Continues from the last month…
Instead Of Establishing Him Falsely, Praise Him
In the following, the Guru keeps unfolding the identity of the Creator while advising the seeker not to waste time on man-made imaginary concepts about Him. It is His praise that helps in pursuing Him:
Pauri/Stanza-5
ਥਾਪਿਆ ਨ ਜਾਇ ਕੀਤਾ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Thāpi-ā na jā-e kīṯā na ho-e.
He cannot be established; He cannot be created.
The above verse is very powerful in context of understanding Akalpurakh. The Guru watched people creating their own God as per their convenient. Some people mythicized the Creator living up in the sky, and others assumed Him as an incarnating figure and named Him as per their wish. The Guru shatters all those illusions by saying that the Creator just cannot be established or created, because He is “apaar” (infinite/beyond boundaries) and beyond birth (ajooni); its reason is given in the next verse also.
ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਨਿਰੰਜਨੁ ਸੋਇ ॥
Āpe āp niranjan so-e.
He is from Himself and He is immaculate.
In the above verse, the word used in the Mool Mantra “ਸੈਭੰ” is also interpreted.
ਜਿਨਿ ਸੇਵਿਆ ਤਿਨਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਮਾਨੁ ॥
Jin sevi-ā ṯin pā-i-ā mān.
Those persons who serve Him obtain glory.
Ekankar honors those ones, who get involved in His praise. In the above verse, the power of His praise is explained. No one is special, high, or low in His court. His measure of testing us is to see if while living in this Maya, we remain imbued with His love or not. If we do, He showers honors on us; therefore,
ਨਾਨਕ ਗਾਵੀਐ ਗੁਣੀ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ॥
Nānak gāvī-ai guṇī niḏẖān.
Oh Nanak! Sing the praises of Akalpurakh, the treasure of virtues.
ਗਾਵੀਐ ਸੁਣੀਐ ਮਨਿ ਰਖੀਐ ਭਾਉ ॥
Gāvī-ai suṇī-ai man rakẖī-ai bẖā-o.
Sing and listen to His praises and let the mind be filled with His love;
Singing needs involvement, because without involving, singing fails; that is why the Guru advises his followers to sing Ekankar’s praises and hear “His praises.” The phrase “Man(i) rakhiai” is very important to understand why it is necessary to praise and to listen to His praise. The Guru stresses on singing and listening to the Creator’s praise, but he also says that all this should be done with impeccable sincerity (ਮਨਿ ਰਖੀਐ ਭਾਉ). Doing a ritual is a conditioned act, but anything done because of love contains sincerity.
ਦੁਖੁ ਪਰਹਰਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਘਰਿ ਲੈ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ḏukẖ parhar sukẖ gẖar lai jā-e.
By doing so (By praising Ekankar and listening to His praises in love), you get rid of your pains and obtain peace.
In other words, in His praise, trust in Him builds up and His ordinance is not questioned. This sort of approach keeps the mind at peace, because as faith in Him is built, one’s own mind’s questioning of uncertainty is given up.
What should we sing? The answer is the Guru’s bani, because:
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ॥
Gurmukẖ nāḏaʼn gurmukẖ veḏaʼn gurmukẖ rahi-ā samā-ī.
The Guru’s word is Ekankar’s praise; the Guru’s word is wisdom and through the Guru’s word, it is realized that Ekankar permeates all.
ਗੁਰੁ ਈਸਰੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੋਰਖੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਰਬਤੀ ਮਾਈ ॥
Gur īsar gur gorakẖ barmā gur pārbaṯī mā-ī.
Therefore, the Guru is Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma and Parvati mother for the Guru’s follower.
Above, the Guru indirectly negates importance of other established powers (entities) by comparing them with the Guru.
ਜੇ ਹਉ ਜਾਣਾ ਆਖਾ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਹਣਾ ਕਥਨੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥
Je ha-o jāṇā ākẖā nāhī kahṇā kathan na jā-ī.
Even if I know the Creator, I cannot explain Him, because He cannot be expressed in words fully (Indeed, He is inexpressible).
ਗੁਰਾ ਇਕ ਦੇਹਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥
Gurā ik ḏehi bujẖā-ī.
The Guru has given me this understanding:
Many interpreters take “Gura” as “Oh Guru!”; however, it is not “Gura” but Guran and it is used for the Guru in plural sense in respect (as in Punjabi we say: Guran ne hukam dita/the Guru ordered or Guran ne kiha/the Guru said).
ਸਭਨਾ ਜੀਆ ਕਾ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੫॥
Sabẖnā jī-ā kā ik ḏāṯā so mai visar na jā-ī. ||5||
There is only one giver, who gives to all the lives; therefore, I should not forget that Giver.
The Guru again stresses that there is only one Creator, who not only creates the lives but also gives sustenance to them. Why, in the duality, one should forget one’s bestowing Ekankar? It is better to praise Him by ignoring the man made concepts about Him; however, He should be praised only by harboring love within for Him; about it, the Guru has already defined that to get connected to Him, falling in love with Him is necessary; in other words to be in love with Him is a kind of way out to talk to Him. In His love, when one praises Him, one overcomes one’s load of worries. This is what the Guru says, and deeming the Guru, who has realized Him as His real broker is very vital. Establishing Him in something or at some places is a folly. What other people refer to some established personalities would not be as helpful as the true Guru, who has realized Him; therefore, the true Guru is the real redeemer. And the true Guru says that Akalpurakh, who supports all, should never ever be forgotten. In the following stanza, the Guru addresses the power one attains, and in the end he negates its importance in spiritual realm.
Distancing From Man Made Rituals To Get Close To All Powerful Ekankar:
Pauri/Stanza-6
Now the Guru takes on physical rituals, which do nothing in a spiritual journey; the Guru rejects all such kind of acts.
ਤੀਰਥਿ ਨਾਵਾ ਜੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਭਾਣੇ ਕਿ ਨਾਇ ਕਰੀ ॥
Ŧirath nāvā je ṯis bẖāvā viṇ bẖāṇe kė nā-e karī.
If it is acceptable to Prabh, only then I should bathe on pilgrimaging places; otherwise, if it is not, why shall I do that?
Basically the Guru has rejected outright the established rituals considered to be pure and to have a way out to please the Creator. To gain some thing, people do such acts all the time, but the Guru says that only His Hukam prevails and only He is the giver; therefore, we should honor His “will” by accepting it without complaining. Without knowing how to live in His ordinance, nothing can be gained through rituals of purifications. Its answer lies in the following verse:
ਜੇਤੀ ਸਿਰਠਿ ਉਪਾਈ ਵੇਖਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਕਰਮਾ ਕਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਲਈ ॥
Jeṯī siraṯẖ upā-ī vekẖā viṇ karmā kė milai la-ī.
The entire world and its things we see cannot be obtained without His grace; can anyone?
The Guru makes it clear that what all people get is because of Akalpurakh’s grace, because He is the only giver, and without His grace, no one can have these things. It may appear that one is getting through ones’ own efforts, but His laws remain behind what one obtains "ਵਿਣੁ ਕਰਮਾ ਕਿਛੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਨਾਹੀ ਜੇ ਬਹੁਤੇਰਾ ਧਾਵੈ ॥ Viṇ karmā kicẖẖ pā-ī-ai nāhī je bahuṯerā ḏẖāvai.: Without His grace, nothing is obtained even if one tries a lot”. {Tilang Mehla 1, SGGS-722}.
The next verse:
Instead of perusing all the things we see, the Guru guides us to other precious things to be found within us:
ਮਤਿ ਵਿਚਿ ਰਤਨ ਜਵਾਹਰ ਮਾਣਿਕ ਜੇ ਇਕ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸਿਖ ਸੁਣੀ ॥
Maṯ vicẖ raṯan javāhar māṇik je ik gur kī sikẖ suṇī.
Within us abide precious gems of wisdom and they are realized only if the Guru’s teaching is heeded.
In the above verse, the metaphors of jewels, gems, and pearl are used to give importance to the divine wisdom one obtains through the Guru. It is not important to do rituals or pilgrimages, but to listen to the Guru and to live according to his advice by believing in it. One must understand first that the Creator is the giver to all the lives:
ਗੁਰਾ ਇਕ ਦੇਹਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥
Gurā ik ḏehi bujẖā-ī.
The Guru has given me this understanding:
ਸਭਨਾ ਜੀਆ ਕਾ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੬॥
Sabẖnā jī-ā kā ik ḏāṯā so mai visar na jā-ī. ||6||
Of all the lives, there is only one giver. I should not forget Him!
The Guru is simply asking the seekers not to pay attention to what people have established financially by accepting the place Akalpurakh puts them in. if they realize Him, they remain above the idea of having or not having an established empire of wealth; therefore sticking to the Guru's advice that Akalpurakh is the giver of all and He should never be forgotten is very important to remain close to Him In the next stanza; in a nutshell, the Guru concludes that having wealth and other powers are of no use if one is not imbued with the Creator.
Pauri/Stanza-7
ਜੇ ਜੁਗ ਚਾਰੇ ਆਰਜਾ ਹੋਰ ਦਸੂਣੀ ਹੋਇ ॥
Je jug cẖāre ārjā hor ḏasūṇī ho-e.
Even if one could live throughout the four ages, or even ten times more, or
ਨਵਾ ਖੰਡਾ ਵਿਚਿ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਨਾਲਿ ਚਲੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥
Navā kẖanda vicẖ jāṇī-ai nāl cẖalai sabẖ ko-e.
even if one becomes known throughout the nine continents, if all people become one’s followers,
ਚੰਗਾ ਨਾਉ ਰਖਾਇ ਕੈ ਜਸੁ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਜਗਿ ਲੇਇ ॥
Cẖanga nā-o rakẖā-e kai jas kīraṯ jag le-e.
and because of one’s good name and reputation, people start praising one throughout the world,
ਜੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਨਦਰਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਤ ਵਾਤ ਨ ਪੁਛੈ ਕੇ ॥
Je ṯis naḏar na āvī ṯa vāṯ na pucẖẖai ke.
still if the Creator does not bless one with His Grace, one’s all achievements are useless.
The Guru first gives hint that it means nothing even if one prolongs one’s life, as many people were known to extend their lives for a long time as per the given references in the Hindu scriptures. If one, after having all those big things like long life, good name, fame, and full acceptance of the world, lacks His grace, one’s all establishments are useless; according to the Guru, the worldly acceptance is immaterial if Akalpurakh doesn’t bestow His grace.
ਕੀਟਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਕੀਟੁ ਕਰਿ ਦੋਸੀ ਦੋਸੁ ਧਰੇ ॥
Kītā anḏar kīt kar ḏosī ḏos ḏẖare.
Without His grace, such a person is considered like a lowest worm (insignificant) and can be blamed (for not getting imbued with the Creator).
Literally, the Guru takes one’s such achievements meaningless if one lacks Ekankar’s grace as, according to him, the worldly power is insignificant in the Creator’s court; such things are deemed as big establishments in the world though.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਿਰਗੁਣਿ ਗੁਣੁ ਕਰੇ ਗੁਣਵੰਤਿਆ ਗੁਣੁ ਦੇ ॥
Nānak nirguṇ guṇ kare guṇvanṯi-ā guṇ ḏe.
Oh Nanak! Akalpurakh bestows virtues on those ones, who have none, and also He blesses the knowledgeable ones with virtues
Only Akalpurakh is the virtue-giver; the virtues we see in others are actual a display of His grace, because
ਤੇਹਾ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਸੁਝਈ ਜਿ ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਣੁ ਕੋਇ ਕਰੇ ॥੭॥
Ŧehā ko-e na sujẖ-ī jė ṯis guṇ ko-e kare. ||7||
I cannot even think of anyone, who can bestow a virtue upon Akalpurakh (there is none).
It is the Creator, who is in control; no one can do anything. No one is equal to Him. Obviously, the Guru takes the seeker in search of Akalpurakh by advising him or her to ignore all those who are established financially or known big entities in religious circles. Once one convinced that none is equal to Akalpurakh, why then one would go for idols or so called enlightened ones, who are actually into Maya pursuits. To be famous ........... in context of the spirituality that connects us to our Creator If life is not spent in His love, the Guru says, it is just wasted, because no one as kind, powerful, passionate and caring as He is.
CONTINUES…….
Wishes
Gurdeep Singh
