Japji Sahib · Stanza 21
Pauri 21
Rituals earn only a tiny merit — true cleansing comes from hearing and loving God, whose moment of creation no one knows.
Listen and read along
Your child does not need to read Gurmukhi to start this pauri. They can follow the words as they hear them.
- Press Listen and follow along — each word lights up exactly as it is recited.
- Tap ▶ beside any line to hear just that line, as many times as you like.
- Turn the transliteration or the meaning on and off, and make the Gurmukhi bigger or smaller.
ਤੀਰਥੁ ਤਪੁ ਦਇਆ ਦਤੁ ਦਾਨੁ ॥
Teerath tap daiaa dat daan.
Pilgrimage, hard penance, kindness and giving to charity —
ਜੇ ਕੋ ਪਾਵੈ ਤਿਲ ਕਾ ਮਾਨੁ ॥
Je ko paavai til kaa maan.
even these earn only a tiny seed's worth of honour, if any.
ਸੁਣਿਆ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਮਨਿ ਕੀਤਾ ਭਾਉ ॥
Suniaa manniaa man keetaa bhaa-o.
But whoever hears God's Name, believes it, and loves it in the heart
ਅੰਤਰਗਤਿ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਮਲਿ ਨਾਉ ॥
Antargat teerath mal naa-o.
is cleansed by bathing in the holy place deep inside themselves.
ਸਭਿ ਗੁਣ ਤੇਰੇ ਮੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋਇ ॥
Sabh gun tere mai naahee ko-e.
All good qualities are Yours, O God; I have none of my own.
ਵਿਣੁ ਗੁਣ ਕੀਤੇ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Vin gun keete bhagat na ho-e.
And without You giving me virtues, no real devotion can happen.
ਸੁਅਸਤਿ ਆਥਿ ਬਾਣੀ ਬਰਮਾਉ ॥
Suasat aath baanee barmaa-o.
I bow to You, the source of all creation and of the holy Word.
ਸਤਿ ਸੁਹਾਣੁ ਸਦਾ ਮਨਿ ਚਾਉ ॥
Sat suhaan sadaa man chaa-o.
You are true and beautiful, with everlasting joy in Your mind.
ਕਵਣੁ ਸੁ ਵੇਲਾ ਵਖਤੁ ਕਵਣੁ ਕਵਣ ਥਿਤਿ ਕਵਣੁ ਵਾਰੁ ॥
Kavan so velaa vakhat kavan kavan thit kavan vaar.
What was the time, the hour, the date and the day,
ਕਵਣਿ ਸਿ ਰੁਤੀ ਮਾਹੁ ਕਵਣੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਹੋਆ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥
Kavan si rutee maahu kavan jit ho-aa aakaar.
what season and what month, when the whole creation was made?
ਵੇਲ ਨ ਪਾਈਆ ਪੰਡਤੀ ਜਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਲੇਖੁ ਪੁਰਾਣੁ ॥
Vel na paa-ee-aa panditee je hovai lekh puraan.
The scholars could not find that time, even with all their Puranas.
ਵਖਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਓ ਕਾਦੀਆ ਜਿ ਲਿਖਨਿ ਲੇਖੁ ਕੁਰਾਣੁ ॥
Vakhat na paa-i-o kaadeeaa je likhan lekh kuraan.
Nor did the learned men who write from the Quran know that hour.
ਥਿਤਿ ਵਾਰੁ ਨਾ ਜੋਗੀ ਜਾਣੈ ਰੁਤਿ ਮਾਹੁ ਨਾ ਕੋਈ ॥
Thit vaar naa jogee jaanai rut maahu naa ko-ee.
No yogi knows the date or day, and no one knows the season or month.
ਜਾ ਕਰਤਾ ਸਿਰਠੀ ਕਉ ਸਾਜੇ ਆਪੇ ਜਾਣੈ ਸੋਈ ॥
Jaa kartaa sirthee ka-o saaje aape jaanai so-ee.
Only the Creator, who made the whole world, knows that for Himself.
ਕਿਵ ਕਰਿ ਆਖਾ ਕਿਵ ਸਾਲਾਹੀ ਕਿਉ ਵਰਨੀ ਕਿਵ ਜਾਣਾ ॥
Kiv kar aakhaa kiv saalaahee ki-o varnee kiv jaanaa.
How can I speak of You, praise You, describe You or truly know You?
ਨਾਨਕ ਆਖਣਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਆਖੈ ਇਕ ਦੂ ਇਕੁ ਸਿਆਣਾ ॥
Naanak aakhan sabh ko aakhai ik doo ik siaanaa.
Says Nanak: everyone tries to describe You, each one cleverer than the last.
ਵਡਾ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਵਡੀ ਨਾਈ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਕਾ ਹੋਵੈ ॥
Vadaa saahib vadee naa-ee keetaa jaa kaa hovai.
Great is the Master and great His Name, and whatever He does comes to pass.
ਨਾਨਕ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਆਪੌ ਜਾਣੈ ਅਗੈ ਗਇਆ ਨ ਸੋਹੈ ॥੨੧॥
Naanak je ko aapau jaanai agai ga-i-aa na sohai. ॥21॥
Says Nanak: anyone who thinks they did it themselves will not look good in the world hereafter. ॥21॥
✦ The Gurmukhi shown is the original Gurbani. The transliteration and English meaning are a simple, kid-friendly rendering for learning — under review, not a replacement for the original bani.
Words to know
5 words from this stanza
ਤੀਰਥੁ
Teerath
A pilgrimage; a holy bathing place
ਦਾਨੁ
Daan
Giving to charity
ਅੰਤਰਗਤਿ
Antargat
Deep inside oneself
ਆਕਾਰੁ
Aakaar
Form; the created world
ਕਰਤਾ
Kartaa
The Creator; the Maker
Play & remember
Activities for this stanza
Guess what each Gurmukhi word means, then flip the card to check.
What does this word mean?
Take a guess, then flip the card.
A calm sheet with the Gurmukhi on a floral border — print it and color while you learn this stanza.
Print coloring sheet