I call the Gurbani a source of ultimate freedom, because it frees its true followers from man’s assumed rituals and rites. It attaches its followers to the Creator, who is all pervading and all present with infinite power to create and destroy the visible and invisible universes and beyond. It verifies that the small deities and the hypocrites decorated with special garbs with false claims fall low to the high standard of those devotees, who become one with the Creator in His love by over coming lust, greed, anger, attachment and avarice. It defines the true devotees of the Creator; it defines who can guide a seeker toward Him freeing from all the bonds of religious bigotry. I wonder why some Sikhs become victims of treacherous religious rites and rituals. First Nanak talks in shabda on 13, SGGS about “ Artee/ the ritualistic worship”; he clearly states that the all-pervading Creator doesn’t need any ritualistic worship, because it is already going on twenty-four hours. Why then the so-called Artee with lamps is done in some of the Gurdwaras? Isn’t it a disobedient act performed by his followers?
Let us look at that shabda very closely:
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
ਗਗਨ ਮੈ ਥਾਲੁ ਰਵਿ ਚੰਦੁ ਦੀਪਕ ਬਨੇ ਤਾਰਿਕਾ ਮੰਡਲ ਜਨਕ ਮੋਤੀ ॥
ਧੂਪੁ ਮਲਆਨਲੋ ਪਵਣੁ ਚਵਰੋ ਕਰੇ ਸਗਲ ਬਨਰਾਇ ਫੂਲੰਤ ਜੋਤੀ ॥੧॥
raag Dhanaasree mehlaa 1.
gagan mai thaal rav chand deepak banay taarikaa mandal janak motee.
Dhoop mal-aanlo pavan chavro karay sagal banraa-ay foolant jotee. ||1||
Raag Dhanasri, the bani of First Nanak.
In essence: In the cosmic sky-plate, the Sun and the Moon serve as two lamps; deem the orbs of the stars as pearls in it. Fragrant air (incensed by Sandal wood) is coming from the Mallya-Mountain, which serves as incense and air-fans, and all vegetation serves as flowers (for the Aartee/worship).
The Guru states that Akalpurakh doesn’t need any formal Aartee, because His Aartee is being done automatically by His nature itself always; if the Guru’s Sikhs think to do “Aartee” for Akalpurakh, obviously they are not obeying their Guru. Obeying the Guru, they should only sing this shabda, nothing more should be done as in many Gurdwaras, a Hindu-type Aartee has crept in.
ਕੈਸੀ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਭਵ ਖੰਡਨਾ ਤੇਰੀ ਆਰਤੀ ॥
ਅਨਹਤਾ ਸਬਦ ਵਾਜੰਤ ਭੇਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
kaisee aartee ho-ay. bhav khandnaa tayree aartee.
anhataa sabad vaajant bhayree. ||1|| rahaa-o.
Oh Destroyer of wandering of the mortal! How wonderfully your worship is performed automatically! The unstruck sounds are the beating drums for your worship. Pause.
Now the Guru expresses the formless Creator and His presence in His formed creation:
ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਨੈਨ ਨਨ ਨੈਨ ਹਹਿ ਤੋਹਿ ਕਉ ਸਹਸ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਨਨਾ ਏਕ ਤੋਹੀ ॥
ਸਹਸ ਪਦ ਬਿਮਲ ਨਨ ਏਕ ਪਦ ਗੰਧ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਗੰਧ ਇਵ ਚਲਤ ਮੋਹੀ ॥੨॥
sahas tav nain nan nain heh tohi ka-o sahas moorat nanaa ayk tohee.
sahas pad bimal nan ayk pad ganDh bin sahas tav ganDh iv chalat mohee. ||2||
Thousands are your eyes, yet you have no eye; thousand are your forms, but you have not even one form. You have thousands feet, yet you have no foot. You have thousands noses, yet you have none. Your all such strange plays have fascinated me.
Below the Guru explains how the Creation is alive because of His light in it and how He becomes manifest through the Guru’s guidance, but he stresses that His worship is going on continuously; therefore, there is no need of the ritualistic worship/Artee.
ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਹੈ ਸੋਇ ॥ ਤਿਸ ਦੈ ਚਾਨਣਿ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਸਾਖੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥
sabh meh jot jot hai so-ay. tis dai chaanan sabh meh chaanan ho-ay.
gur saakhee jot pargat ho-ay. jo tis bhaavai so aartee ho-ay. ||3||
The light in all is your light, because of its illumination, all the lives are illuminated; however, your light is revealed within through the Guru’s teachings. That worship, which pleases Akalpurakh, is going on.
Below is given the ultimate desire of the seeker. The follower should seek the Creator in utter love and get into remembering Him with an urge to live in His memory.
ਹਰਿ ਚਰਣ ਕਵਲ ਮਕਰੰਦ ਲੋਭਿਤ ਮਨੋ ਅਨਦਿਨੋ ਮੋਹਿ ਆਹੀ ਪਿਆਸਾ ॥
ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਜਲੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਰਿੰਗ ਕਉ ਹੋਇ ਜਾ ਤੇ ਤੇਰੈ ਨਾਇ ਵਾਸਾ ॥੪॥੩॥
har charan kaval makrand lobhit mano andino mohi aahee pi-aasaa.
kirpaa jal deh naanak saaring ka-o ho-ay jaa tay tayrai naa-ay vaasaa. ||4||3||
My mind is fascinated by the essence of Hari’s lotus feet-flowers (His beautiful refuge). I long for that always. Oh Har! Bless Nanak, your cuckoo, with your water of mercy so that his mind resides (settles) in your name.
Above jlu word is used for the Creator’s nectarous name that satiates the seeker; thus he or she goes beyond ritualistic behavior by falling in love with Him forever. This should be a prayer of every Sikh; however, it can happen only if one truly falls for Him in love. After that, the ritualistic Artee appears useless and out of context. A road to the ultimate freedom is opened; consequently, His essence is breathed in and it is realized fully without any fear that there is no place for any kind of rituals to please our Creator as per the Gurbani. We should not fall for unnecessary rituals anyway; instead try our best to live in His memory by praising Him and accepting His ordinance without any complain as stated in the stanza number 33, Japji, 7, SGGS. If a Master frees his slaves but the slaves keep behaving like slaves, it is not the fault of the Master.
Humbly
Gurdeep Singh
