Guru Nanak Quotes & Sayings

My mind and body, my mind and body I cut my body into pieces, and I dedicate these to Him. — Guru Nanak

Sing the songs of joy to the Lord, serve the Name of the Lord, and become the servant of His servants. — Guru Nanak

Asceticism doesn't lie in mere words; He is an ascetic who treats everyone alike. Asceticism doesn't lie in visiting burial places; it lies not in wandering about nor in bathing at places of pilgrimage. Asceticism is to remain pure amidst impurities. — Guru Nanak

The production of children, the nurture of those born, and the daily life of men, of these matters woman is visibly the cause. — Guru Nanak

Dwell in peace in the home of your own being, and the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you. — Guru Nanak

I am neither a child, a young man, nor an ancient; nor am I of any caste. — Guru Nanak

Whatever kind of seed is sown in a field, prepared in due season, a plant of that same kind, marked with the peculiar qualities of the seed, springs up in it. — Guru Nanak

Do not wish evil for others. Do not speak ill of others. Do not obstruct anyones activities. — Guru Nanak

God is one, but he has innumerable forms. He is the creator of all and He himself takes the human form. — Guru Nanak

Offspring, the due performance on religious rites, faithful service, highest conjugal happiness and heavenly bliss for the ancestors and oneself, depend on one's wife alone. — Guru Nanak

Blessed, blessed is that body horse which meditates on the Lord God. — Guru Nanak

He ,who is appointed to ,cohabit with the widow shall ,approach her at night anointed with clarified butter and silent, ,and beget one son, by no means a second. — Guru Nanak

There are worlds and more worlds below them, and there are a hundred thousand skies over them. No one has been able to find the limits and boundaries of God. If there be any account of God, then alone the mortal can write the same; but God's account does not finish, and the mortal himself dies while still writing. — Guru Nanak

From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. — Guru Nanak

The world is a drama, staged in a dream — Guru Nanak

As a father ,supports his sons, so let the eldest support his younger brothers, and let them also in accordance with the law behave towards their eldest brother as sons ,behave. — Guru Nanak

From its brilliancy everything is illuminated. — Guru Nanak

Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore. — Guru Nanak

He who regards all men as equals is religious. — Guru Nanak

Build the raft of meditation and self-discipline, to carry you across the river. There will be no ocean, and no rising tides to stop you; this is how comfortable your path shall be ... — Guru Nanak

By twice born men a widow must not be appointed to ,cohabit with any other ,than her husband , for they who appoint ,her to another ,man , will violate the eternal law. — Guru Nanak

Those who have not obtained the Blessed Vision, the Blessed Vision of the Darshan of the True Guru, the Almighty Lord God they have fruitlessly, uselessly wasted their whole lives in vain. — Guru Nanak

Thou has a thousand eyes and yet not one eye; Thou host a thousand forms and yet not one form. — Guru Nanak

If one of the brothers, being able ,to maintain himself by his own occupation, does not desire ,a share of the family property, he may be made separate ,by the others receiving a trifle out of his share to live upon. — Guru Nanak

Riches cannot be gathered without sin and evil means. — Guru Nanak

Conquer your mind and conquer the world. — Guru Nanak

The Formless Supreme Being abides in the Realm of Eternity. Over His creation He casts His glance of grace. In that Realm are contained all the continents and the universes, Exceeding in number all count. Of creation worlds upon worlds abide therein; All obedient to His will; He watches over them in bliss, And has each constantly in mind. — Guru Nanak

He who has no faith in himself can never have faith in God. — Guru Nanak

If the widow of a man who died without leaving issue, raises up to him a son by a member of the family , she shall deliver to that ,son the whole property which belonged to the ,deceased . — Guru Nanak

The soul bride shall never be a widow, she shall never suffer sorrow. — Guru Nanak

Alone let him constantly meditate in solitude on that which is salutary for his soul, for he who meditates in solitude attains supreme bliss. — Guru Nanak

Excluded from all fellowship at meals, excluded from all sacrifices, excluded from instruction and from matrimonial alliances, abject and excluded from all religious duties, let them wander over ,this earth. — Guru Nanak

I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance. — Guru Nanak

Nanak, the whole world is in distress. He, who believes in the Name, becomes victorious. — Guru Nanak

I don't die ... He who is merged with the omnipresent is never gone. — Guru Nanak

Asceticism doesn't lie in ascetic robes or in walking staff nor in the ashes. Asceticism doesn't lie in the earring nor in the shaven head nor blowing a conch. Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities. — Guru Nanak

Emotional attachment to Maya is totally painful, this is a bad bargain. — Guru Nanak

Giving no pain to any creature, let him slowly accumulate spiritual merit, for the sake ,of acquiring a companion to the next world, just as the white ant ,gradually raises its hill. — Guru Nanak

Before becoming a Muslim, a Hindu, a Sikh or a Christian, let's become a Human first. — Guru Nanak

One cannot comprehend Him through reason, even if one reasoned for ages. — Guru Nanak

Let him avoid ,the acquisition of wealth and ,the gratification of his desires, if they are opposed to the sacred law, and even lawful acts which may cause pain in the future or are offensive to men. — Guru Nanak

If the people use the wealth bestowed on them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes sacred food. — Guru Nanak

I am not the born; how can there be either birth or death for me? — Guru Nanak

As with cows, mares, female camels, slave girls, buffalo cows, she goats, and ewes, it is not the begetter ,or his owner who obtains the offspring, even thus ,it is with the wives of others. — Guru Nanak

Like the juggler, deceiving by his tricks, one is deluded by egotism, falsehood and illusion. — Guru Nanak

Even kings and emperors, with mountains of property and oceans of wealth - these are not even equal to an ant, who does not forget God. — Guru Nanak

That one plant should be sown and another be produced cannot happen; whatever seed is sown, a plant of that kind even comes forth. — Guru Nanak

Me, the bard out of work, the Lord has applied to His service. In the very beginning, He gave me the order to sing His praises night and day. The Master summoned the minstrel to His True Court. He clothed me with the robe of His true honour and eulogy. Since then, the True Name had become my ambrosial food. — Guru Nanak

I am a song bird, I am a meek song bird, I offer my prayer to the Lord. — Guru Nanak

Truth is the highest virtue, but higher still is truthful living. — Guru Nanak

Speak only that which will bring you honor. — Guru Nanak

Realization of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living. — Guru Nanak

Owing to ignorance of the rope the rope appears to be a snake; owing to ignorance of the Self the transient state arises of the individualized, limited, phenomenal aspect of the Self. — Guru Nanak

May liberal men abound with us! May our knowledge of the Vedas and our progeny increase! May faith not forsake us! May we have much to give to the needy. — Guru Nanak

O my heart! Love God as the chatrik loves the rain drops,
Who even when fountains are full and the land green,
Is not satisfied as long as it cannot get a drop of rain ... — Guru Nanak

The ignorant soul bride wanders in delusion, in the love of duality, she sits like a widow. She sits like a widow, in the love of duality, infatuated with Maya, she suffers in pain. She grows old, and her body withers away. — Guru Nanak

What should the yogi have to fear? Trees, plants, and all that is inside and outside, is He Himself — Guru Nanak

Food sacred to the manes or to the gods must be given to a man distinguished by sacred knowledge, for hands, smeared with blood, cannot be cleansed with blood. — Guru Nanak

For each and every person, our Lord and Master provides sustenance. Why are you so afraid, O mind? The flamingos 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? — Guru Nanak

By singing the Guru's hymns, I, the minstrel spread the Lord's glory. Nanak, by praising the True Name, I have obtained the perfect Lord. — Guru Nanak

See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own mind, and conquer the world. — Guru Nanak

He who, having lost his parents or being abandoned, by them without ,just cause, gives himself to a ,man , is called a son self given. — Guru Nanak

Far from wife and son am 1, far from land and wealth and other notions of that kind. I am the Witness, the Eternal, the Inner Self. — Guru Nanak

There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now. — Guru Nanak

Blessed, blessed is the True Guru, the Immaculate, Almighty Lord God, meeting Him, I meditate on the Name of the Lord. — Guru Nanak

If a woman abandoned by her husband, or a widow, of her own accord contracts a second marriage and bears ,a son , he is called the son of a re married woman . — Guru Nanak

Whatever be the qualities of the man with whom a woman is united according to the law, such qualities even she assumes, like a river, united with the ocean. — Guru Nanak

Be kind to all beings, this is more meritorious than bathing at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage and donating money. — Guru Nanak

I am in constant bliss, day and night, egotism has been dispelled from within me. — Guru Nanak

False is the body, false are the clothes; false is beauty. — Guru Nanak

Your Mercy is my social status. — Guru Nanak

No calamity happens to those who eagerly follow auspicious customs and the rule of good conduct, to those who are always careful of purity, and to those who mutter ,sacred texts and offer burnt oblations. — Guru Nanak

We are born of woman, we are conceived in the womb of woman, we are engaged and married to woman. We make friendship with woman and the lineage continued because of woman. When one woman dies, we take another one, we are bound with the world through woman. Why should we talk ill of her, who gives birth to kings? The woman is born from woman; there is none without her. Only the One True Lord is without woman — Guru Nanak

The word is the Guru, The Guru is the Word, For all nectar is enshrined in the world Blessed is the word which reveal the Lord's name But more is the one who knows by the Guru's grace. — Guru Nanak

Let God's grace be the mosque, and devotion the prayer mat. Let the Quran be the good conduct. — Guru Nanak

When the purpose of the appointment to ,cohabit with the widow bas been attained in accordance with the law, those two shall behave towards each other like a father and a daughter in law. — Guru Nanak

There is but one God. True is His Name, creative His personality and immortal His form. He is without fear sans enmity, unborn and self-illumined. By the Guru's grace He is obtained. — Guru Nanak

I bow at His Feet constantly, and pray to Him, the Guru, the True Guru, has shown me the Way. — Guru Nanak

Be the wisdom your support. Be the compassion your guide and listen to the Divine Music that beats in every heart. — Guru Nanak

Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth, nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is meat and what is plant? Who knows where the sin lies, being a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian? — Guru Nanak

Death would not be called bad, O people, if one knew how to truely die. — Guru Nanak

With your hands carve out your own destiny. — Guru Nanak

The widow cries out at the door, The light of my mind has gone out, O my mother, with his death. So cry out, O soul brides of the Husband Lord, and dwell on the Glorious Praises of the True Lord. — Guru Nanak

Through shallow intellect, the mind becomes shallow, and one eats the fly, along with the sweets. — Guru Nanak

The highest religion is to rise to universal brother hood; aye to consider all creatures your equals. — Guru Nanak

Through True Love, she merges with Him. She who does not know her Husband Lord, the Architect of karma, is deluded by falsehood she herself is false. — Guru Nanak

Those who conquer their minds are beings of renunciation and detachment. They are beings of renunciation and detachment they are lovingly focused on the True One, they realize and understand themselves. — Guru Nanak

An adopted son shall never take the family, name and the estate of his natural father, the funeral cake follows the family, name and the estate, the funeral offerings of him who gives ,his son in adoption cease, as far as that son is concerned. — Guru Nanak

As fragrance abides in the flower
As reflection is within the mirror,
So does your Lord abide within you,
Why search for him without? — Guru Nanak

Burn worldly love,
rub the ashes and make ink of it,
make the heart the pen,
the intellect the writer,
write that which has no end or limit. — Guru Nanak

If there is one God, then there is only His way to attain Him, not another. One must follow that way and reject the other. Worship not him who is born only to die, but Him who is eternal and is contained in the whole universe. — Guru Nanak

Neither ancients nor moderns who were good men have done such ,a deed that, after promising ,a daughter to one man, they have her to another, Nor, indeed, have we heard, even in former creations, of such ,a thing as the covert sale of a daughter for a fixed price, called a nuptial fee. — Guru Nanak

If an appointed daughter by accident dies without ,leaving a son, the husband of the appointed daughter may, without hesitation, take that estate. — Guru Nanak

Those who have loved are those that have found God — Guru Nanak

There, where neither your children nor your spouse shall accompany you, the Name of the Lord shall emancipate you. — Guru Nanak

Make of the Silence your to-do tasks, of the compassion your wealth and of the meditation your beggar's bowl. — Guru Nanak

Even Kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God. — Guru Nanak

The True One was there from time immemorial.
He is there today and ever there you will find.
He never died nor will he ever die ...
Look within, you will see Him there enshrined. — Guru Nanak

O Lord, You bless all with Your bountiful blessings. — Guru Nanak