Before the Universe...

For endless ages, there was only utter darkness. There was no earth or sky; there was only His command. There was no day or night, no moon or sun; God sat in primal, profound meditation position. There were no food or sources of speech, no air or water. There was no creation or destruction, no birth or death. There were no continents, regions, seven seas, rivers or flowing water. There were no heavenly realms, earth or nether regions of the underworld. There was no heaven or hell, no death or time.

There was no hell or heaven, no birth or death, no coming or going in reincarnation. There was no Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva. No one was seen, except the One Lord. There was no female or male, no social class or caste of birth; no one experienced pain or pleasure. There were no people of celibacy or charity; no one lived in the forests. There were no saints or seekers of living in peace. There were no Yogis, no wandering pilgrims, no religious robes; no one called himself the master. There was no chanting or meditation, no self-discipline, fasting or worship. No one spoke or talked in duality. He created Himself, and rejoiced; He evaluated Himself. There was no purification, no self-restraint, no malas of basil seeds. There were no Gopis, no Krishna, no cows or cowherds. There were no tantras, no mantras and no hypocrisy; no one played the flute. There was no karma, no Dharma, no buzzing fly of Maya. Social class and birth were not seen with any eyes. There was no noose of attachment, no death inscribed upon the forehead; no one meditated on anything. There was no slander, no seed, no soul and no life. There was no Gorakh and no Maachhindra. There was no spiritual wisdom or meditation, no ancestry or creation, no reckoning of accounts. There were no castes or social classes, no religious robes, no Brahmin or Kh'shaatriya. There were no burnt offerings, no ceremonial feasts, no cleansing rituals at sacred shrines of pilgrimage; no one worshipped in adoration. There was no Mullah, there was no Qazi. There was no Shaykh, or pilgrims to Mecca. There was no king or subjects, and no worldly egotism; no one spoke of himself. There was no love or devotion, no Shiva or strength - no energy or matter. There were no friends or companions, no semen or blood. He Himself is the banker, and He Himself is the merchant. Such is the Pleasure of the Will of the True Lord. There were no Vedas, Korans, Bibles and no sacred books. There was no recitation of the Holy Scriptures, no sunrise or sunset.

The Unfathomable Lord Himself was the speaker and the preacher; the unseen Lord Himself saw everything.

When He so willed, He created the world. Without any supporting power, He sustained the universe.

He created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; He fostered enticement and attachment to materialistic things.

How rare is that person who listens to the Word of the Guru's Shabad.

He created the creation, and watches over it; His Command is over all. He formed the planets, solar systems and nether regions, and brought what was hidden to manifestation. No one knows His limits.
This understanding comes from the Perfect Guru. O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Truth are wonderstruck; singing His Glorious Praises, they are filled with wonder.

(Guru Granth Sahib, 1035)