨ ਓਈ ਏਕ ਹੀ ਸਰੂਪ ਸਭੈ ਏਕ ਹੀ ਬਨਾਉ ਹੈ ॥੧੬॥੮੬॥aleh abhekh soiee puraan aau kuraan oiee ek hee saroop sabhai ek hee banaau hai
Allah and Abhekh, the One without guise, are the same, and so are the Puranas and the Quran. All are of one form, all made one way.
Our line is a reading of the intent. For the Gurmukhi source text and reference translations seeSikhiToTheMax and SikhRI's Guru Granth Sahib Project.[DB][EoS][EoS][Web]