Regardless our establishments or the wealth we obtain, we remain in a cycle of ups and downs; what all that is worth if we remain deficient in everlasting joy? It must be comprehended that the fulfillment of our conceit instinct is always temporary. To take us out of that unending cycle, Sri Guru Nanak ji doesn’t ask us to abandon what we have but to grip on the reality of our origin, Ekankar. I am going to share with my readers his shabda, through which he guarantees us to be in an interminable bliss by simply walking on a path that finally leads us to our Creator from whom we have originated and who is identified with many names having presence all over without any particular form. It is on 22 to 23, SGGS:
ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
ਵਣਜੁ ਕਰਹੁ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਹੋ ਵਖਰੁ ਲੇਹੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥ ਤੈਸੀ ਵਸਤੁ ਵਿਸਾਹੀਐ ਜੈਸੀ ਨਿਬਹੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥
ਅਗੈ ਸਾਹੁ ਸੁਜਾਣੁ ਹੈ ਲੈਸੀ ਵਸਤੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥੧॥
Sirīrāg mėhlā 1.
Vaṇaj karahu vaṇjāriho vakẖar leho samāl. Ŧaisī vasaṯ visāhī-ai jaisī nibhai nāl.
Agai sāhu sujāṇ hai laisī vasaṯ samāl. ||1||
Raag Sree Raag, the bani of first Nanak.
In essence: Oh traders! Do trade in in a way that you hold on to the merchandise you traded in (here the merchandise is Akalpurakh’s name memory, because the Guru defines it in the ‘Rahao’ verses) and make sure you have only that merchandise, which may last with you. Hereafter, the wise Merchant will take the genuine article (It will become clear in the next verses that the metaphors of trade and Merchant are used for Akalpurakh’s name that is remembered by His name lovers; it means we should praise Him only, because all the rest things do not go with us).
‘ਵਖਰੁ’ word is used for His name through which we remember Him in a process of surrendering to Him through which we realize His oneness and shed away our inclination to duality. The Guru basically asks us to remember Him in His love heartily:
ਭਾਈ ਰੇ ਰਾਮੁ ਕਹਹੁ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਇ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਜਸੁ ਵਖਰੁ ਲੈ ਚਲਹੁ ਸਹੁ ਦੇਖੈ ਪਤੀਆਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Bẖā-ī re rām kahhu cẖiṯ lā-e. Har jas vakẖar lai cẖalhu saho ḏekẖai paṯī-ā-e. ||1|| Rahā-o.
Oh Brother! Recite Har’s name from the heart. Take with you Har’s praise, because it is the real thing, and Har, the merchant, will be pleased with. Pause.
Now no doubt remains that trading in Akalpurakh’s love is remembering His name in a way that our living gets saturated in His memory; it is important to say this here that remembering His name merely or in a conditioned way is of no use ( ਰਾਮ ਰਾਮ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਕਹੈ ਕਹਿਐ ਰਾਮੁ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਰਾਮੁ ਮਨਿ ਵਸੈ ਤਾ ਫਲੁ ਪਾਵੈ ਕੋਇ ॥੧॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਗੋਵਿੰਦ ਜਿਸੁ ਲਾਗੈ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਤਿਸੁ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਸਦਾ ਮਨਿ ਚੀਤਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ Rām rām sabẖ ko kahai kahi-ai rām na ho-e. Gur parsādī rām man vasai ṯā fal pāvai ko-e. ||1|| Anṯar govinḏ jis lāgai parīṯ. Har ṯis kaḏe na vīsrai har har karahi saḏā man cẖīṯ. ||1|| Rahā-o. . In essence: All utter “Ram Ram” but merely uttering so, the success in realizing Him is not obtained. With the Guru’s blessings, when Ekankar abides in one’s mind, one obtains the fruit of that (remembering Ram Pause.); instead the Guru wants the seekers to surrender their hearts abandoning the worldly show off.
As we start living in His love while uttering His name, at one stage, we don’t speak at all and settle within in His love entirely. This is what the Guru promotes in the above verses
PAGE 23
ਜਿਨਾ ਰਾਸਿ ਨ ਸਚੁ ਹੈ ਕਿਉ ਤਿਨਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਖੋਟੈ ਵਣਜਿ ਵਣੰਜਿਐ ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਖੋਟਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਫਾਹੀ ਫਾਥੇ ਮਿਰਗ ਜਿਉ ਦੂਖੁ ਘਣੋ ਨਿਤ ਰੋਇ ॥੨॥
Jinā rās na sacẖ hai ki-o ṯinā sukẖ ho-e. Kẖotai vaṇaj vaṇanji-ai man ṯan kẖotā ho-e.
Fāhī fāthe mirag ji-o ḏūkẖ gẖaṇo niṯ ro-e. ||2||
How can those ones who do not have the wealth of Akalpurakh’s name obtain peace? As a result of involving in the false deeds for the false things, the mind and body become false. In such pursuits, the mortals endure a lot of pain just like the deer that gets caught in a trap; thus, they cry every day.
ਖੋਟੇ ਪੋਤੈ ਨਾ ਪਵਹਿ ਤਿਨ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਦਰਸੁ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਖੋਟੇ ਜਾਤਿ ਨ ਪਤਿ ਹੈ ਖੋਟਿ ਨ ਸੀਝਸਿ ਕੋਇ ॥
ਖੋਟੇ ਖੋਟੁ ਕਮਾਵਣਾ ਆਇ ਗਇਆ ਪਤਿ ਖੋਇ ॥੩॥
Kẖote poṯai nā pavėh ṯin har gur ḏaras na ho-e. Kẖote jāṯ na paṯ hai kẖot na sījẖas ko-e.
Kẖote kẖot kamāvaṇā ā-e ga-i-ā paṯ kẖo-e. ||3||
As the treasury does not accept the counterfeit currency, those persons who are into bad deeds do not see Har, the Guru. The false ones are not worthy of Har’s honor, because by practicing falsehood, they cannot succeed in realizing Him. The false one remains into bad deeds, loses His honor and keeps coming and going.
ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨੁ ਸਮਝਾਈਐ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਤਿਆ ਭਾਰੁ ਨ ਭਰਮੁ ਤਿਨਾਹ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਜਪਿ ਲਾਹਾ ਅਗਲਾ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਹਰਿ ਮਨ ਮਾਹ ॥੪॥੨੩॥
Nānak man samjā-ī-ai gur kai sabaḏ sālāh. Rām nām rang raṯi-ā bẖār na bẖaram ṯināh.
Har jap lāhā aglā nirbẖa-o har man māh. ||4||23||
Oh Nanak! The mind should be counseled through the Guru’s shabda. Those ones who are drenched in Har’s love carry no weight of sins and do not wander in doubt. They profit from praising Har’s name; consequently, the fearless, Har, abides in their minds.
How can the Creator who is without any form be made our darling? We need a special help in this regard; we need a Guru who has envisioned Him. The Guru is a spiritual counselor through whom the mind is reprogrammed to envision the unseen,139, SGGS:
ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮ; ੨ ॥
ਅਖੀ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਵੇਖਣਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਕੰਨਾ ਸੁਨਣਾ ॥ ਪੈਰਾ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਚਲਣਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਹਥਾ ਕਰਣਾ ॥
ਜੀਭੈ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਬੋਲਣਾ ਇਉ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਰਣਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਣਿ ਕੈ ਤਉ ਖਸਮੈ ਮਿਲਣਾ ॥੧॥
Salok mėhlā 2.
Akẖī bājẖahu vekẖ-ṇā viṇ kanna sunṇā. Pairā bājẖahu cẖalṇā viṇ hathā karṇā.
Jībẖai bājẖahu bolṇā i-o jīvaṯ marṇā. Nānak hukam pacẖẖāṇ kai ṯa-o kẖasmai milṇā. ||1||
Slok of Second Nanak.
In essence: (To be with Ekankar, one needs to change totally). Oh Nanak! To meet the master, Ekankar, who cannot be understood with the given eyes, ears, hands, feet and tongue, one has to overcome one’s self-conceit and live in utter humility by understanding His ordinance.
How?
ਮ; ੨ ॥
ਦਿਸੈ ਸੁਣੀਐ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਸਾਉ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਰੁਹਲਾ ਟੁੰਡਾ ਅੰਧੁਲਾ ਕਿਉ ਗਲਿ ਲਗੈ ਧਾਇ ॥
ਭੈ ਕੇ ਚਰਣ ਕਰ ਭਾਵ ਕੇ ਲੋਇਣ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹੈ ਸਿਆਣੀਏ ਇਵ ਕੰਤ ਮਿਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
Mėhlā 2.
Ḏisai suṇī-ai jāṇī-ai sā-o na pā-i-ā jā-e. Ruhlā tundā anḏẖulā ki-o gal lagai ḏẖā-e.
Bẖai ke cẖaraṇ kar bẖāv ke lo-iṇ suraṯ kare-i.
Nānak kahai si-āṇī-e iv kanṯ milāvā ho-e. ||2||
The bani of Second Nanak.
In essence: (Literally the Guru elaborates his first Slok in this slok) Ekankar is heard and known, but why the taste of His union is not obtained? (Reason) How a lame and armless person can embrace anyone? (Neither have we arms to embrace Him, nor feet to walk toward Him; now the answer in detail) Make fearing from Ekankar your feet to walk toward Him; make your love for Him, your hands to hold Him and your meditation on Him your eyes to see Him. Nanak says: Oh wise bride! This is the way, the union with the Spouse occurs.
What we have like eyes, ears, feet, hands and tongues cannot help us in seeing the Creator, because they are guided by our self-conceit, greed, the worldly attachment, anger and lust; therefore, we fail to use them to see Ekankar. The Guru makes clear in this slok that overcoming conceit and embracing humility is important (living without eyes, hears, hands, feet and tongue). It is living in Ekankar’s fear and loving Him heartily that take us closer to Him, and it is His meditation that makes us behold Him.
The mind can go through three states. Three states of the mind are: that state of mind when it remains enveloped in the needs (physical or mental) of the body. The second state is when it gets keyed up through the Guru’s guidance and counsels itself to realize its inner-self/jyot-sroop. The third one is when it realizes that (beyond the limits of body) its real jyot/light is a part of the all-pervading Creator. Thus, the Guru counsels the seeker to take the mind to the third state and be one with Ekankar.
As we see the power of Maya attachment, we all will not attain the third state; nonetheless, the Guru desires from us to be in the third state eventually. We celebrate our Guru’s birthday again and again but why don’t we start loving the Creator sincerely as the Guru instructs us and pursue for the third state by pledging to him starting on his birthday? Living in His love, we will relish happiness by being pure, unbiased and above greed, attachment, lust and anger; then the third state will automatically become inevitable.
Wishes
Gurdeep Singh
