Sri Guru Granth Sahib echoes around the inexpressible love of the Creator’s lovers; instead of learning how to get absorbed in that echo, sometimes we get enveloped in very small pursuits. For example, many of my Sikh brothers and sisters are stuck with one name of our Creator and question the names other people give to Him, but our Guru clearly says that he sacrifices to all the names given to Him; that is another reason he calls Him “Kartar/Creator” and with many more names; in reality there is no name that is enough to describe Him (1067, SGGS ). Please look on how the Guru feels about the names given to Him:
ਨਾਨਕੁ ਵੇਚਾਰਾ ਕਿਆ ਕਹੈ ॥
ਸਭੁ ਲੋਕੁ ਸਲਾਹੇ ਏਕਸੈ ॥
Nānak vecẖārā ki-ā kahai.
Sabẖ lok salāhe eksai.
What poor Nanak can say? The entire world is praising you only.
ਸਿਰੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਲੋਕਾ ਪਾਵ ਹੈ ॥
ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਜਾਉ ਜੇਤੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਨਾਵ ਹੈ ॥੪॥੨॥
Sir Nānak lokā pāv hai.
Balihārī jā-o jeṯe ṯere nāv hai. ||4||2||
(1168, SGGS)
Nanak’s head is on the feet of those people (who praise you); I sacrifice to all your names.
“Name” is just a word that associates us with someone or a thing or a place through very short introduction, and when any name given to the Creator is enshrined within us in love, it reflects His image in such a way that it glows in our memory forever. First Nanak uses “Naon/ ਨਾਉ “, 4, SGGS, to express the visible and invisible presence of the Creator; therefore, debating about the “Name” will take us nowhere. As we walk away from such futile arguments, we follow His memory to explore its depth. Many times, our souls, enslaved by outer influences, fail to envision the infinity of the Creator beyond a simple name; all the same, when the skin of outer influences is shed off, our souls get tuned to the echo of our Creator’s love transmitted beautifully through the Gurbani. Then it is heard and felt by going through very personal and spiritual experience. To materialize such experience, we need to, as per our Guru’s advice, get rid of our garbs of hypocrisy and to shatter the concrete walls of our conceit, greed, anger and attachment. Once they are destroyed, we enter into a very fascinating realm. And if someone asks us to explain it, we cannot. Second Nanak has made it clear that such experience needs different eyes and ears (139, SGGS ) and when it is materialized, it cannot be expressed through words. Our Guru keeps giving us examples after examples to take us out of the outer influences and to enable us to materialize the same experience he had personally. Repeatedly he says that everything is within us for that realization (110, SGGS). You may bring psychology or any mundane issue or cultural understanding as an important element of day-to-day life, but the experience of the ultimate truth is above all that. It is very hard journey, and in a crowd, it never becomes explicit. Leaving the crowd helps us though. The crowd holds on to commotion, but this journey is of silence that enables us to merge with the echo of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. We will look at the following Slok of First Nanak that clearly state the causes of our failure in realizing the ultimate experience, which is beyond words. It helps us how free we become once we get rid of the baggage we carry on unnecessarily.
ਮਃ ੧ ॥
ਸਉ ਮਣੁ ਹਸਤੀ ਘਿਉ ਗੁਡ਼ੁ ਖਾਵੈ ਪੰਜਿ ਸੈ ਦਾਣਾ ਖਾਇ ॥
ਡਕੈ ਫੂਕੈ ਖੇਹ ਉਡਾਵੈ ਸਾਹਿ ਗਇਐ ਪਛੁਤਾਇ ॥
ਅੰਧੀ ਫੂਕਿ ਮੁਈ ਦੇਵਾਨੀ ॥
ਖਸਮਿ ਮਿਟੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਭਾਨੀ ॥
ਅਧੁ ਗੁਲ੍ਹਾ ਚਿਡ਼ੀ ਕਾ ਚੁਗਣੁ ਗੈਣਿ ਚਡ਼ੀ ਬਿਲਲਾਇ ॥
ਖਸਮੈ ਭਾਵੈ ਓਹਾ ਚੰਗੀ ਜਿ ਕਰੇ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥
ਸਕਤਾ ਸੀਹੁ ਮਾਰੇ ਸੈ ਮਿਰਿਆ ਸਭ ਪਿਛੈ ਪੈ ਖਾਇ ॥
ਹੋਇ ਸਤਾਣਾ ਘੁਰੈ ਨ ਮਾਵੈ ਸਾਹਿ ਗਇਐ ਪਛੁਤਾਇ ॥
ਅੰਧਾ ਕਿਸ ਨੋ ਬੁਕਿ ਸੁਣਾਵੈ ॥
ਖਸਮੈ ਮੂਲਿ ਨ ਭਾਵੈ ॥
ਅਕ ਸਿਉ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਕਰੇ ਅਕ ਤਿਡਾ ਅਕ ਡਾਲੀ ਬਹਿ ਖਾਇ ॥
ਖਸਮੈ ਭਾਵੈ ਓਹੋ ਚੰਗਾ ਜਿ ਕਰੇ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਚਾਰਿ ਦਿਹਾਡ਼ੇ ਸੁਖਿ ਕੀਤੈ ਦੁਖੁ ਹੋਈ ॥
ਗਲਾ ਵਾਲੇ ਹੈਨਿ ਘਣੇਰੇ ਛਡਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਕੋਈ ॥
ਮਖੀ ਮਿਠੈ ਮਰਣਾ ॥
ਜਿਨ ਤੂ ਰਖਹਿ ਤਿਨ ਨੇਡ਼ਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਤਿਨ ਭਉ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਤਰਣਾ ॥੨॥
Mėhlā 1.
Sa-o maṇ hasṯī gẖi-o guṛ kẖāvai panj sai ḏāṇā kẖā-e.
Dakai fūkai kẖeh udāvai sāhi ga-i-ai pacẖẖuṯā-e.
Anḏẖī fūk mu-ī ḏevānī.
Kẖasam mitī fir bẖānī.
Aḏẖ gulĥā cẖiṛī kā cẖugaṇ gaiṇ cẖaṛī billā-e.
Kẖasmai bẖāvai ohā cẖangī jė kare kẖuḏā-e kẖuḏā-e.
Sakṯā sīhu māre sai miri-ā sabẖ picẖẖai pai kẖā-e.
Ho-e saṯāṇā gẖurai na māvai sāhi ga-i-ai pacẖẖuṯā-e.
Anḏẖā kis no buk suṇāvai.
Kẖasmai mūl na bẖāvai.
Ak si-o parīṯ kare ak ṯidā ak dālī bahi kẖā-e.
Kẖasmai bẖāvai oho cẖanga jė kare kẖuḏā-e kẖuḏā-e.
Nānak ḏunī-ā cẖār ḏihāṛe sukẖ kīṯai ḏukẖ ho-ī.
Galā vāle hain gẖaṇere cẖẖad na sakai ko-ī.
Makẖīʼn miṯẖai marṇā.
Jin ṯū rakẖėh ṯin neṛ na āvai ṯin bẖa-o sāgar ṯarṇā. ||2||
The bani of First Nanak
In essence: (Look at an elephant) Elephant eats hundred monds of Ghee, molasses (Sugar-gurh ) and five hundreds of corn; it belches, blows air out and scatters dust (with its feet), but all this ends as it breathes its last (in the same way, considering to be big ones, some people eat and show their power in pride, but they will regret when their death-call comes). The blind and foolish world is dying because of its conceit. One who is in Akalpurakh’s love eradicates one’s self-conceit and pleases Him, the Master of all. Look at a sparrow: it eats half a gram of corn, but as it ascends to the sky, it chirps; it appears it is uttering His name. One, who utters His name, pleases to the Master. A strong lion makes a kill, besides it, others also eat its kill. Being strong (with so much meat) and fat, it becomes too big to enter its own den, but when it dies, its all strength and power vanish. Being strong, for whom it roars? Such people who have pride do not please Akalpurakh. The milkweed cricket loves milkweed; it remains on it and eats its bough. If it utters Akalpurakh’s name, it pleases Him (the simple and content persons can please Him through their modesty and His praise). Oh Nanak! This worldly show is for a short period; with its reveling, the mind fills in pain. There are many people, who just talk of renouncing the worldly attractions, but rare are those, who actually do so. (Just as) A fly dies for sweets (people die in Maya). Oh Akalpurakh! Sweet Maya does not influence those to whom you save; in your fear, they swim across the worldly ocean.
Let us ponder over what is said in the slok. First instance is of an elephant that represents physical power, which is a source of conceit. Our Guru says that our conceit is the cause of our failure in spiritual progression. A person who is truly in love with the Creator remains aware of the negative power of Maya. Such a person lives according to the Guru’s given guidance sincerely. A powerful elephant lives, so does a small sparrow, which eats very little compare to the elephant. Notice how the sparrow flies up in the sky. The word “flying” is used to inspire us to rise above our bonds to envision Him. The second example is of a lion: the powerful animal is filled with conceit, but contrary to it, it is the milkweed cricket, which doesn’t behave conceitedly; instead it remains on milkweed-plant (remains content what is in its range) and keeps eating its bough. Both live, but lion that displays so much power dies a bad death. In these two examples, conceit and humility are referred to teach us that we are into displaying our conceit foolishly. The entire show of the world we are in is very limited. We pursue comforts, but through our pursuits, we end up in pains because we are enslaved by our conceit. People talk about the five negative forces like conceit, greed, lust, anger and attachment, and they also beat the drums of their efforts of eliminating them, but they remain soaked in them. With the Creator’s grace, one who rises above them shatters one’s bonds; thus one realizes Him; otherwise, as the fly dies infatuated with sweet, we will die without materializing the ultimate experience of realizing Him. Our conceit literally affects in all ways. If we secure an executive post,our behavior toward others changes, or if we secure power politically, we lower ourselves to animal mentality, or if we are criticized or opposed in our views, we want to set the scores right away through insults or bad mouthing. We only get demerits from our dear conceit. The great ones are those who are humble even being powerful; thus great is that one, who uses one’s power or capacity for the benefit of those, who don’t have any power. Suppression is a show of animal mentality. Our Guru is saying all these things through analogies of an elephant and a lion.
The Guru gives reason behind our strayed behavior on 1287:
ਮਃ ੧ ॥
ਰਾਜੁ ਮਾਲੁ ਰੂਪੁ ਜਾਤਿ ਜੋਬਨੁ ਪੰਜੇ ਠਗ ॥
ਏਨੀ ਠਗੀਂ ਜਗੁ ਠਗਿਆ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਰਖੀ ਲਜ ॥
ਏਨਾ ਠਗਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਠਗ ਸੇ ਜਿ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਪੈਰੀ ਪਾਹਿ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਰਮਾ ਬਾਹਰੇ ਹੋਰਿ ਕੇਤੇ ਮੁਠੇ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੨॥
Mėhlā 1.
Rāj māl rūp jāṯ joban panje ṯẖag.
Ėnī ṯẖagīʼn jag ṯẖagi-ā kinai na rakẖī laj.
Ėnā ṯẖagniĥ ṯẖag se jė gur kī pairī pāhi.
Nānak karmā bāhre hor keṯe muṯẖe jāhi. ||2||
The bani of First Nanak
In essence: Regime, wealth, beauty, high caste and youth are all just like five robbers. These five thugs have robbed the world (of virtues), and no one’s honor is spared. Those persons who take the Guru’s refuge rob the fives ones (As the Guru guides them to live in Har’s Will, their pride in ruling, wealth, beauty, caste and youth disappears totally). Oh Nanak! Without good luck, many others are being robbed by the five ones.
The other Slok is on 1287. Generally the crowd that falls for Maya wastes life, but those who become aware of Maya and its influences never fall for it, and they negate the crowd mentality in search of virtues; consequently, they experience Him within. People cry over death without knowing that it is there for all. Why? They fail to realize the impact of the Creator’s ultimate ordinance:
ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੧ ॥
ਰਾਤੀ ਕਾਲੁ ਘਟੈ ਦਿਨਿ ਕਾਲੁ ॥
ਛਿਜੈ ਕਾਇਆ ਹੋਇ ਪਰਾਲੁ ॥
ਵਰਤਣਿ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਸਰਬ ਜੰਜਾਲੁ ॥
ਭੁਲਿਆ ਚੁਕਿ ਗਇਆ ਤਪ ਤਾਲੁ ॥
ਅੰਧਾ ਝਖਿ ਝਖਿ ਪਇਆ ਝੇਰਿ ॥
ਪਿਛੈ ਰੋਵਹਿ ਲਿਆਵਹਿ ਫੇਰਿ ॥
ਬਿਨੁ ਬੂਝੇ ਕਿਛੁ ਸੂਝੈ ਨਾਹੀ ॥
ਜਾਂਹੀ ॥.ਮੋਇਆ ਰੋਂਹਿ ਰੋਂਦੇ ਮਰਿ
ਨਾਨਕ ਖਸਮੈ ਏਵੈ ਭਾਵੈ ॥
ਸੇਈ ਮੁਏ ਜਿਨ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥੧॥
Salok mėhlā 1.
Rāṯī kāl gẖatai ḏin kāl.
Cẖẖijai kā-i-ā ho-e parāl.
varṯaṇ varṯi-ā sarab janjāl.
Bẖuli-ā cẖuk ga-i-ā ṯap ṯāl.
Anḏẖā jẖakẖ jẖakẖ pa-i-ā jẖer.
Picẖẖai rovėh li-āvėh fer.
Bin būjẖe kicẖẖ sūjẖai nāhī.
Mo-i-ā roʼnhi roʼnḏe mar jāʼnhīʼn.
Nānak kẖasmai evai bẖāvai.
Se-ī mu-e jin cẖiṯ na āvai. ||1||
Slok of First Nanak
In essence: As day and night pass, the life span decreases; (thus) the body gets old and weak. (Eventually) the body wears off and it turns to be worthless like a straw. All are into involvements and entanglements. The strayed mortal has forgotten Har’s devotional deeds. The blind (Spiritually) mortals by worries and strife. They weep as if they would bring the dead back. Without having Har’s understanding, the mortals don’t understand the right way. They weep for others, but they also die. Oh Nanak! This is what pleases to our Master, Har. In fact, only those really die, who do not remember the Creator.
Every day, our life span decreases and it goes on decreasing as the clock of life keeps clicking on. If it is used just to gather wealth and to spread it, according to the Guru, we certainly miss a chance to realize our Creator. Just merely talking, people pass away with no achievement in spiritual realms; what they achieve may be a worldly thirst that never satiates. In the last verse of the slok, the Guru states that the ones who become one with the Creator never die; (really) die only those ones, who forget Him. Ponder over. Mere pleasing the mind through pleasures has no value in the Guru’s eyes.
ਮਃ ੧ ॥
ਮੁਆ ਪਿਆਰੁ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਮੁਈ ਮੁਆ ਵੈਰੁ ਵਾਦੀ ॥
ਵੰਨੁ ਗਇਆ ਰੂਪੁ ਵਿਣਸਿਆ ਦੁਖੀ ਦੇਹ ਰੁਲੀ ॥
ਕਿਥਹੁ ਆਇਆ ਕਹ ਗਇਆ ਕਿਹੁ ਨ ਸੀਓ ਕਿਹੁ ਸੀ ॥
ਮਨਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਗਲਾ ਗੋਈਆ ਕੀਤਾ ਚਾਉ ਰਲੀ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਸਚੇ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਿਰ ਖੁਰ ਪਤਿ ਪਾਟੀ ॥੨॥
Mėhlā 1.
Mu-ā pi-ār parīṯ mu-ī mu-ā vair vāḏī.
vann ga-i-ā rūp viṇsi-ā ḏukẖī ḏeh rulī.
Kithhu ā-i-ā kah ga-i-ā kihu na sī-o kihu sī.
Man mukẖ galā go-ī-ā kīṯā cẖā-o ralī.
Nānak sacẖe nām bin sir kẖur paṯ pātī. ||2||
The bani of First Nanak
In essence: When death comes, one’s worldly love, animosity and strife end; one’s color and beauty vanish; thus one’s body suffers and collapses. The people talk about the dead saying, “where has he gone? From where did he come? What quality he had and what didn’t he have? Well, he has enjoyed life.”(the fact is this) Oh Nanak! Without Prabh’s name, one loses one’s honor completely.
Within exists the presence of that Creator, who has created every life, every thing and beyond. What we see and verify can be our little world, but beyond it exists also the Creator, who doesn’t fall in our parameters of so-called logic. With what logic can we prove that there is an all-pervading Master? Indeed, we cannot. We accept that there is one all pervading Creator; however, we also see the world is divided into various countries that are enveloped in different sects or religions. With what knowledge we accept that there is only one Creator of the Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists? There are those people who claim that the Creator is only theirs and He approves them only. They feel pride in their own claims without any solid proof. One looks for peace through what one believes in. Thus in every realm, people fail logically. Being true followers, we believe what our Guru says about the Creator whom he has experienced in his own words (197, 351, 599, SGGS). The Guru says that regardless the religions and the countries, there is only one power that is beyond all and beyond the comprehension of our bodily capacities. The Guru verifies His existence and guides us to realize Him. If we follow nothing but what he says, he assures that we will envision Him within and out as well. The past time will never come back. The Gurbani stresses that with us goes nothing but His name; therefore, we should get soaked into His unconditional love. Remember the following verses on 244
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 ॥੪॥੨॥
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. Being separated from you, I am in sorrow, 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 her. Oh Nanak! That bride to whom Prabh unites with Him has Him (her spouse) forever, because He neither gets separated from her, nor dies.
I hope you have enjoyed these slok of the Guru and found useful for your spiritual pursuit.
Humbly
G Singh
