Most of the Sikhs often listen to a shabda given on 44, SGGS in which a reference to hundreds of millions of kingly happiness is given; some may take its literal meaning and say that with the Satiguru’s blessings, one’s life is showered with a huge financial gains; however, in this shabda, the reference is given to magnify the importance of living in the Creator’s love that results in unending bliss of life-time. In this context, a strong affinity toward the Guru is emphasized through which the psyche of obeying the Guru is germinated constantly to become a real Gurmukh/the Guru-oriented person, because then one’s efforts of falling in love with the Creator and living in His love become easy; thus it is a journey through which one becomes liberated while being alive in the Creator’s intense love. Let us go through this very shabda:
ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
ਸਭੇ ਥੋਕ ਪਰਾਪਤੇ ਜੇ ਆਵੈ ਇਕੁ ਹਥਿ ॥
ਜਨਮੁ ਪਦਾਰਥੁ ਸਫਲੁ ਹੈ ਜੇ ਸਚਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਥਿ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਮਹਲੁ ਪਰਾਪਤੇ ਜਿਸੁ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੋਵੈ ਮਥਿ ॥੧॥
ਸਭੇ ਥੋਕ ਪਰਾਪਤੇ ਜੇ ਆਵੈ ਇਕੁ ਹਥਿ ॥
ਜਨਮੁ ਪਦਾਰਥੁ ਸਫਲੁ ਹੈ ਜੇ ਸਚਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਥਿ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਮਹਲੁ ਪਰਾਪਤੇ ਜਿਸੁ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੋਵੈ ਮਥਿ ॥੧॥
Sirīrāg mėhlā 5.
Sabẖe thok parāpaṯe je āvai ik hath.
Janam paḏārath safal hai je sacẖā sabaḏ kath.
Gur ṯe mahal parāpaṯe jis likẖi-ā hovai math. ||1||
Raag Sree Raag, the bani of fifth Nanak.
In essence: Obtaining Akalpurakh is like obtaining everything. One’s life becomes fruitful if one praises Akalpurakh. Through the Guru, Akalpurakh’s abode is obtained if one is destined for that.
The Guru says that the realizing the Creator is bigger than any worldly achievement.
ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਏਕਸ ਸਿਉ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਇ ॥
ਏਕਸ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਭ ਧੰਧੁ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਮਿਥਿਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਮਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਏਕਸ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਭ ਧੰਧੁ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਮਿਥਿਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਮਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Mere man ekas si-o cẖiṯ lā-e.
Ėkas bin sabẖ ḏẖanḏẖ hai sabẖ mithi-ā moh mā-e. ||1|| Rahā-o.
Oh my mind! Attach only to Akalpurakh. Except attaching to Him, all the rest alliances with others are the useless entanglements of Maya. Pause.
Without the Creator, the entire worldly stuff is useless, because real bliss is in His love. Here are the verses I have mentioned in the beginning of this article:
ਲਖ ਖੁਸੀਆ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੀਆ ਜੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥
ਨਿਮਖ ਏਕ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦੇਇ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਸੀਤਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਜਿਸ ਕਉ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਤਿਨਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਚਰਨ ਗਹੇ ॥੨॥
ਨਿਮਖ ਏਕ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦੇਇ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਸੀਤਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਜਿਸ ਕਉ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਤਿਨਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਚਰਨ ਗਹੇ ॥੨॥
Lakẖ kẖusī-ā pāṯisāhī-ā je saṯgur naḏar kare-i.
Nimakẖ ek har nām ḏe-e merā man ṯan sīṯal ho-e.
Jis ka-o pūrab likẖi-ā ṯin saṯgur cẖaran gahe. ||2||
If the Satiguru blesses, one can enjoy happiness of having hundreds of thousands of empires. If I am blessed with Har’s name just for a moment, I get completely stilled. Those ones who have preordained writ take the Satiguru’s refuge.
Let us look at the verses number 2 carefully; the Guru says if with the Guru’s blessings, one gets imbued with the Creator, one enjoys that bliss which is like having the happiness of lakhs of kingdoms, because then one becomes a master of one’s desires, seer of others to guide them toward a righteous way and fearless person; for that, one needs just to be saturated in His name by becoming free from duality. Two things work here: the Guru’s blessings and one’s determined mind settled in Akalpurakh’s love. Once one settles in His love, one also feels unnecessary to run after other human beings either for the worldly gains, or to have a spiritual ambition.
ਸਫਲ ਮੂਰਤੁ ਸਫਲਾ ਘੜੀ ਜਿਤੁ ਸਚੇ ਨਾਲਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
ਦੂਖੁ ਸੰਤਾਪੁ ਨ ਲਗਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਧਾਰੁ ॥
ਬਾਹ ਪਕੜਿ ਗੁਰਿ ਕਾਢਿਆ ਸੋਈ ਉਤਰਿਆ ਪਾਰਿ ॥੩॥
ਦੂਖੁ ਸੰਤਾਪੁ ਨ ਲਗਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਧਾਰੁ ॥
ਬਾਹ ਪਕੜਿ ਗੁਰਿ ਕਾਢਿਆ ਸੋਈ ਉਤਰਿਆ ਪਾਰਿ ॥੩॥
Safal mūraṯ saflā gẖaṛī jiṯ sacẖe nāl pi-ār.
Ḏūkẖ sanṯāp na lag-ī jis har kā nām aḏẖār.
Bāh pakaṛ gur kādẖi-ā so-ī uṯri-ā pār. ||3||
That time and the moment are auspicious and useful when one falls in love with Har. A person who takes only the support of Har’s name doesn’t go through sufferings and sorrows. Only that person whom the Guru saves from Maya swims across (The Maya ocean).
Those who remain soaked in His love become free of worries and sorrows, because they comprehend His ordinance in effect unceasingly. They know that only Ekankar is in charge; He is not only responsible for the creation but also sustains it through His ordinance. Thus they understand what the Guru said in Japji:
ਕੀਤਾ ਪਸਾਉ ਏਕੋ ਕਵਾਉ ॥
Kīṯā pasā-o eko kavā-o.
In essence: Ekankar has created the universe with His command.
Let me comment on a peculiar analysis of this very verse of some Sikh-scholars, who take the meaning of ਕਵਾਉ as energy by referring its meaning to Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha’s encyclopedia; they think, its meaning should be “from one energy-source, all expansion came into existence”; by trying to extract science out of this verse, they relate it to the big bang theory, but I disagree. If we take the meaning of ਕਵਾਉ as energy, then what we will do with ਕੀਤਾ ਪਸਾਉ which means expansion is done (subject is understood and that is Ekankar)? The first verse says the expansion is done, but who did it? If it is all created from the energy, then who is the one, who used it for the expansion? Thus we have to deem energy as a separate thing from Ekankar, but the Guru says on 4, SGGS:
ਜੇਤਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਤੇਤਾ ਨਾਉ ॥ ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋ ਥਾਉ ॥
Jeṯā kīṯā ṯeṯā nā-o. Viṇ nāvai nāhī ko thā-o.
All what He has created is Him (His name). There is not a place without His name (Ekankar)
Obviously including the energy, it is Ekankar only; some people just like to guess, but after looking into the entirety of SGGS, their guesses carry no weight. Now we learn that it is the Guru’s guidance that helps us in achieving such a kind of state of mind in which His oneness is realized: seeing His energy in everything. In the last verses of the shabda, the Guru says
ਥਾਨੁ ਸੁਹਾਵਾ ਪਵਿਤੁ ਹੈ ਜਿਥੈ ਸੰਤ ਸਭਾ ॥
ਢੋਈ ਤਿਸ ਹੀ ਨੋ ਮਿਲੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਪੂਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਲਭਾ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਬਧਾ ਘਰੁ ਤਹਾਂ ਜਿਥੈ ਮਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਜਨਮੁ ਜਰਾ ॥੪॥੬॥੭੬॥
ਢੋਈ ਤਿਸ ਹੀ ਨੋ ਮਿਲੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਪੂਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਲਭਾ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਬਧਾ ਘਰੁ ਤਹਾਂ ਜਿਥੈ ਮਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਜਨਮੁ ਜਰਾ ॥੪॥੬॥੭੬॥
Thān suhāvā paviṯ hai jithai sanṯ sabẖā.
Dẖo-ī ṯis hī no milai jin pūrā gurū labẖā.
Nānak baḏẖā gẖar ṯahāʼn jithai miraṯ na janam jarā. ||4||6||76||
That place is embellished and pure where the Sant’s congregation is held. Oh Nanak! Only those ones who have found the Guru’s protection (from the Maya influence) obtain a place where death or birth doesn’t exist.
Obviously, only through the Guru, a state of “Sehj” is obtained; to groom the mind for it, it is necessary to have a company of those, who are in love with the Creator, because such peoples’ congregation supports the seeker to obtain a unique state of mind in which the worldly fears and concepts fade away, because His oneness becomes clear. Then even in the negative people, His presence is felt, because then it is realized that the negativity in them is because of their hostility toward His oneness. Look around what is going on; in the Sikh circles, there are those preachers, who talk about mythical stories while interpreting the bani and then there are other progressive preachers, who try to distort the bani to accommodate their own thinking they perceived while reading communism or science or western thoughts. In the company of such individuals, a possibility of going strayed often remains; therefore, stick to that kind of congregation in which only the Guru’s thoughts are passed on without any individual filtrations. In a company of such kind of people, the mind is taught to focus on the Creator only that leads the seeker eventually to becoming one with Him. Such a state of mind is filled with that kind of bliss, which is equal to hundreds of thousands of the worldly kingdoms. Don’t give up just after listening to the shabda we have just gone through; instead, start preparing yourself to get imbued with the all pervading Creator. Once this path is adopted, with an urge to elevate to the higher state of mind, we become so keyed up that nothing can detour us away from it. We often fail in this unique pursuit, because after listening to the shabdas, we get back to the routine that may never inspire us to attain the goal the Guru has put before us.
Wishes
Gurdeep Singh
