Once one truly falls in love with the Creator, one sees the world very differently. A distance develops from the world, which is involved in the Maya pursuits deeply; then living in that world becomes easier and comfortable. Everywhere the presence of the beloved Creator is felt intensely. Compassion for the week and left behind ones glows and one sees His beautiful Ordinance in practice. The following shabda is a story of that heart that not only desires the Creator strongly, but also feels the negativity of the outer influences that become obstacle in its way. Interestingly even in such negative situations, the desire for Him can survive: that is the message. The entire shabda is enveloped in metaphors and analogies; nonetheless, the scenes that set in remain the same and we need not to look at them as metaphors. The month of Sawan (the rainy season: June and July) has been described in India as the most pleasant season, in which certain people try to color it in love, so does First Nanak but with a different prospective. Let us go through it and enjoy it; Bhai Satinderbir Singh has sung it beautifully. If you listen to it after shutting off all the in and out commotion, you will feel First Nanak talking to you. You will also notice that in one verse, the Guru addresses to the one who is lost, but in the next verse, he prays to Akalpurakh. Thus emotions spread in many ways. It is on: 557 to 558, SGGS
ਮੋਰੀ ਰੁਣ ਝੁਣ ਲਾਇਆ ਭੈਣੇ ਸਾਵਣੁ ਆਇਆ ॥
Moree Run Jhun Laeia Bhainae Savan Aeia ||
मोरी रुण झुण लाइआ भैणे सावणु आइआ ॥
Oh Sister! The rainy season of Sawan (name of the month) has come and the peacocks are singing sweetly.
ਵਡਹੰਸੁ ਮਹਲਾ 1 ਘਰੁ 2 ॥
ਮੋਰੀ ਰੁਣ ਝੁਣ ਲਾਇਆ ਭੈਣੇ ਸਾਵਣੁ ਆਇਆ ॥
ਤੇਰੇ ਮੁੰਧ ਕਟਾਰੇ ਜੇਵਡਾ ਤਿਨਿ ਲੋਭੀ ਲੋਭ ਲੁਭਾਇਆ ॥
ਤੇਰੇ ਦਰਸਨ ਵਿਟਹੁ ਖੰਨੀਐ ਵੰਞਾ ਤੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਵਿਟਹੁ ਕੁਰਬਾਣੋ ॥
ਜਾ ਤੂ ਤਾ ਮੈ ਮਾਣੁ ਕੀਆ ਹੈ ਤੁਧੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਕੇਹਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਾਣੋ ॥
Vad-hans mehlaa 1 ghar 2.
Moree run jhun laa-i-aa bhainay saavan aa-i-aa.
Tayray mundh kataaray jayvdaa tin lobhee lobh lubhaa-i-aa.
Tayray darsan vitahu khannee-ai vanjaa tayray naam vitahu kurbaano.
Jaa too taa mai maan kee-aa hai tudh bin kayhaa mayraa maano.
Raag Wadhans, the bani of First Nanak, house second.
In essence: Oh Sister! The rainy season of Sawan (name of the month) has come and the peacocks are singing sweetly. Oh Prabh! Your fascinating and sharp beauty has enticed your bride (It has inspired me to see you). I am ready to be cut into pieces to have your vision and I sacrifice to your Naam. If you are seen there (in this scene), I have felt proud; otherwise, without you, what honor I have?
First, the Guru creates a scene full with the presence of Prabh all around; then, he expresses how a seeker expresses about the fascinating Prabh and His creation. The Guru further expresses how His lover feels to sacrifice his life to Prabh. In the end, thanks are offered to Prabh, who has blessed the seeker to see Him eminently in His creation.
In the following stanza, a plight of the Creator’s devotee who is only into show off is expressed. Our any show wrapped in wrong intentions pushes us into hypocrisy. If the Creator is not envisioned, what is the use of such a show off? Talking about who is right or wrong will bring nothing to us, because in such pursuits we steer our minds away from Him. It is wastage of time and a big step away from the Creator. An analogy is taken of a husband and a wife. The wife gets ready for her husband; she decorates herself; she tries to become attractive, but if her husband doesn’t notice her, what is the use of her decoration? Implication is deep. If we remain in love with our selected choices and go to the Guru’s house, how can we express our true love toward our Guru and the Creator? All the hypocritical shows need to be abandoned. By feeling being in love with the Guru and the Creator, we should proceed to perform His devotion sincerely. The Guru is not only in the Gurdwara but also with us: within. We need to turn toward him by remembering what often he says to us. The Creator is not met only in the Gurdwara, but also within, because His presence is within and out as well. The Gurdwara creates environments that help us in falling in love truly with the Creator. Very important is to become spotless and to feel His presence. When that is done, a feeling of separation from Him overtakes our all negative pursuits; thus our love for Him commands us to become one with Him by overcoming our self-conceit, lust, greed, anger and attachment:
ਚੂੜਾ ਭੰਨੁ ਪਲੰਘ ਸਿਉ ਮੁੰਧੇ ਸਣੁ ਬਾਹੀ ਸਣੁ ਬਾਹਾ ॥
ਏਤੇ ਵੇਸ ਕਰੇਦੀਏ ਮੁੰਧੇ ਸਹੁ ਰਾਤੋ ਅਵਰਾਹਾ ॥
ਨਾ ਮਨੀਆਰੁ ਨ ਚੂੜੀਆ ਨਾ ਸੇ ਵੰਗੁੜੀਆਹਾ ॥
ਜੋ ਸਹ ਕੰਠਿ ਨ ਲਗੀਆ ਜਲਨੁ ਸਿ ਬਾਹੜੀਆਹਾ ॥
ਸਭਿ ਸਹੀਆ ਸਹੁ ਰਾਵਣਿ ਗਈਆ ਹਉ ਦਾਧੀ ਕੈ ਦਰਿ ਜਾਵਾ ॥
ਅੰਮਾਲੀ ਹਉ ਖਰੀ ਸੁਚਜੀ ਤੈ ਸਹ ਏਕਿ ਨ ਭਾਵਾ ॥
ਮਾਠਿ ਗੁੰਦਾਈ ਪਟੀਆ ਭਰੀਐ ਮਾਗ ਸੰਧੂਰੇ ॥
ਅਗੈ ਗਈ ਨ ਮੰਨੀਆ ਮਰਉ ਵਿਸੂਰਿ ਵਿਸੂਰੇ ॥
Choorhaa bhann palangh si-o mundhay san baahee san baahaa.
Aytay vays karaydee-ay mundhay saho raato avraahaa.
Naa manee-aar na choorhee-aa naa say vangoorhee-aahaa.
Jo sah kanth na lagee-aa jalan se bahrhee-aahaa.
Sabh sahee-aa saho raavan ga-ee-aa ha-o daadhee kai dar jaavaa.
Ammaalee ha-o kharee suchjee tai sah ayk na bhaavaa.
Maath gundaa-een patee-aa bharee-ai maag sandhooray.
Agai ga-ee na mannee-aa mara-o visoor visooray.
(SGGS-557,558)
In essence: (now a reaction about the feelings of Prabh’s separation is expressed; please bear in mind that it is done only when one is in love with Him) Oh bride! What is the use of your decoration if your Spouse is not with you? Break your coach along with its arms and your arms as well. These bracelet and bangles are of no use if your arms cannot embrace your Spouse (Prabh)? Let such arms be burned. All my friends have come to enjoy the company of the Spouse (Prabh), but where should I, an unfortunate one, go? Oh friend! I think that I am virtuous, but none of my virtues pleases my Spouse. I have decorated myself by weaving my hair into braids and applying vermillion in my partings (I have done all religious rites and also I have worn religious garbs), but my Beloved does not accept me. Obviously I shall die in anguish.
It is horrible for us to claim to be Prabh’s devotees without ever doing serious efforts to know Him. What is the use of our acts (done as His devotees), which fail to take us out of miseries and let us die bit-by-bit everyday? If He is known, one enjoys stable bliss before which millions of dominos become insignificant (44, SGGS). Burn such religious dresses! Burn such claims! The Guru asks us to feel for Him. Yes feel for Him and start experiencing Him within always. Lucky are those, who are with Him; unlucky are we who wash away with the waves of the worldly pleasure.
In the following verses, the Guru points out how we are lost in the worldly Maya pursuits forgetting Him. That is the reason no feeling of separation from Him ever develops in us. We are enjoying the worldly pleasure; we are busy in them; therefore, we don’t feel for changing, which can enable us to live in His love truly and to envision Him. With a feeling of His presence within, don’t we become a part of Him? If in reality we feel to be His part, we should become one with Him tearing away every wall that comes between us. Akalpurakh is not a deity we can worship Him as a toy. His infinity and presence in all separates Him from all the worldly established gods. The Guru says: people seeing my plight show empathy toward me but my own body, which remains happy in the worldly pleasures. In other words, the body doesn’t feel separation from Him; instead it is happy like a child enjoys its toys. The desire to see Him still glows within; actually it is Him who puts it in us. We cannot talk to Him as we do with other people. If we talk, it will be one-way talking only. The true talking to Him, even though it may be one-way talk, is to do His praise. In Japji (2), it is explicitly stated through which language Akalpurakh gets engaged. It is the language of love. We cannot send our message to Him that can express how our desire to see Him remains immaterialized. The Gurbani states that He knows everything (72, SGGS); therefore, we need not to call Him loudly. If He knows us well, still we feel to communicate with Him, don’t we? Second Nanak says that we need different eyes to see Him ( SGGS,139 ). Once we do what the Guru says, we start communicating with Him and our all demands end. Then only the most beautiful demand is left to have blessing of understanding His Ordinance. If that desires is fulfilled, everything becomes beautiful (142 SGGS). When He is felt within, outside becomes our own. That feeling cannot develop in us as long as we are carried away by the Maya attractions. The virtues like compassion, contentment, empathy, kindness, humility and forgiveness shine within us as He is felt in our hearts. In this pursuit, our self-conceit and anger first need to go forever. Living without Him is not worth anything. Living without feeling His presence all over pushes us into dark realms in which we live as slaves of our negative forces.
ਮੈ ਰੋਵੰਦੀ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਰੁਨਾ ਰੁੰਨੜੇ ਵਣਹੁ ਪੰਖੇਰੂ ॥
ਇਕੁ ਨ ਰੁਨਾ ਮੇਰੇ ਤਨ ਕਾ ਬਿਰਹਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਹਉ ਪਿਰਹੁ ਵਿਛੋੜੀ ॥
ਸੁਪਨੈ ਆਇਆ ਭੀ ਗਇਆ ਮੈ ਜਲੁ ਭਰਿਆ ਰੋਇ ॥
ਆਇ ਨ ਸਕਾ ਤੁਝ ਕਨਿ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਭੇਜਿ ਨ ਸਕਾ ਕੋਇ ॥
ਆਉ ਸਭਾਗੀ ਨੀਦੜੀਏ ਮਤੁ ਸਹੁ ਦੇਖਾ ਸੋਇ ॥
ਤੈ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕੀ ਬਾਤ ਜਿ ਆਖੈ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਿਆ ਦੀਜੈ ॥
ਸੀਸੁ ਵਢੇ ਕਰਿ ਬੈਸਣੁ ਦੀਜੈ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਿਰ ਸੇਵ ਕਰੀਜੈ ॥
ਕਿਉ ਨ ਮਰੀਜੈ ਜੀਅੜਾ ਨ ਦੀਜੈ ਜਾ ਸਹੁ ਭਇਆ ਵਿਡਾਣਾ ॥1॥3॥
Mai rovandee sabh jag runaa runnrhay vanhu pankhayroo.
Ik na runaa mayray tan kaa birhaa jin ha-o pirahu vichhorhee.
Supnai aa-i-aa bhee ga-i-aa mai jal bhari-aa ro-ay.
Aa-ay na sakaa tujh kan pi-aaray bhayj na sakaa ko-ay.
Aa-o sabhaagee need–rhee-ay mat saho daykhaa so-ay.
Tai saahib kee baat je aakhai kaho naanak ki-aa deejai.
Sees vadhay kar baisan deejai vin sir sayv kareejai.
Ki-o na mareejai jee-arhaa na deejai jaa saho bha-i-aa vidaanaa. ||1||3||
In essence: As I cry, the entire world cries with me (takes pity on me), so do the birds of the forest. Only my sense of bodily separation is not crying (having this body-separation from Prabh doesn’t bother me) because of which I am separated from my Spouse. My Prabh Spouse came into my dream and went away; so I cried many tears. Oh my beloved! I can neither come to you, nor can I send anyone to you. Oh auspicious sleep! Please come to me so that I can see my spouse. Oh Nanak! What should be offered to that person, who gives me the message of my Master? (Answer) I would cut my head off and give to him to sit on it, and without my head, I shall serve him (means in utter humility I shall serve that person like a slave). If our Spouse becomes stranger, shouldn’t we die? Why shouldn’t we sacrifice ourselves to Him (to get Him back)?
Why loving Him is not limited to doing virtuous deeds only? Answer is in the way the Guru expresses his feelings for Him. In the following verses, please note that it is the same feeling of love in depth expressed in the above shabda. The feeling of separation from the Creator must be our asset as the Guru expresses on 94, SGGS
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਸਜਣੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮੁ ਰਾਇਆ ॥
ਕੋਈ ਆਣਿ ਮਿਲਾਵੈ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਜੀਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਹਉ ਰਹਿ ਨ ਸਕਾ ਬਿਨੁ ਦੇਖੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮਾ ਮੈ ਨੀਰੁ ਵਹੇ ਵਹਿ ਚਲੈ ਜੀਉ ॥3॥
Har har sajan mayraa pareetam raa-i-aa.
Ko-ee aan milaavai mayray paraan jeevaa-i-aa.
Ha-o reh na sakaa bin daykhay pareetamaa mai neer vahay veh chalai jee-o. ||3||
Har is my friend and my beloved king. I want someone to help me to meet with Him, who is the rejuvenator of my life. I cannot live without envisioning my beloved Har, and the tears are falling from my eyes (in the feeling of separation).
And, on 244-245, SGGS, the Guru in a nutshell expresses the same strong desire to see Akalpurakh; while feeling His separation passionately, he concludes that when He is realized, one’s oneness with Him becomes stable forever; it makes you cry if you happen to be in love with the Creator:
ਮਿਲੁ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮਾ ਜੀਉ ਤੁਧੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਖਰੀ ਨਿਮਾਣੀ ॥
ਮੈ ਨੈਣੀ ਨੀਦ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਜੀਉ ਭਾਵੈ ਅੰਨੁ ਨ ਪਾਣੀ ॥
ਪਾਣੀ ਅੰਨੁ ਨ ਭਾਵੈ ਮਰੀਐ ਹਾਵੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਪਿਰ ਕਿਉ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਈਐ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਆਗੈ ਕਰਉ ਬਿਨੰਤੀ ਜੇ ਗੁਰ ਭਾਵੈ ਜਿਉ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਿਵੈ ਮਿਲਾਈਐ ॥
ਆਪੇ ਮੇਲਿ ਲਏ ਸੁਖਦਾਤਾ ਆਪਿ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਘਰਿ ਆਏ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਾਮਣਿ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਹਾਗਣਿ ਨਾ ਪਿਰੁ ਮਰੈ ਨ ਜਾਏ ॥4॥2॥
Mil mayray pareetamaa jee-o tudh bin kharee nimaanee.
Mai nainee need na aavai jee-o bhaavai ann na paanee.
Paanee ann na bhaavai maree-ai haavai bin pir ki-o sukh paa-ee-ai.
Gur aagai kara-o binantee jay gur bhaavai ji-o milai tivai milaa-ee-ai.
Aapay mayl la-ay sukh–daata aap mili-aa ghar aa-ay.
Naanak kaaman sadaa suhaagan naa pir marai na jaa-ay. ||4||2||
In essence: Oh my Beloved! Meet me; without you I am utterly nothing. Without you, I don’t feel for asleep, food, and water. I am in sorrow because of being separated from you, my spouse. Yes, I don’t feel for food and water. How can I have peace without you? I pray to the Guru. If it pleases you, unite me with my Beloved. The peace giving Prabh unites the soul-bride with Him and He comes to her mind to meet. Oh Nanak! The bride, to whom Prabh unites with Him, has Him (her spouse) forever, because He doesn’t separate from her or die.
Definitely He will come to manifest in us if we change. Certainly His light will guide us if we change. Certainly we will learn how to be in love with Him truly if we change. Yes if we change, we will enter into a realm that cannot be expressed. All help is within us if we listen to the Guru and realize how deeply our Guru has felt for Him in this shabda. Life devoted to Him is not merely to give away in charity, helping people and speaking sweetly to others; doubtlessly, such virtues become only aiding-instruments to get drenched in His love, but experiencing Him is beyond that.
Regards,
G Singh
