Part 28 — Japji Sahib: No end to praise
Pauri 24: No end to praise — and the grace that gives what cannot be grasped
Where we are in Japji
In Pauri 23, Japji showed that praise does not let us possess the One, and that remembrance outweighs empire.
Now Pauri 24 pushes the same lesson further: there is no end to praise, gifts, seeing, hearing, or the created expanse — and only the One knows the full measure of the One.
Full pauri (Gurmukhi + Romanisation + Ang)
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji — Ang 5
Gurmukhi
ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਸਿਫਤੀ ਕਹਣਿ ਨ ਅੰਤੁ ॥
ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਕਰਣੈ ਦੇਣਿ ਨ ਅੰਤੁ ॥
ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਵੇਖਣਿ ਸੁਣਣਿ ਨ ਅੰਤੁ ॥
ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ਕਿਆ ਮਨਿ ਮੰਤੁ ॥
ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ਕੀਤਾ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥
ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰੁ ॥
ਅੰਤ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਕੇਤੇ ਬਿਲਲਾਹਿ ॥
ਤਾ ਕੇ ਅੰਤ ਨ ਪਾਏ ਜਾਹਿ ॥
ਏਹੁ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਕੋਇ ॥
ਬਹੁਤਾ ਕਹੀਐ ਬਹੁਤਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਵਡਾ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਊਚਾ ਥਾਉ ॥
ਊਚੇ ਉਪਰਿ ਊਚਾ ਨਾਉ ॥
ਏਵਡੁ ਊਚਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਕੋਇ ॥
ਤਿਸੁ ਊਚੇ ਕਉ ਜਾਣੈ ਸੋਇ ॥
ਜੇਵਡੁ ਆਪਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਆਪਿ ਆਪਿ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਕਰਮੀ ਦਾਤਿ ॥੨੪॥
Romanisation (learning aid)
ant na siftee kahan na ant ||
ant na karnai den na ant ||
ant na vekhan sunan na ant ||
ant na jaapai kia man mant ||
ant na jaapai keetaa aakaar ||
ant na jaapai paaraavaar ||
ant kaaran kete billaahi ||
taa ke ant na paae jaahi ||
ehu ant na jaanai koi ||
bahutaa kaheeai bahutaa hoi ||
vadaa sahib oochaa thaau ||
ooche upar oochaa naau ||
evad oochaa hovai koi ||
tis ooche kau jaanai soi ||
jevad aap jaanai aap aap ||
naanak nadaree karmee daat ||24||
Plain-English sense rendering
(A learning aid — not a “final translation.”)
There is no end to Divine praise — and no end to those who try to speak it.
There is no end to the Divine workings, and no end to the giving.
There is no end to what can be seen and heard.
There is no end to what is held in the Divine Mind.
There is no end to the created expanse.
There is no end to the near shore or the far shore — no boundary the mind can finish.
Many struggle, cry out, and search for the edge of it.
But that end is not found.
No one knows that limit.
And the more you say, the more remains.
Great is the Master. Exalted is the station.
Above the highest is the Name.
Only one as high as That could truly know That High One.
The One alone knows the One fully.
Nanak: by Nadar — the gracious glance — the gift is received.
Learning focus
1) “No end” is humility training
Japji is not saying nothing can be known.
It is saying the Infinite cannot be finished by the mind.
That breaks the ego’s urge to own truth.
2) The more you say, the more remains
Real praise does not make you feel like you have “nailed it.”
It makes you more humble, more open, more aware of how much remains beyond you.
3) “High” language protects the mind
“Vadaa… oochaa…” is not decoration.
It stops us from reducing the Divine to a concept, an ideology, or a possession.
4) The final line returns everything to grace
After all the searching, speaking, seeing, and hearing, Japji closes with gift.
The deepest things are not conquered.
They are received.
Key word reminders
Ant: end, edge, limit, boundary
Naam: Reality remembered until it reshapes character
Nadar: gracious glance; grace that opens what ego cannot force
Daat: gift, blessing — what is given, not self-manufactured
One Anchor
The more I say, the more remains.
10-second practice
For ten seconds, ask:
Where am I trying to force a final answer today —
about God, about life, about myself —
so I can feel in control?
Then say quietly:
“bahutaa kaheeai, bahutaa hoi.”
The more is said, the more remains.
Let your next step be humble, not performative.
Verify
SGGS location: Ang 5 (Japji Sahib, Pauri 24)
Pauri begins: “ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਸਿਫਤੀ ਕਹਣਿ ਨ ਅੰਤੁ ॥”
Pauri ends: “ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਕਰਮੀ ਦਾਤਿ ॥੨੪॥”
Cross-check instruction:
Open Ang 5 on two independent SGGS databases and compare the Gurmukhi character-for-character.
Confirm that:
Pauri 23 ends immediately before with ॥੨੩॥
Pauri 24 contains these sixteen lines exactly
Pauri 25 begins immediately after with "ਬਹੁਤਾ ਕਰਮੁ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾ ਜਾਇ ॥"
If you ever spot a mismatch (Gurmukhi, Romanisation, or Ang), tell me — and I will correct it publicly with a dated correction note.
Next post teaser
Next is Pauri 25 (Part 29) — and Japji turns from limitless praise to limitless giving:
The Great Giver gives without greed.
Countless ask. Countless receive and still deny.
And even what feels like hardship is brought into the frame of gift, bondage, and release.