The Sikh Gurus never believed in the exclusivity of their teachings. The Gurus undertook travels to spread their message to peoples of different cultures in their own native languages. The Gurus did not believe in the ideas of any language being ‘sacred’ or ‘special’. It is in this spirit that various Sikh scholars have undertaken efforts to translate Sri Guru Granth Sahib into a number of languages in order to spread the teachings of the Gurus and to bring the Sikh religion to the people of the world as Guru Nanak wished.

“Enshrine the Lord’s Name within your heart. The Word of the Guru’s Bani prevails throughout the world; through this Bani, the Lord’s Name is obtained.”

He shall not depart, even when this Universe which He has created departs. He created the world, with its various colors, species of beings, and the variety of Maya. Having created the creation, He watches over it Himself, by His Greatness. He does whatever He pleases. No one can issue any order to Him. He is the King, the King of kings, the Supreme Lord and Master of kings. Nanak remains subject to His Will. || 1 || AASAA, FIRST MEHL: Hearing of His Greatness, everyone calls Him Great. But just how Great His Greatness is-this is known only to those who have seen Him. His Value cannot be estimated; He cannot be described. Those who describe You, Lord, remain immersed and absorbed in You. || 1 || O my Great Lord and Master of Unfathomable Depth, You are the Ocean of Excellence. No one knows the extent or the vastness of Your Expanse. || 1 || Pause || All the intuitives met and practiced intuitive meditation. All the appraisers met and made the appraisal. The spiritual teachers, the teachers of meditation, and the teachers of teachers-they cannot describe even an iota of Your Greatness.

|| 2 || All Truth, all austere discipline, all goodness, all the great miraculous spiritual powers of the Siddhaswithout You, no one has attained such powers. They are received only by Your Grace. No one can block them or stop their flow. || 3 || What can the poor helpless creatures do? Your Praises are overflowing with Your Treasures. Those, unto whom You give-how can they think of any other? O Nanak, the True One embellishes and exalts. || 4 || 2 || AASAA, FIRST MEHL: Chanting it, I live; forgetting it, I die. It is so difficult to chant the True Name. If someone feels hunger for the True Name, that hunger shall consume his pain. || 1 || How can I forget Him, O my mother? True is the Master, True is His Name. || 1 || Pause || Trying to describe even an iota of the Greatness of the True Name, people have grown weary, but they have not been able to evaluate it. Even if everyone were to gather together and speak of Him, He would not become any greater or any lesser. || 2 || That Lord does not die; there is no reason to mourn. He continues to give, and His Provisions never run short.

This Virtue is His alone; there is no other like Him. There never has been, and there never will be. || 3 || As Great as You Yourself are, O Lord, so Great are Your Gifts. The One who created the day also created the night. Those who forget their Lord and Master are vile and despicable. O Nanak, without the Name, they are wretched outcasts. || 4 || 3 || RAAG GOOJAREE, FOURTH MEHL: O humble servant of the Lord, O True Guru, O True Primal Being: I offer my humble prayer to You, O Guru. I am a mere insect, a worm. O True Guru, I seek Your Sanctuary. Please be merciful, and bless me with the Light of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. || 1 || O my Best Friend, O Divine Guru, please enlighten me with the Name of the Lord. Through the Guru’s Teachings, the Naam is my breath of life. The Kirtan of the Lord’s Praise is my life’s occupation. || 1 || Pause || The servants of the Lord have the greatest good fortune; they have faith in the Lord, and a longing for the Lord. Obtaining the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, they are satisfied; joining the Sangat, the Blessed Congregation, their virtues shine forth.

|| 2 || Those who have not obtained the Sublime Essence of the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, Har, are most unfortunate; they are led away by the Messenger of Death. Those who have not sought the Sanctuary of the True Guru and the Sangat, the Holy Congregationcursed are their lives, and cursed are their hopes of life. || 3 || Those humble servants of the Lord who have attained the Company of the True Guru, have such pre-ordained destiny inscribed on their foreheads. Blessed, blessed is the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation, where the Lord’s Essence is obtained. Meeting with His humble servant, O Nanak, the Light of the Naam shines forth. || 4 || 4 || RAAG GOOJAREE, FIFTH MEHL: Why, O mind, do you plot and plan, when the Dear Lord Himself provides for your care? From rocks and stones He created living beings; He places their nourishment before them. || 1 || O my Dear Lord of souls, one who joins the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation, is saved. By Guru’s Grace, the supreme status is obtained, and the dry wood blossoms forth again in lush greenery. || 1 || Pause || Mothers, fathers, friends, children and spouses-no one is the support of anyone else. For each and every person, our Lord and Master provides sustenance.

Why are you so afraid, O mind? || 2 || The flamingoes fly hundreds of miles, leaving their young ones behind. Who feeds them, and who teaches them to feed themselves? Have you ever thought of this in your mind? || 3 || All the nine treasures, and the eighteen supernatural powers are held by our Lord and Master in the Palm of His Hand. Servant Nanak is devoted, dedicated, forever a sacrifice to You, Lord. Your Expanse has no limit, no boundary. || 4 || 5 || RAAG AASAA, FOURTH MEHL, SO PURAKH ~ THAT PRIMAL BEING: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: That Primal Being is Immaculate and Pure. The Lord, the Primal Being, is Immaculate and Pure. The Lord is Inaccessible, Unreachable and Unrivalled. All meditate, all meditate on You, Dear Lord, O True Creator Lord. All living beings are Yours-You are the Giver of all souls. Meditate on the Lord, O Saints; He is the Dispeller of all sorrow. The Lord Himself is the Master, the Lord Himself is the Servant. O Nanak, the poor beings are wretched and miserable! || 1 || You are constant in each and every heart, and in all things. O Dear Lord, you are the One. Some are givers, and some are beggars. This is all Your Wondrous Play. You Yourself are the Giver, and You Yourself are the Enjoyer.

I know no other than You. You are the Supreme Lord God, Limitless and Infinite. What Virtues of Yours can I speak of and describe? Unto those who serve You, unto those who serve You, Dear Lord, servant Nanak is a sacrifice. || 2 || Those who meditate on You, Lord, those who meditate on You-those humble beings dwell in peace in this world. They are liberated, they are liberated-those who meditate on the Lord. For them, the noose of death is cut away. Those who meditate on the Fearless One, on the Fearless Lord-all their fears are dispelled. Those who serve, those who serve my Dear Lord, are absorbed into the Being of the Lord, Har, Har. Blessed are they, blessed are they, who meditate on their Dear Lord. Servant Nanak is a sacrifice to them. || 3 || Devotion to You, devotion to You, is a treasure overflowing, infinite and beyond measure. Your devotees, Your devotees praise You, Dear Lord, in many and various and countless ways. For You, many, for You, so very many perform worship services, O Dear Infinite Lord; they practice disciplined meditation and chant endlessly. For You, many, for You, so very many read the various Simritees and Shaastras. They perform rituals and religious rites. Those devotees, those devotees are sublime, O servant Nanak, who are pleasing to my Dear Lord God. || 4 || You are the Primal Being, the Most Wonderful Creator.

There is no other as Great as You. Age after age, You are the One. Forever and ever, You are the One. You never change, O Creator Lord. Everything happens according to Your Will. You Yourself accomplish all that occurs. You Yourself created the entire universe, and having fashioned it, You Yourself shall destroy it all. Servant Nanak sings the Glorious Praises of the Dear Creator, the Knower of all. || 5 || 1 || AASAA, FOURTH MEHL: You are the True Creator, my Lord and Master. Whatever pleases You comes to pass. As You give, so do we receive. || 1 || Pause || All belong to You, all meditate on you. Those who are blessed with Your Mercy obtain the Jewel of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. The Gurmukhs obtain it, and the self-willed manmukhs lose it. You Yourself separate them from Yourself, and You Yourself reunite with them again. || 1 || You are the River of Life; all are within You.

There is no one except You. All living beings are Your playthings. The separated ones meet, and by great good fortune, those suffering in separation are reunited once again. || 2 || They alone understand, whom You inspire to understand; they continually chant and repeat the Lord’s Praises. Those who serve You find peace. They are intuitively absorbed into the Lord’s Name. || 3 || You Yourself are the Creator. Everything that happens is by Your Doing. There is no one except You. You created the creation; You behold it and understand it. O servant Nanak, the Lord is revealed through the Gurmukh, the Living Expression of the Guru’s Word. || 4 || 2 || AASAA, FIRST MEHL: In that pool, people have made their homes, but the water there is as hot as fire! In the swamp of emotional attachment, their feet cannot move. I have seen them drowning there.