AS HIS DOOR OPENS

In Raag Sarang. Fifth Nanak shares with his followers a personal experience of seeing the Eternal Creator, Guru ji in the ending Guru Vaak makes it clear that if someone has experienced HIM, it has happened due to the help of a Guru that has secured the path towards Him. In Guru’s refuge, the big wall of doubts and anxieties triggered by other temptations comes down to an end. As long as we remain attracted to other attractions instead of our Creator, we will not be able to get rid of anxieties that punish us regularly. Only in Guru’s refuge, as per his guidance, we are enabled to overcome any thing that hinders our progress to be with our Creator. Let’s enjoy that experience in Guru’s own words

A prayer filled with gratitude is offered to the Almighty in the following Guru Vaakas by stating that the achievement of realizing Him is obtained due to taking refuge in Him, Guru says “ since I have seen you oh Master, I have become free from the anxiety of the mind, so powerful is to be in your(Prabh Ji) refuge”

ਸਾਰਗ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸਰਣਾਈ ਆਇਆ ॥

ਉਤਰਿ ਗਇਓ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਸੰਸਾ ਜਬ ਤੇ ਦਰਸਨੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Sārag mėhlā 5. Ŧẖākur ṯumĥ sarṇā▫ī ā▫i▫ā. Uṯar ga▫i▫o mere man kā sansā jab ṯe ḏarsan pā▫i▫ā. ||1|| rahā▫o.

In Essence: Since I have come to your refuge and have your vision, my anxiety is gone.

Mortal doesn’t remain the same after experiencing the Creator, the behavior one displays before realizing Him goes away, a new worry free approach towards the world is built up within, all kinds of fears, concerns and anxieties do not influence the mind in bliss after seeing Him.

ਹੇ (ਮੇਰੇ) ਮਾਲਕ-ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! (ਮੈਂ) ਤੇਰੀ ਸਰਨ ਆਇਆ ਹਾਂ। ਜਦੋਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰਾ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ (ਤਦੋਂ ਤੋਂ ਹੀ) ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਤੋਂ (ਹਰੇਕ) ਸਹਿਮ ਲਹਿ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।੧।ਰਹਾਉ।

ਅਨਬੋਲਤ ਮੇਰੀ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਾਨੀ ਅਪਨਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਇਆ ॥

ਦੁਖ ਨਾਠੇ ਸੁਖ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਏ ਅਨਦ ਅਨਦ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇਆ ॥੧॥

Anbolaṯ merī birthā jānī apnā nām japā▫i▫ā. Ḏukẖ nāṯẖe sukẖ sahj samā▫e anaḏ anaḏ guṇ gā▫i▫ā. ||1||

In Essence: I even haven’t asked you but you have understood my need, you have blessed me to meditate on your Name, as I have started praising your virtues, all worries are disappeared and I have gotten wrapped in comforts of stability that has brought peace and poise in me.

When His grace occurs, God very well knows what the soul truly needs, it is repeatedly said in Gurbani that He is the Doer, He causes all beings to act (Asa Dee Vaar) as per His grace, He causes the soul to turn totally towards Him. As this act occurs, soul is set free from all worries and anxieties and it feels stable in happiness. His grace is hinted here as a vital factor in the journey towards Him

ਹੇ (ਮੇਰੇ) ਮਾਲਕ-ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਤੂੰ (ਸਦਾ ਹੀ ਮੇਰੇ) ਬਿਨਾ ਬੋਲਣ ਦੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਦੁੱਖ ਸਮਝ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ, ਤੂੰ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਮੈਥੋਂ ਆਪਣਾ ਨਾਮ ਜਪਾਇਆ ਹੈ। ਜਦੋਂ ਤੋਂ ਬੜੇ ਆਨੰਦ ਨਾਲ ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਮੇਰੇ (ਸਾਰੇ) ਦੁੱਖ ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਗਏ ਹਨ, ਸੁਖਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਆਤਮਕ ਅਡੋਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਮੈਂ ਮਗਨ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ।੧।

ਬਾਹ ਪਕਰਿ ਕਢਿ ਲੀਨੇ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਗ੍ਰਿਹ ਅੰਧ ਕੂਪ ਤੇ ਮਾਇਆ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਿ ਬੰਧਨ ਕਾਟੇ ਬਿਛੁਰਤ ਆਨਿ ਮਿਲਾਇਆ ॥੨॥੫੧॥੭੪॥

Bāh pakar kadẖ līne apune garih anḏẖ kūp ṯe mā▫i▫ā. Kaho Nānak gur banḏẖan kāte bicẖẖuraṯ ān milā▫i▫ā. ||2||51||74||

In Essence: (With His grace) Akalpurakh pulls (His servants) out of dark well of Maya. Nanak says that Guru has helped him in breaking his bonds (of Maya) and caused him to meet the Creator from whom he was separated.

As stated above, when His grace occurs, the deep dark well of Maya cannot hold the soul as a slave. In this Guru Vaak, importance of Guru is also expressed. It is the Guru who helps to break all those bonds of Maya that keep the soul away from the Creator. In that course of over coming Maya - Influences, the soul receives His grace; it gets united with Him from whom initially it was separated. In other words, it is a story of merging of a separated element with its origin
.

ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! (ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ) ਆਪਣੇ (ਸੇਵਕਾਂ) ਦੀ ਬਾਂਹ ਫੜ ਕੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਇਆ ਦੇ (ਮੋਹ ਦੇ) ਅੰਨ੍ਹੇ ਖੂਹ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਅੰਨ੍ਹੇ ਘਰ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਕੱਢ ਲੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਆਖ-ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ (ਜਿਸ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦੀਆਂ ਮਾਇਆ ਦੇ ਮੋਹ ਦੀਆਂ) ਫਾਹੀਆਂ ਕੱਟ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ, (ਪ੍ਰਭੂ-ਚਰਨਾਂ ਤੋਂ) ਵਿਛੁੜਦੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਲਿਆ ਕੇ (ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦੇ ਚਰਨਾਂ ਵਿਚ) ਮੇਲ ਦਿੱਤਾ।੨।੫੧।੭੪।

Blessings of Guru and Akalpurakh’s grace, change the destiny of the soul, this is what Guru shares with his followers in this Shabada. Guru Followers are advised to be in Guru’s refuge to fall only for the Creator. When mind honestly seeks only Him, that wish is fulfilled. If the mind is seeking Him but still is into Maya- attractions, nothing will happen. Second Nanak makes it very clear about the love one should have for Akalpurakh in Asa Dee Vaar.

ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੨ ॥ ਏਹ ਕਿਨੇਹੀ ਆਸਕੀ ਦੂਜੈ ਲਗੈ ਜਾਇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਆਸਕੁ ਕਾਂਢੀਐ ਸਦ ਹੀ ਰਹੈ ਸਮਾਇ ॥

ਚੰਗੈ ਚੰਗਾ ਕਰਿ ਮੰਨੇ ਮੰਦੈ ਮੰਦਾ ਹੋਇ ॥

ਆਸਕੁ ਏਹੁ ਨ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿ ਲੇਖੈ ਵਰਤੈ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥

Salok mėhlā 2. Ėh kinehī āskī ḏūjai lagai jā▫e. Nānak āsak kāʼndẖī▫ai saḏ hī rahai samā▫e. Cẖangai cẖanga kar manne manḏai manḏā ho▫e. Āsak ehu na ākẖī▫ai jė lekẖai varṯai so▫e. ||1||

In Essence: What kind of is this love that clings to others too? Nanak says that only that one should be called real lover of Him who remains absorbed in His Name. That person cannot be called true lover of HIM who is only happy If Akalpurakh blesses good way but complains if bad things happen(like in a trade, if we have profit, its good but if there is a loss, it is bad; in love such approach has no place)

The real Guru followers would go for the Creator by falling in love with Him with complete honesty. An experience is shared with us to inspire us to tread on Guru stated path very honestly. Why should we excuse ourselves from such a fulfilling path? Why should we cling to the things which will not go with us when the time to depart comes by? Why to live in anxieties? These are the questions that come to mind after studying this beautiful Shabada. How a Guru follower can miss that!

Interpretation in Punjabi is by Dr. Sahib Singh Ji