DevotionalPunjabiearly 16th century
Gagan Mai Thaal (Aarti)
ਗਗਨ ਮੈ ਥਾਲੁ
Gagan Mai Thaal is the Aarti composed by Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, in Raag Dhanasari. Instead of lamps on a plate, it describes the whole universe performing worship: the sky is the platter and the sun and moon are its lamps.
- Written by
- Guru Nanak (died 1539)
- Raga
- Dhanasari
- In the video
- Bhai Satwinder Singh, Bhai Harwinder Singh (Delhi Wale)
- Context
- Aarti of Guru Nanak, Raag Dhanasari, Guru Granth Sahib (Ang 663)
- Year
- early 16th century
- Language
- Punjabi
Gagan Mai Thaal (Aarti) lyrics with English translation
Text from the Punjabi Wikisource collection of Guru Nanak's shabads (item 4), cross-checked against the transcribed Guru Granth Sahib scan, page 663. One typing error is corrected (ਮਨਆਨਲੋ to ਮਲਆਨਲੋ, as in the scripture), and the collection's own running number after the last verse is omitted. Verse numbers are in Western digits as in the source. In gurdwaras the shabad is often followed by other hymns as part of the full Aarti.
ਗਗਨ ਮੈ ਥਾਲੁ ਰਵਿ ਚੰਦੁ ਦੀਪਕ ਬਨੇ ਤਾਰਿਕਾ ਮੰਡਲ ਜਨਕ ਮੋਤੀ ॥ ਧੂਪੁ ਮਲਆਨਲੋ ਪਵਣੁ ਚਵਰੋ ਕਰੇ ਸਗਲ ਬਨਰਾਇ ਫੂਲੰਤ ਜੋਤੀ ॥1॥
Gagan mai thaal rav chand deepak bane taarika mandal janak moti Dhoop malaanlo pavan chavro kare sagal banraae phoolant joti ॥1॥
The sky is the platter, the sun and moon are the lamps, and the circles of stars are like pearls. The sandalwood breeze is the incense, the wind waves the fan, and all the forests bloom as flowers for you, O Light. ॥1॥
ਕੈਸੀ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਭਵ ਖੰਡਨਾ ਤੇਰੀ ਆਰਤੀ ॥ ਅਨਹਤਾ ਸਬਦ ਵਾਜੰਤ ਭੇਰੀ ॥1॥ਰਹਾਉ॥
Kaisi aarti hoe Bhav khandna teri aarti Anhata sabad vaajant bheri ॥1॥ Rahaao
What a wondrous aarti this is, O destroyer of fear and rebirth, this is your aarti! The unstruck sound of the Word resounds like temple drums. ॥1॥ Pause
ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਨੈਨ ਨਨ ਨੈਨ ਹਹਿ ਤੋਹਿ ਕਉ ਸਹਸ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਨਨਾ ਏਕ ਤੁਹੀ ॥ ਸਹਸ ਪਦ ਬਿਮਲ ਨਨ ਏਕ ਪਦ ਗੰਧ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਗੰਧ ਇਵ ਚਲਤ ਮੋਹੀ ॥2॥
Sahas tav nain nan nain heh tohe kau sahas moorat nana ek tuhi Sahas pad bimal nan ek pad gandh bin sahas tav gandh iv chalat mohi ॥2॥
You have thousands of eyes, yet you have no eyes; you have thousands of forms, yet not even one. You have thousands of pure feet, yet not one foot; thousands of noses, yet no nose. Your play enchants me. ॥2॥
ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਹੈ ਸੋਇ ॥ ਤਿਸਦੈ ਚਾਨਣਿ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਸਾਖੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥3॥
Sabh meh jot jot hai soe Tis dai chaanan sabh meh chaanan hoe Gur saakhi jot pargat hoe Jo tis bhaavai su aarti hoe ॥3॥
The Light is within all; you are that Light. By that Light, light shines within everyone. Through the Guru's teaching the Light is revealed. Whatever pleases the Lord is the true aarti. ॥3॥
ਹਰਿ ਚਰਣ ਕਵਲ ਮਕਰੰਦ ਲੋਭਿਤ ਮਨੋ ਅਨਦਿਨੋ ਮੋਹਿ ਆਹੀ ਪਿਆਸਾ ॥ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਜਲੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਰਿੰਗ ਕਉ ਹੋਇ ਜਾ ਤੇ ਤੇਰੈ ਨਾਇ ਵਾਸਾ ॥4॥
Har charan kaval makrand lobhit mano andino mohe aahi piaasa Kirpa jal dehe Nanak saaring kau hoe ja te terai naae vaasa ॥4॥
My mind longs for the honey of the Lord's lotus feet; night and day I thirst for it. Give the water of your mercy to Nanak, the thirsty songbird, so that he may dwell in your Name. ॥4॥
Translation: Lyriccs (original translation). Transliteration: Lyriccs.
The story behind Gagan Mai Thaal (Aarti)
Guru Nanak (1469 to 1539) is traditionally said to have sung this hymn at the Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha, during his travels, when he was invited to join the evening aarti. Instead of the temple ritual, he pointed to the sky and the natural world as the true worship of the Creator.
The hymn is part of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, on page (ang) 663 in Raag Dhanasari. It is sung daily in gurdwaras as part of the evening prayers and in the kirtan known as Aarti. The linked recording is by Bhai Satwinder Singh and Bhai Harwinder Singh of Delhi, well-known ragis of the Sikh kirtan tradition. The hymn's language mixes Sanskrit-flavoured words such as gagan, ravi and deepak with the Punjabi and Hindi of the period, as is common in Guru Nanak's bani.
What Gagan Mai Thaal (Aarti) means
The first stanza paints a cosmic ceremony. The sky is the plate, the sun and moon are lamps and the stars are pearls; the sandalwood breeze is incense, the wind waves the fan and all the forests offer their flowers to the Light. The refrain asks what wonderful aarti this is, for the one who destroys fear and the cycle of birth, while the unstruck divine sound plays like temple drums.
The second stanza says God has thousands of eyes, forms, feet and noses and yet none, because the formless one is in all forms. The third says one Light shines in everyone, revealed through the Guru's teaching, and true worship is whatever pleases God. In the last stanza Nanak, like the thirsty songbird longing for rain, asks for the water of mercy so that he may dwell in the Name.
Quick facts
- The hymn is in Raag Dhanasari on page 663 of the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Tradition links it to Guru Nanak's visit to the Jagannath temple in Puri.
- It describes the sky as the aarti plate and the sun and moon as its lamps.
- It is sung daily in gurdwaras as part of the evening Aarti.