Hymns of . Guru Nanak Other books in this series The- Mahabharata In Worship of Shiva The Ramayana -~ Q *Oh~-"'f""""-\"~~

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Hymns of Guru Nanak

Translated by Khushwant Singh

Illustrations by Arpita Singh

~ Orient Longman ORIENT LONGMAN UMITED Registned Offia 3-6-272 Himayamagar, Hyderabad 500 029 Other Offias . Kamani Marg, Ballard Estate, Bombay 400 038 l.7 CbittarailjanAven\le, Calc\ltta 700 072 . 160 Anna SaIat, Madras 600 002 1/24 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi 110 002 BOil Mahauna Gandhi Road, Bangalore 560 001 3-6-272 Himayamagar, Hyderabad 500 029 Birla Mandir Road, Pama 800 001 'Patiala House' 16-A Ashok Marg, lucknow 226 001 S.c. Goswami Road, Panbazar, Guwahati 781 001

UNESCO COLLECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE WQRKS: INDIAN SERIES English Translation C UNESCO 1969 First publish~ Orient Longman 1969 by arrangement with UNESCO

Design, illustrations and cover C Orient Longman 1991 This edition 1991

lSBN 0 86311 1556

Book Design: Orient Longman Typeset in Berkdey by Swapna Printets, Calcutta and The Typesetters: Bombay Processed at Jasra Graphics, Bombay, and Prinlai in IndJa .at Conway Printets, Bombay Published by Orient Longman Umilai Kamani Mug, Ballard Estate, Bombay 400 038 Table of Contents

• Chapter Page Preface VII 1 life of Guru Nanak 1 2 ]apji, the Morning Prayer 13 3 Hymns from Sri Raga 24 4 Hymns from Var Majh 46 5 Hymns from Raga Gaudi 51 6 Hymns from Raga Asa 58 7 Hymns from Asa-di-Var 72 8 Hymns from Raga Gujri 78 9 Hymns from Raga Vadhans 80 10 Hymns from Raga Sorath 83 11 Hymns from Raga Dhanasari 85 12 Hymns from Raga Tilang 90 13 Hymns from Raga Suhi 92 14 Hymns from Raga Bilaval 94 15 Hymns from Siddha Goshta 96 16 Hymns of the Bara Mah 104 . Appendix 1: Religious Inheritance III Appendix 2: The Message 114 Glossary of Terms 118 Notes on the Colour Plates 120 Acknowledgements 122 Colour .. Plates

Number Facing Page 1 'One evening in July .... ' 2 ·2 'He blessed the swans and bade them godspeed ..... ' 8 3 'As a beggar goes a-begging ' 20 4 'Come my sister let us embrace ' 26 5 A fish. in the "deep and salty sea .. "' 36 6 'Love thy Lord as the Chakvi loves the sun .... ' 42 7 'As Krishna sporting in the hands of Yashodhara .... ' 46 8 'like birds at dusk settling on trees ' 52 9 'He first conquered Khorasan '. 64 10 'Black buck listen to me ' 70 11 '1 plaited my tresses ' 80 12 'The firmament is Thy salver ' 86 13 'The yogiS took their seats ' 96 14 'It is spri~g.' 104 15 'Without the Lord I alone am bereft of joy.... ' 106 16 'The bough remainethever green .... ' 108 Preface

'Use your intelligence in serving God and in hymns as he composed them. It is also likely gaining merit; use your brain to read and that the ragas in which they were to be sung understand what you read and how you give were chosen by Nanak and his companion, itn charity. This is the only way; the rest is the the Muslim rebeck-player, Mardana. Guru Ar­ doing of the devil,' writes Nanak. Those who jun scrutinized all the writings ascribed to the do not use their brains and intelligence to un­ guru that he could obtain and on the basis of ravel the secrets of the divine word, Nanak either handwriting or the thought-content or castigates as 'real donkeys' braying with unde­ some other evidence, accepted 985 hymns as served pride. genuine. No manuscript in Guru Nanak's own It is not easy to 'unravel the secrets' of handwriting is known to be extant. Nanak's words. The Adi Granth contains I had hoped very much to be able to put the almost a thousand hymns of Nanak under hymns I have translated captioned under eighteen different ragas. (The Granth is di­ different themes with whkh they dealt. This vided into thirty-one ragas or melodies in has not been possible as most hymns do in fact which the hymns are sung.) The arrangement touch upon a variety of themes. 1have, conse­ is therefore not according to subject-matter quently, accepted the traditional pattern of the but dictated by musical considerations and the Adi Granth. The Morning Prayer,Japji and ~he chronological order of the gurus and the saint­ hymn to the seasons - Bara Mah (the twelve poets whose compositions are included in the months) - have been translated in full. In the sacred anthology. Besides this fact there are .case of the dawn hymns, Asa-di-var and the other difficulties. There is no reliable evidence dialogue with Yogis, Siddha Goshta, I have regarding the time or circumstance in which selected a few verses for translation and given the hymns were composed. Diction, dialect a synopsis in prose of the others. The remain­ and style vary enormously. All we can accept ing hymns appear in the order -of ragas of the with certainty is the version of the Life History sacred scripture. which says that Nanak always carried a bag strung on his shoulder into which he put KHUSHWANT SINGH 1 Life of Guru Nanak

,0 n .the night of the full moon in At the age of seven Nariak was taken to the month ofVaisakh in Samvat a pandit to be taught. Nanak apparendy 1526,' says the more authentic turned the tables on his teacher and his version-Mehervan'sJanam Sakhi--on the discourse with his teacher is the subject of life of Guru Nanak, 'Tripta, the wife of a beautiful hymn in Sri Raga. Mehta Kallan Das Bedi of Talwandi Rae Bhoe, was in labour. Three-quattersofthe The only rcalleaming (says Nanak) is the wor­ night had passed. The morning star shone ship ofGod; the rest is ofno avail, andwisdom bright in the eastern sky; it was the hour devoid of the knowledge of the creator is but of early dawn when she was delivered of the noose of ignorance about one's neck. He her second child, a son.' that repeats the name ofthe Lord in this world, will reap his reward in the world to come. Nanak's birthwas thus on 15 April 1469. Do you know (says Nanak) how and why However, in order to continue an old trad­ men come into thisworldandwhythey depan? ition, the event is celebrated on the full Why some become rich and others poor? Why moon night in the month of November. some hold coun while others go begging door As to the place of his birth, it is thought to door-and even of the beggars why some that the name Nanak was given to the child receive alms while others do not? Take it from because he was born in the house of his me, 0 pandit, that those who have enjoyed maternal grandparents or nankey which power and ease in this life and not given praise was either in Kahna Kacha or Chalewal, to the Lord will surely be punished-just as two villages in the district of Lahore. the dhobi (washerman) beats dirty clothes on Nanak was a precocious child; smiling slabs of stones, so will they be beaten; just as and Sitting up in early infancy. When he an oilman grinds oilseeds to extract oil will was only five years old, people noticed that they beground; justas the miller crushes grain between his millstones will they be crushed. he did not play with other boys but spoke On the other hand, those that are poor and words of wisdom well beyond his years. those that have to beg for their living, who The people's reactions were interesting. spend their lives in prayer will receive their Whosoever heard him, Hindu or Muslim, honour and reward in the divine coun ofjus­ was certain that God spoke through the tice. litde boy-and this belief grew stronger as He that has fear of God (says Nanak) is free Nanak grew older. from all fears. But monarch or commoner, he 1 that feats not God \Vill be reduced to6St and _janeau: 'Do the Brahmins ~dKshatriyas :00 reborn to suffer the. panss ofhel1. that lose their faith if they lose their sacred whl~ isgained by ~hood~unclean. thread? Is their faith maintained by their The only truth is God. OUf only love should thread or by their deeds?' be for God who is ili'imQrtal; why love those Nanak was the despair of his parents. that will- perish-son, wife, ~~ -wealth, He refused to do any kind of work. If he youth--all- are subject to decay and· death. was sent to graze cattle, he let them stray [Mehervan:]anam Salehi]. into people's fields; if he was given money to do trade, he would give it away to the Ayear later Nanakwas sentt() theVillage poor and the hungry. He was saved from o~r mosque to learn Arabic and SUDjects. the wrath ofhis father by his mother and Here, -too, -Nanak astounded his teacher: siSter-and by the village-folk who bore wimess to the many miracles they had seen The mullah wrote down the Arabic alphabet emana~e from Nanak. from a1i£ to·yea. Nanak at once mastered the writing .00 the pronunciation of. ~ lettas,. At the age ofsixteen Nanak was married and within a few days had learnt artdunetic, to Sulakhni, daughter ofMulChand Chona accounting, and everything -else. die muUah of.Batala. They had two sons, Sri Chand could teach. Themullahmarvelled, 'GftatGod! and Lakhm:i Das, and perhaps a daughter Other children have been struggling for ten or daughters who died in infancy. Family years and cannottell one letter- from anOther~ life did not diven Nanak's attention for too and this child has byThy grace leartlt ~ within long. His moods would suddenly descend a rnatterof days.' IMehervan:]aDIIJn s.kbii~. upon him and he would remain silent for many days and then becomeargumentative on subjects suc-has God, man, death, ritual Nanak was a moody child an~ofteIi and moral Values.. And he remained as­ refused to speak to anyone for days on indifferent to making a living as he had end. He wandered about the woods been before he became a husband and absorbed in observing the phenomenon of father. nature: the advent of spring with its bees and butterflies; the searing heat of·summer One evening in July (says -Mehervan's ]anam that burned up·all vegetation followed by Salehi)"the skies over Talwandi were darkened the monsoon which miractilously restored by black monsoon clouds anditbegan to pour. life and turned the countryside green; the At night the sky was rent with flashes of light­ ways of the birds and beasts ofthe jungle. Ding and there was a fearful cmsh of thunder. All this mystery~med young Nanak's . Nanak began to sing hymns in pmise of the mind and h~ began to ponder over the Lord. His mother came to him and said, 'Son character of the Creator, Preserver and it is time you had some sleep.' Just then the Destroyer-and to question tbeetlicacy of cuckoo called 'peeoh, peeoh', _and Nanak - ritual both Hindu and Muslim. repli~, 'Mother, when my rival is awake, how When he was. only nine Nanak can I sleep?' - demanded of the Brah:miD priest who·had come to invest himwith the sacred thread, It became evident to the people that it 2

would not be long before Nanak 'took the does not rejoice at the sight of the blossoming hermit's path in search of truth and, once of nature until it is blessed with the name of . when a group of holy men happened tQ the Lord. We must first subdue our ego, sing pass through Talwandi on their way to a praises of the Lord and then our hearts to? pilgriJDage, Nanak'smother expressed her will be fragrant.' apprehensions, 'We do not understand what you say,' they protested, 'wewant to teU you thatinthe woods the treeS are so green that we cannot find words 'I know: she said, 'that one of these days to describe them; there are varieties of flowers you too will be leaving me to go on a pilgrim­ whose beauty is beyond the speech of man; age. I do not complain but would like to know there are fruits whose lusciousness is beyond what is gained by going to holy places.' praise; and beneath them the shade is cool an.d 'Nothing: replied Nanak categorically. 'It is fragrant. You should see these things with your in our own body that we have to build our own eyes.' . temples, free our minds from the snares of 'The Lord's grace:says Nanak, 'gave the trees maya,. renounce evil deeds and give praise to . their new foliage. His decrees covered them our Maker. This is as good as going to bathe with blossoms of great beauty and filled their in the -sixty-eight holy places of pilgrimage.' fruits with sweet nec~e. When they have 'Then tell these holy men that they pursue their foliage the Lord makes their shade cool the path of error~' said Nanak's mother. 'Tell and fragrant. I have such foliage in my own them that God can be found in their own heart with similar flowers, fruit and cool shade, houses.' and people seek shelter under it.' 'Let each one find. his own path,' replied Nan8k. 'Why should 1 worry my head about 'The great God has given us eyes to see, ears their methods?' to hear and a mouth to speak and eat the com that grows. Why has he given uS these things?' The beauty of the woodland in spring 'He has given you eyes not merely to gape at the woods but to behold His creation and cast its usual spell. But, for Nanak, the marvel at it; ears to hear godly counsel; the _ beauty was now tinged with anguish for tongue to speak the truth. Thereafter whatever he needed to know the truth ofthe reality you receive is your true wealth and sustenance.' that did not change with the seasons. A The young men did not undeIStand all that beautiful hymn in Raga Basant sums up Nanak said. They tried once more to persuade the feeling: I him to come out with them. 'Spring comes but once a year and nature dons its garb of green It was springtime. The trees were in new but once. Then comes the faU. Trees lose their leaf; many wild shrubs were in flower. The foliage and the woods are barren of beauty. If woods around Talwandi were a beauteous you want to see nature at its best, see it in the sight. Young men of his village came to him month of Chaitra. ' and said, 'Nanak, it is spring; come with us 'Months and seasons ever come and go and and let Us behold the wonders of nature.' come again: replied Nanak. 'Trees and bushes 'The month of Chairra,' said Nanak, 'is the attain foliage at one season, lose it at another most beautiful ofthe twelve months of the year and once again become green when the season because all is green and every living thing turns. The lesson for you is to see that those seems to blossom into fullness. But my heart who do good acts reap the fruit of good action

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--_..._.. ------~--'--'----- and those who do evil, wither and die; those life in an ideal manner. Every evening he who take the name ofthe Lord ever have spring and Mardana would sing hymns before in their hearts. The grape only receives itsjuice retiring to bed. Nanak would wak~ up during the monsoon but the good man receives while it was still dark, and, after a dip in his reward at all times of the year and all times the river close by, sing hymns with the of the day and night. Human birth is the coterie ofhis followers. After which, at the springtime of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth; it is the time for you to plant the seed appointed hour, Nanak would go to the of good action and reap its fruit in Ufe thereaf­ court of the Nawab and apply himself to ter; in this do not tarry.' his work. Though he won the approbation of his As Nanakgreweven moredetached from employer and those he dealt with, Nanak the ties of living, he took no notice of his was unhappy. wife or children, of his goods or of the people about him. His life became one of 'This has been suddenly put around my nee' prayer, almsgiving, ablution and the seek­ like a noose,' he said. He began tosay to himselt ing after knowledge; nam, dan, isnan and that if he had to serve anyone, wouldn't it be gyan. Lust, anger and pride fell away as wiser to serve his own Master who is within Nanak's heart was filled with truth and him instead ofthe poison without? It is all very well to seek knowledge and wisdom but one blessed contentment. Nanak lived in this cannot escape the noose ofmaya without sow­ state 'like one drunk' for some years till his ing seeds of good actions. One cannot earn sister, Nanaki, now married, took the situ­ wages without service and it is the love of the ation in hand. She persuaded her husband, wage which stands in the way ofrenunciation. jai Ram, to invite her brother over to Sul­ Why not then serve. the great Master who is tanpur, where they lived, and get him the Lord ofall? Nanak postponed his decision employment with his master, Nawab with the thought: 'I, Nanak, am no better than Daulat Khan Lodhi. others; others are no worse than I; what the Nanak went to Sultanpur accompanied Lord wills, Nanak will honour and obey.' by a family servant, a Muslim named Mar­ [Mehervan: ]snam Sakhi.] dana, who was to become his closest com­ panion. Mardana, the]anam Sakhi tells us, It was, however, clear that the time of came from the brewer caste, and was a decision was at hand. • gifted musician. Mardana played the rabab and also sang hymns. Nanak's days were spent in noting down Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi was impres­ receipts and expenses. At the end of the day he added up the totals to make sure they tallied sed with the integrity of his new with the accounts. He often had to work late storekeeper and accountant. Nanak would into the night adding up his figures under the not' accept bribes from agents and refused Ught of the lamp. One night he got angry with to follow the corrupt practices of his pre­ himself and threw away his pen and account decessors. The people in Sultanpur could books. He asked himself, 'Why have I got not stop praising Nanak. involved in these affairs and forgotten my In Sultanpur Nanak organized his daily Maker? Am I destined to spend my days and 5 nights writingaccounts? Itisa vastnetinwhich I find myself caught; if I let the days go by the noose will close tighter around me. If I have to bum the midnight oil, itshouldbe for some­ thing worthwhile.' Nanak pondered over these things late into the night and, instead ofretUrning home, went to the stream to bathe. He prayed, 'Lord send me a guru, a guide who will show me the path that leads to Thy mansion.' That very night God revealed Himself to Nanak. Nanak prayed fervendy and begged the Lord to forgive him and remove him from the world which had so ensnared him. The Lord asked Nanak, 'Why are you sO agitated? You have done no wrong.' 'I have let my mind tum fromThee: replied Nanak, 'to the petty trifles of the world.' 'Your errors have I forgiven. The maya that you complain of is also a pan of Me. What you see is but its shadow.' 'Lord destroy in me the longing for worldly gain.' . 'Nanak you shall no more crave for worldly gain. I am pleased with you. On you be My blessing.' [Mehervan: ]anam Salehi].

The mystic experience that finally made Nanak rake up his mission is put at diffe­ rent times and is variously described. The incident took place in August 1507 on the third night before the full moon.

The moon had set, [says the]anarn Salehi] but • it was dark and the stars still twinkled in the sky when Nanak, followed by his servant, went to the river. Nanak took off his kurta and dhod and stepped into the stream. He c10sedhis nostrils and ducked into the water. He did not come up. The servantwaited a while and then, panicking, ran up and down the river banK crying for Nanak. A strange voice rose from the waters saying, '00 not lose patience.' 6

'. Mardana, however, ran back to Sultanpur band of hermits. and sobbed out his story. A great commotion Soon people began expressing them­ took place in the town because Nanak was selves loudly. 'Nanak was a sensible man,' loved by all-Hindus and Muslims, the rich some said, 'but now he has lost his head.' and the poor. When Daulat Khan Lodhi heard 'He is stricken with the fear of the Lord,' of the mishap he was most distressed. 'Friends,' said others, 'and is no longer himself.' he said, 'Nanak was a man of God. Let us 'Something in the river has bitten him,' the dredge the river and rescue his corpse.' rest were convinced, and took to calling him 'mad, bewitched.' While the people of Sultanpur were dredging the river, Nanak was conducted 'It is the Lord who has possessed me and made into the presence of God. me mad,' explained Nanak. 'If I find merit in the eyes of my Lord, then will I have justified The Almighty gave him a bowl of milk. 'Nanak, my· waywardness.' drink this bowl,' He commanded. 'It is not 'Nanak, you are a different person today milk as it may seem; this is nectar (amrit). It from what you were,' the people exclaimed. will give thee power ofprayer; love ofworship, 'Tell us the path you intend to take. We only truth and contentment.' know of two ways; one of the Hindus and the Nanak drank the nectar and was overcome. other of the Mussalmans.' He made another obeisance. The Almighty 'There is no Hindu, there is no Mussalman,' then blessed him. 'I release thee from the cycle replied Nanak. of binh, death and rebinh; he that sets his eyes 'You talk in cryptic language,' they said. 'In on you with faith will be saved; he that hears this world we understand the two ways--of your words with conviction will be helped by Hinduism and of Islam.' Me; he that you forgive will be forgiven by Me. 'There are no Mussalmans, there are no Hin­ I grant thee salvation. Nanak go back to the dus,' repeated Nanak. [Mehervan: ]anam evil world and teach men and women to pray Sakhi]. (nam), to give in charity (dan) and to live cleanly (isnan). Do good to the world and redeem ,it in the age of sin (Kaliyuga).' Nanak spent another two years in and [Mehervan: ]anam Sakhi]. around Sultanpur before he forsook the habitations of men and took to the forests At dawn, three days later, on the full and solitude. The faithful Mardana was his moon in August Nanak re-emerged from sole companion. He took on a strange the Bein. Nanak was thitty-six years old dress: a cloth cap (se1i topee), a long cloak and now a changed and determined man. worn by Muslim mendicants, a beggar's While the people clamoured around him bowl, staff and prayer mat. When asked acclaiming him a new messiah, he paid no why he wore this outlandish garb, Nanak heed. 'What have I to do with men like replied, 'I am dressed like a clown for the these!' he said to himself. He gave away all amusement of my Master. If my apparel he had to the poor. He even cast off his pleases Him, I will be happy.' clothes keeping for himself only a Nanak's first journey took himeastwards loin-cloth. He left his home and joined a to Hindu centres Of pilgrin;J.age. His biog- 7 taphies·· have fabricated may illcidents because even ifhis eyes lose their light, a blind based on Nanak's hynms--iDany cfwhich man can hear and speak and comprehend, but ckptctthe Guru's love for nature. one who has lost his mind has lost all. What avail is the giving of alms to one who sins by One day,says Mchervan's ]anmJSa1cbi. Nanak day and gives in charity at night.? A stone dam and MardaDa,.~ aavdling. espied a tlock can hold the Rood but if the dam bursts you of swans flying ovahead.· Nanak was cannot repair the breach by plastering mud. bewitched aad begm to run after than with Evil is like the Rood, the stone dam like faith. his eyes fixed on the birds. Mardana followed If faith weakens. the dam will give way and him. The D.ock descended in a field and let the Rood will sweep all before it. Its force is Nanak approach them without showing any then so great that no boat nor boatman dare sign of fear-for Nanak was a man of God, embark on it to save its victims. Then nothing who harmed no one. Nanakadmired the birds; abides save the Name of the Lord.' [Mehervan: their long slender necks, their luminous dark }amm Sakhi.] eyes and their silver-white plumage. He won­ dered whether these birds-who spanned the We do not know howlong Nanak stayed heavens-had ever cast their eyes. on their in Delhi. He proceeded to Hardwar on the Maker. Why, he asked himsdf, should such Ganges. It was apparendyata time ofsome beautiful birds wander restlessly across the religious festival when large crowds· had continenr#-rrom Khorasan in Central Asia to turned up to bathe in the 'holy' river. Mar­ Hindustan and back again to .Khora$an? He dana was very impressed with the sight blessed the swans and bade than~on their journey. . and said to Nanak: 'What a lot of good people there are in the world! They must Another hymn UIustl'ates the political be genuinely desirous of improving them­ and soda1 conditio~ of the time through selves that brings them on a pilgrimage: picturing.an incident that occurred in the Nanak was notso impressed by the sight suburbs of the capital city, Delhi. of the people "washing away their sins" by the ritual ofbathing. 'Only a bullion dealer can tell the difference between the genuine The citywas a~ the time ruled by a bloodthirsty Pathan king (Ibrahim Lodhi), Nanak's fame . and the counterfeit,' he replied, 'and at this had preceded him and large crowds ofcitizens, place there is no bullion dealer.' . sightseers and seekers after ttuth, Muslims as . Nanak and,Mardana·stayed at Hardwar we1l.as Hindus, came to see him. Near NaDak's for some time in order to be present.at the camp was a place where beggars and m~­ Baisakhi (March-April) fair. It was on this ants were fed free of charge by the wicked occasion that anincident. that made Nanak king. The people told Nanak of their king's famous, took place. evil ways and hOW' he expiated his sins by feeding beggars. There was a large crowd bathing in the river. Nanak spoke to than. 'Usten ye children of Nanak saw them face eastwards and throw .God! This charity of the king ~ of no conse­ palmfuls of water to the sun. Nanak entered quence; it is·the aa of a blind man stumbling the stream. and statted throwing water west­ in the dark. He ~ worse than a blind man wards. 8

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'In the name of Rama!' exclaimed the By austerity, truth, restraint in his heart.' shocked pilgrims, 'who is this man who throws IMehervan: ]a~ Sakhi.] water to the west 1 He is either mad or a Mus­ sahnan.' They approached Nanak and asked From Hardwar, Nanak and Mardana pro­ him why he offered water in the wrong direc­ ceeded to Prayag (modem Allahabad) tion~ Nanak asked them why they threw it where the rivers Jamuna and the Saraswati eastWards to the sun. join the Ganges. From Prayag, the guru 'We offer -it to' our dead ancestors,' they went to Banaras, the centre ofHindu learn­ replied. ing and orthodoxy. The Adi Granth 'Where are your dead ancestors l' describes· the many encounters Guru .'With the gods in heaven.' Nanak had with pandits who chided him 'How far is the abode of the gods l' '49 crore kos from here.' . for his unorthodoxy and probed his know­ 'Does the water get that far l' ledge of the sacred texts. 'Without doubt ! But why do you throw it 'It matters not how many cartloads of westwards l' learning you have nor what learned com­ Nanak replied, 'My home and lands are near pany you keep; it matters not how many Lahore. It has rained everywhere except on my boat-loads of books you carry nor the tree land. I am therefore watering my fields.' of knowledge; it matters not how many 'Man of God, how can you water your fields years or months you spend in study nor near Lahore from this place ?' with what passion and single-mindedness 'Ifyou can send it 49 crore kos to the abode you pursue knowledge. Only one thing of the gods, why can't I send it to Lahore which really matters, the rest is but a whirlwind is only a couple of hundred kos away!' The people were abashed at this reply. 'He of the ego.' is not mad,' they said, 'he is surely a great seer.' 'And what is the one thing thatmatters ?' [Mehervan: ]anam Sakhi.] they asked. Nanak replied-There are a hundred A large number of Hindu pilgrims who falsehoods, but this one sovereign had foregathered at Hardwar became disci­ truth-that unless truth enters the soul all ples of the guru. He stayed on there after . service and study is false.' the Baisakhi festival preaching to the Nanak was equally forthright about the people: pandits' fetish ofthe purityoftheir cooking vessels and kitchens. He decided to draw 'The most precious gift of God is human their attention to this in his usual manner birth because it is by reason and responsible of highlighting the incongruous aspects. action as human beings that we can get out of Nanak went with them and saw with the vicious circle oflife, death and rebirth and whatcare they bathed, scrubbed their ut~­ attain salvation. One must abolish duality in sils, swept the ground near the hearth, order to be a complete devotee.' washed the vegetables and cooked the 'And how does one overcome duality?' they food. When one plate was laid before asked. 'By faith in the One; by hearing and speaking Nanak, he refused to eat from it. 'I am not of the One; by never abandoning belief in Him. satisfied with the purity of the food you 10 offer me. It is prepared by one who is full His new disciples tried to persuade ofsin and sins cannot be cleansed bywash- Nanak to settle down in Banaras. Nanak ing the body.' - refused to do so. 'I pursue the one and The pandits did not fully comprehend only path of devotion to God.' he replied, . the impon of Nanak's words and prepared 'your learning and religion do not appeal the meal afresh. This time they dug up the to me and I have no interest in trade other eanh and re-plastered it; they even washed than the name ofGod for God Himself has the logs of wood before kindling them. extinguished the desire for acquisition in Again Nanak refused to partake ofthe meal me.' and continued his sermon. 'You err in Piecing together evidence from other believing that purity can be gained by sources we find that the first journeyappa­ scrubbing and washing. That does not rently took the guru as far east as Bengal apply even to inanimate things like wood, and Assam. On his way back to the Punjab, dung-fuel or water, much less to a human he spent some days at Jagannath Puri. He being. Man is unclean when his hean is travelled round the Punjab and visited the tainted with greed, his tongue coated with Sufi headquaners at Pak Pattan before he falsehood, his eyes envious of the beauty set out on his second long voyage-this of another's wife or his wealth, his ears time southwards. He is said to have travel­ dirty with slander. All these can only be led through Tamil Nadu: Kerala, Konkan cleansed by knowledge. ~asically all men and Rajasthan-though there is little evi­ are good but often they pursue a predeter­ dence to show that he did so. mined path to hell.' Nanak sojourned in the Himalayas for Nanak was questioned on his attitude some time before he set out on his last and towards the sacred texts of the Hindus: longest journey. This was westwards to the 'The Vedas say one thing and you another. Muslims' holy cities Mecca and Medina as People who read the Vedas do not follow far as Baghdad. It was on this journey that their teachings and now you confuse them another incident took place. He was staying more than ever. Why don't you either com­ in a mosque and fell asleep with· his feet bine your teaching with that of the Vedas towards the Ka'ba-an act considered of or separate them more distinctly?' grave disrespect to the house ofGod. When Nanak replied, 'The Vedas tell you of the mullah came to say his prayers, he the difference between good and evil. Sin shook Nanak rudely and said: '0 servant is the seed of hell; chastity the seed of of God, thou hast thy feet towards Ka'ba, paradise. Knowledge and the teaching of the house of God; why hast thou done the Vedas complement each other; they are such a thing ?' to one another as merchandise to the mer­ Nanak replied: 'Then tum my feet chant.' towards some direction where there is no It would appear that by this time Nanak God nor the Ka'ba.' had decided that his faith was to be an By the time Nanak returned home, the eclectic one for he sang hymns ofNamdev, Mughal Babar had invaded the Punjab. The Kabir, Ravi Dass, Sain and Beni. Guru was at Saidpur when the town was 11 .sackedby theinvaders. NaIlakmakes many You place flowers on either Side, Hindus references to the havoc causedbythis inva- on my right, Muslims on my left. Those sion. . whose flowers remain fresh tomorrow will Nanakwas by,this time too old to under­ have their way: He asked them to pray. take any more s~nuousjoutneys. He set­ . When the.prayer was over, Nanak pulled dedinthe village Kartarpur where he~t the sheet over him and went to eternal . the last years Q£ his'life pleaching to the . sleep. Next morning when they raised the people. His disciples came to be known as sheet they found nothing. The flowers of Sikhs (from the Sanskrit shishya or Pali both communities were fresh. The Hindus sikkha) ..He built a dharamshaJa (abode of took theirs; the Muslirits took those that faith) whose inmates followed a striCt code they had placed. of discipline: rising well before dawn, It is litde wonder that Nanak came to bathing and then foregathering· in the be revered as the king or shah of the holy dharamshaJa for prayer and hymn-singing. men, the guru of the Hindus and the peer They went about their daily chores and of the Mussalmans: met again for the evening seIVi~e. At·the dharamshaJa was the guru-ka-Jangar (the Baba Nanak Shah Fakeer guru's kitchen) where all who came were Hindu ka Guru, Mussa1ma{l ka Peer obliged to break bread withoutdistinction of caste or religion. Among Nanak's disciples was a man cal­ led Lehna whom Nanak chose in prefer­ ence to his 'sons as his successor. Said Nanak to Lehna: 'Thou an Angad, a. part ofmy body,' and asked another disciple to daub Angad's forehead with saffron and proclaim him the second guru. Nanak died in the early hours of the morning of 22 September 1539. He was a poet and lover of.nature to the last. As he lay on his deathbed he recalled the scenes of his childhood. 'The tamarisk must be in flower now; thepampas grass mustbewav­ ing . its woolly head in the breeze; the cicadas must be calling in the lonely ghides: he said before he closed his eyes in eternal sleep. . Mehervan's ]anam Salehi records the manner his body was laid to rest. Said the Mussalmans: 'we will bury him'~ the Hin­ dus: 'we will cremate him'; Nanak Said: 12 2 Japji, the Morning Prayer

]apji is the most important prayer of the Sikhs. it is the command of the great Creator that I It was recognized as such by the fifth guru, must compose a hymn of praise.' Whereupon AIjun, when he compiled the Adi Granth and Nanak handed the entire treasury of his own gave it the first place in the sacred anthology. compositions to Angad with the behest: 'Now According to tradition when some disciples it is for you to make up the ]ap.' And then in complained that the language of]apji was too Nanak's presence, Angad arranged the verses involved and needed to be elucidated through in order to make up the lap. He selected explanatory hymns, Guru AIjun replied that thirty-eight verses out ofNanak's compositions the entire Adi Granth was but an elucidation to get the essence of his teaching. According of]apji. to Dr Mohan Singh and Professor Sahib Singh We are not quite certain ofthe circumstances the probable elite of the composition of the and the date of the composition of ]apji. verses of the ]apji in the order they appear According to most ]anam Sakhis the opening today was A.D. 1532, seven years before the lines were recited by Guru Nanak during his guru's death. mystical experience at Sultanpur when he dis­ ]apji follows the traditional pattern of com­ appeared in the river Bein. This would make positions of the times beginning with an invo­ ]apji amongst Nanak's earliest compositions cation to God (mangalacharan) and ending and before he set out on his distant voyages, with thanksgiving on the successful comple­ i.e., some time between A.D. 1500 and 1507. tion of the work. Most Sikh scholars do notaccept this version ]apji opens with a statement on the nature of the ]anam Sakhis and are of the opinion of God: His uniqueness, omnipotence, immor­ that ]apji as well as compositions such as tality, etc. and reaffirms His being both Truth Asa-di-Var, Siddha Goshtfl and Barah Mah and Reality. It concludes with another state­ show a maturity of style an'Ci thought-content ment to the effect that knowledge of God is which indicates their having been composed obtained only through the grace of the guru.. after the guru had finished his travels and had This is the moo} mantra (root or seed mantra) settled down at Kartarpur. Dr Mohan Singh of the Sikh faith. These lines precede all Sikh cites a seventeenth century manuscript which prayers as mangalacharan, exactly as Bismil­ states that while theguru was at Kartarpur, he lah-hir-Rahman-i-Rahim--in the name ofGod, was· summoned to the presence of God and the Beneficent, the Merciful--appears before ordered to compose the ]apji. He accordingly every chapter of the Koran. They are the stan­ addressed his chief disciple and destined suc­ dard form of diksha (gift) that a guru gives to cessOr, Angad, in the following words: 'Man, his disciple on initiation (guru-mantra). The next few lines re-state ,the mool mantra And sayeth Nanak re-emphasizing the timeless and sat (meaning. , Evermore shall Truth prevail. , both Truth and Reality) qualitieS of God., 1 Thereafter begins the jap. ' The questfor tnlth is stated in the first verse. Not by thought alone Since the aim of life is to know God and be Can He be known, united with Him and neither thinking, nor Though one think , meditation, nor penance,.nor any other device A hundred thousand times; reveals the secret, how can we tear the veil of Not in solemn silence illusion that covers our eyes and get to know Nor in deep meditation. the Truth? The rest of the verses are ananswer Accumulation of the wealth of the world to these questions withvarious diversions from Cannot appease the hunger for truth, the theme of how to observe the ordinances No, by none of these, ofGod: Fourverses at the end (34-37) indicate Nor by a hundred thousand other devices, the steps by which man progresses to spiritual Can God be reached. emancipation. Starting from the earth which How then shall the Truth be known? is the realm of law, he proceeds to acquire How the veil of false illusion torn? learriing in the realm of knowledge. The third o Nanak, thus runneth the writ divine, stage is the realm ofbeauty and the fourth the Abide by His will ,and make it thine. realm ofaction. The journey ends in the realm 2 of truth, and merger with God. The last verse By Him are all forms created, of ]apji sums up all that it'takes to achieve But His ordinances we do not know, perfection: self.-control, patience, knowledge, By Him infused with life and blessed, fear ofGod andloveofGod andearnestp1'8yer. ,By Him are some to excellence elated, Others born lowly and depressed. JAPJI By His writ some have pleasure, others pain; By His grace some are saved, There is One,God Others doomed to die, re-live and die His Name is TI\1th. again. He is the Creator, His will encompasseth all, there be none He is without fear and without hate. beside. He is beyond time,Immortal, o Nanak, he who knows, hath no ego His Spirit pervades the universe. and no pride. He is not born, Nor does He die to be born again, 3 He is self-existent. Who has the power to p1'8ise His might? By the guru's grace shalt thou worship Him. Who has the measure of His bounty? Of His portents who has the sight? ]ap Who can value His virtue, His deeds, His Before time itself charity? There was Truth, Who has the knowledge of His wisdom? When time began to run its course OfHis deep, impenetrable thought? He became the Truth. How worship Him who creates life, Even now; He is the Truth Then destroys, 14 And having destroyed doth re-create? God is the Goddess too. How worship Him who appeareth far Words to describe are hard to find, Yet is ever present and proximate? I would venture if I knew.' There is no end to His description, This alone the guru my teacher taught: Though the speakers and their There is but one Lord of all creation, speeches be legion. Forget Him not. He the Giver ever giveth, 6 We who receive grow weary, On His bounty humanity liveth If it pleases the Lord From primal age to posterity, In holy waters would I bathe, o Nanak, He is joyous and carefree. If it pleases Him not, Wonhless is that pilgrimage. 4 This is the law of all creation, God is the Master, God is Truth, That nothing's gained save by action. His name spelleth love divine, Thy mind, wherein buried lie His creatures ever cry: '0 give, 0 give', Precious stones, jewels, gems, .He the bounteous doth never decline. Shall opened be if thou but try What then in offering shall we bring And hearken to the guru's word. That we may see His coun above? This alone the guru my teacher taught, What then shall we say in speech There is but one Lord of all creation, That hearing may evoke His love? Forget Him not. In the ambrosial hours of a fragrant dawn 7 On truth and greamess ponder in meditation, Were life's span extended to the four ages Through action determine how thou be And ten times more, born, Were one known over the nine shores Through grace alone will come salvation. Ever in humanity's fore, o Nanak, this need we know alone, Were one to achieve greamess That God and Truth are two in one. With a name noised over the eanh, If one found not favour with the Lord S What would it all be wonh ? He cannot be proved, for He is uncreated; Among the worms be as vermin, He is without matter, self-existent. By sinners be accused of sin. They that serve shall honoured be, o Nanak, the Lord fills the vicious with o Nanak, the Lord is most excellent. vinue, Praise th~ Lord, hear them that do Him The vinuous maketh more true. praise, Knowest thou of any other In your hearts His name be graven Who in turn could the Lord thus favour? Sorrows from your soul erase And make your hearts a joyous haven. 8 The guru's word hath Vedic learning, By hearing the Word For though it be the guru's word Men achieve wisdom, saintliness, courage God Himself speaks therein. and contentment. Thus run the words of the guru: By hearing the Word . 'God is the Destroyer, Preserver and Creator, Men learn of the eanh, the power that supports it, and t:be firmament One plumbs the depths of viAue's sea. By hearing the word· ' By hearing the Word Men learn of the .upper and nether One acquires .learning, holiness and regions, o.f isIands·and continents.. royalty. By hearing meW()I'd . .' By hearing the Word Men conquer the· fear of death and the The blind see and their paths are made elements. . visible. o Nanak, the Wordbath such magicfor the By hearing the Word worshippers, The fathomless becOmes fordable. Those that hear, death do not fear. '0Nanak, theWord hathsuch magic for the Their sorrows end and sins disaPPear. worshippers, 9 Those that hear,'death do not fear, Their sorrows end and sins disappear. By hearing the Word ' Mortals are to godliness raised. 12 By hearing the Word The believer's bliss one cannot describe, The foul-mouthed are filled. with pious He .who endeavours regrets in the end, praise. There is no paper, pen, nor any scribe By hearing the Word . Who can the believer's state comprehend. Are revealed the secrets of yoga, body The Name of the Lotd is immaculate, . and of nature. He who would know must have faith. By hearing the Word 13 Is acquired the wisdom of all the scriptures. o Nanak, theWordhathsuchmagic for the The believer hath Wisdom and worshippers, understanding; Those that hear. death do not fear, The believer hath knowledge of all the Their sorrows end and sins disappear. spheres; The believershall notstumbleinignorance, 10 Nor of death have any fears. By hearing the Word The Name of the Lord is immaculate. One learns of truth, contentment, and He who would know must have faith. becomes wise. 14 By hearing the Word The need for pilgrimages does not arise. The believer's way is of obstructions free; By hearing the Word The believer is honourec:t in the presence The student achieves scholastic distinction. sublime; By hearing the Word The believer's path is nOt lost in error, ~tation. For faith hath taught him law divine. The mind is easily led to TheName of the Lord is immaculate, o Nanak, the Word hath such magic for the worshippers, . He who would know must have faith. Those that hear, death do not fear, 15 Their sorrows md and sins, disappear. The believer'reaches'the gates of salvation; 11 His kith and kin he also saves. Having saved himself; to his disciples he By hearing the Word ' shows the way. 16 They do not go a-begging, they do not go worldly attachments, astray. There is no count of sages immersed in The Name of the Lord is immaculate, thought and reason, He who would know must have faith. Nor of those who love humanity and are 16 benevolent. There is no count of warriors who match Thus are chosen the leaders of men, their strength with steel, Thus honoured in God's estimation; Nor of those who contemplate in peace Though they grace the courts of kings, and are silent. Their minds are fixed on the guru alone. What might have I to praise Thy might? Their words are weighed with reason, I have not power to give it praise. They know that God's works are legion. Whatever be Thy wish, I say Amen, Law which like the fabled bull supports Mayest Thou endure, 0 Formless One. the eanh 18 Is of compassion born; Though it binds the world in harmony, There is no countoffools whowillnotsee, Its strands are thin and worn. Nor of thieves who live by fraud, He who the truth would learn There is no count of despots practising Must knowofthe bullandthe load itbore, tyranny, For there are worlds besides our own Nor of those whose hands are soiled with And beyond them many more. blood, Who is it that bears these burdens? There is no countofthose who sinandgo What power bears him that beareth them? free, Of creatures of diverse kinds and colours Norofliars caught in theweb offalsehood, The ever-flowing pen hath made record. There is nocountofthe pollutedwho live Can anyone write what it hath writ? on filth, Or say how great a task was it? Norofthe evil-tongued weighed downwith How describe His beauty and His might? calumny His bounty how estimate? The .lowly Nanak reasons thus How speak of Him who with one word Not once have I sacrificed my life to Thee Did the whole universe create, Whatever be Thy wish, I say Amen, And made a thousand rivers flow therein? Mayest Thou endure, 0 Formless One. What might have I to praise Thy might? 19 I have not power to give it praise. Whatever be Thy wish, I say Amen, There is no count of Thy names and Mayest Thou endure, 0 Formless One. habitations, Thy realm is beyond comprehension 17 Foolish it is to tty and count There is nocount of those who pray, Myriads are Thy manifestations. Nor of those who Thee adore; Though bywordsalone we give Thee name There is no count of those who worship, and praise, Nor of those who by penance set store. And by words, reason, worship and Thy There is no count of those who read the virtue compute; holy books aloud, Though bywordsalone wewrite andspeak Nor "Of yogis whose minds are free of And bywords ourties with Thee constitute; The Word does not irs Creator bind. Only Thou who made it an can speak, What Thou ordaiDest,we receive. For knowledge is Thine alone. Allcreation isa manifestationofThy Word, ,How then ,shall I know Thee, how Thy Name in an places do we find. describe, praise and name?, What might have I to praise Thy might? o Nanak, many there be who pretend to I have not power to give it praiSe. know, each'bolder in his claim. WhateVer be Thy wish. I say Amen, All I say is : 'Great is the lord, great His Mayest Thou endure, 0 Formless One. name' H~ 20 What ordains comes to be', o Nanak, he who sayeth more shall As hands or feet besmirched with slime, hereafter regret his stupidity. Water washes white; As garmenrs dark with grime 22 Rinsed with soap are niade light; Numerous worlds there be in regions So when sin soils the soul beyond the skies and below, Prayer alone shall make it whole. Research-weary scholars have delved. but Words do not the saint or sinner make, do not know. Action alone iswritteninthebookoffate, He is boundless the Vedas proclaim What we sow that alone we take;' He is in eighteen hundred worlds the o Nanak, be saved orforever transmigrate. Muslim texts say, 21 The Reality behind fonns is one and the same. Pilgrimage, aust¢ty, mercy, almsgivtngand If it could be writ, it would have been, charity but the writer thereof be none. Bring II1erit" be it as little as the mustard o Nanak, say but this, the lord is great, seed', in His knowledge He is alone. But he who hears, believes and cherishes the Word, 23 An inner pilgrimage and cleansing is his Worshippers who praise the Lord know meed. not His greatness, All virtue is Thine, for I have none, As rivers and riwlets that flow into the Worthless isprayerwithoutgood actsdone. sea know not irs vastness. Blessed an Thou the Creator, the prayer, Mighty kings with domains vaster than the the primal ocean Truth and beauty and longing eternal. With wealth piled high in a mountainous What was the time, what day of the week, heap, What the month, what season of the year, Are less than the little ant When Thou didst create the earthlysphere? That die LOrd'sName in its hean doth The Pandit knows it not, nor is it writ'in keep. ' his Puran; The Qazi knows itnot, though h~ read and 24 copied the Kozan. Infinite His goodness, and the ways of The Yogi knows not the date nor the day , exaltation; of the week, Infinite His creation and His benefaction; He knows notthemonthoreven theseason. Infinite the sights and sounds, infinite His great design, Priceless tooare dealers inthe marketsacred Infinite its execution, infinite without With love and peace evermore. confine. Perfect His law and administration, Many there be that cried in pain to seek Precise His weights and measures; the end of all ending. Boundless His bounty and His omens, Their cries were all in vain, for the end Infinite mercy in His orders. is past understanding. How priceless Thou an one cannot state, It is the end of which no one knoweth, Those who spoke are mute in adoration, The more one says the more it groweth. The readers of the scriptures expatiate, The Lord is of great eminence, exalted Having read, are lost in learned in His name. conversation. He who would know His height must in The great gods Brahma and Indra do stature be the same. Thee proclaim He alone can His own greatness measure, So do Krishna and his maidens fair; o Nanak, His grace is our bounty Siva and the Saivites do Thee name. His bounty is our treasure. The Buddhas Thou made, Thy name bear. 25 The demons and the demi-gods, Men, brave men, seers, and the sainted, OfRisbountyonecannotwrite too much, Having discoursed and discussed He the Great Giver desires not even a Have spoken and depaned. mustard seed; If Thou didst many more create Even the mightybegatHis door, andothers Not one could any more state, such For Thou an as great as is Thy pleasure. Whose numbers can never be conceived. o Nanak, Thoualone knowestThymeasure. There be those who receive but are He who claims to know blasphemeth self.indulgent, And is the worst among the stupidest. Others who get but have no gratitude. There be the foolish, whose bellies are 27 never filled, . SODAR Others, whom hunger's pain doth ever (Te Deum) tonnent, All this comes topass asThou hastwilled. Where is the gate, where the mansion, Thy will alone breaks morral bonds, From whence Thou watchest all creation, No one else hath influence. Where sounds of musical melodies, The f091 who argues otherwise Of instruments playing, minstrels singing, Shall be smitten into silence. Are fused in divine hannony? The Lord knows our needs, and gives, Where the breezes blow, the waters run Few there be that count their blessings, and the fires bum He who is granted gratitude and power There Dharamraj, the king of death, sits to praise, in state; o Nanak, is the king of kings. There the recording angels Chitta and Gupta write 26 For Dharamraj to read and adjudicate, His goodness cannot be priced or traded, There are the gods Ishwara and Brahma, . NorHis worshippersvalued, northeirstore; The goddess Devi of divine grace; .i TherC;lndra' sits. On ~ celeStial throne . As He wills so we must live. i .ADd lesser gods. each·in his place. 28 : ~·There·ascetiCs.j1[ deep 1'I1editation, . HOly men ineontemplation, . As a beggar goes'a-begging, in~ The·.pure ofhem, the 'COntinent. . Bowl in one hand, stal'f the other, Men of peace and contentment. Rings in his ears, in ashes smothered, Doughty warriors never yieJ,ding, So go thou forth in life. .Thy .praises are ever singing. With earrings made of contentment, . From age-to age; thepandit and the ~e With modesty for thy begging bowl, Do Thee exalt in their studies and their Meditation the fabric of thy garment, , writing. .. Knowledge of death thy cowl. There maidens fair, hean;.bewitching, Let thy mind be chaste, virginal clean, Who inhabit the earth, the upperand the Faith the staff on which to lean. lower regions, . Thou shalt then thy fancy humiliate Thy praises chant in their singing. With mind subdued, the world subjugate. • By the gems that Thou didst.~e, HaU! and to Thee be salutation . In the sixty-eiglu plae:es of pIlgrimage, . . Thou art primal, Thou art pure,. . Is Thy name exalted. , .'. Without beginning, without termtnatton, By warriorssttong and valiant m strife, In single form forever endure. . By the sources four from whence came life, 29 Of egg or womb, of sweat or seed, Is Thy name magnified. From the storehouse of compassion The regions of the earth, the heavens and Seek knowledge for thy food. the universe Let thy heartbeat be the call of the That Thou didst make and dost sustain, conch-shell Sing to Thee and praise Thy name. Blown in gratitude. Only those Thou lovest and with whom He is the Lord, His is. the will, His .the Thou art pleased creation, . Can give Thee praise and in Thy love be In secret magic formulas lie, is no hope steeped. He is the master of destiny, of union and Otherstoo theremustbewhoTheeacclaim, separation. I have no memory of knowing them . 'HaU! and to Thee be salutation. Norofknowledge, 0 Nanak, makea claim. Thou art primal, Thou art pure,. . He alone is the master true, Lord of the Without beginning, without termlnatton, Word, ever the same In single form forever endure. He who made creation is, shall be and 30 shall ever remain; He who made things of diverse species, Maya, mythicalgoddessinwedlockclivine, shapes and hues, Bore three gods accepted by all, Beholds that His handiwork His greatness The Crtator of the world, the one who proves. preserves, What He wills He ordains, And the one who adjudges its fall. To Him no one can an order give, But it is God alone whose will prevails, For He, 0 Nanak, is the king of kings, Others but their obedience render. He sees and directs, but is by them unseen. 20

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That of all is the greatest wonder. Hewhohaththeprideofpower, lethim try and Haill and to Thee be salutation. see. Thou art primal. Thou art pure, . o Nanak, before the Lord thereisnolowor Wtthout beginning, without termination, high degree. In·single form forever endure. 34 31 He who made the night and day, He hath H"IS prayer-mat in every region, The days of the week and the seasons, In every realm His store. Hewho made the breezesblow, thewaters·flow To human beings He doth apportion The fires and the lower regions, Their share for once and evennore. Made the earth-the temple of law. The Maker having made doth His own creation view. He who made creatures of diverse kinds o Nanak, He made truth itself, for He With a multitude of names, Himself is true. Made this the law- . Hail! and to Thee be salutation, By thought and deed be judged forsooth, Thou art primal, Thou art pure, For God is true and ~truth. Without beginning, without termination, There the elect His court adorn, In single fonn forever endure. And God Himself their actions honours; 32 There aresorted deeds thatwere doneand Were I given a hundred thousand tongues bore fruit instead of one, From those that to action could never ripen. And the hundred thousand multiplied This, 0 Nanak, shall hereafter happen. twentyfold, 35 Ahundredthousand times would Isay, and In the realm of justice there is law; say again, In the realm of knowledge there is reason. The lord of all the worlds is one. Wherefore are the breezes, the waters and firc That is the path that leads, GOdS that preserve and destroy, Krishnas These the steps that mount, and Shivas? Ascend thus 'to the lord's mansion Wherefore are created forms, colours, attire, And with Him·be joined in unison. Gods that create, the many Brahmas? The sound of the songs of heaven thrills Here one strives to comprehend, The like of us who crawl but desire to fly. The golden mount of knowledge ascend, o Nanak, His grace alone it is that fulfils, And learn as did the child-sage Dhruva. The rest is mere prattle, and a lie. Wherefore are the thunders and lightning, 33 The moons and suns, The. world and its regions? Ye have, no power to speak or in silence listen, Wherefore are the sages, seers, wise men, To grant or give away, Goddesses, false prophets, demons and Ye have no power to live or" die, demi-gods, Ye have no power to acquire wealth and Wherefore are there jewels in the ocean? dominion, How many forms of life there be, To compel the mind to thought or reason, How many forms of speech, To escape the world and fly. How many kings of proud ancestry? 22

.\ Of these things many strive to know, What He beholds, thinks and does Many the slaves of reason, contemplate, Many there are, 0 Nanak, their numbersare o Nanak, is too hard to state. legion. 38 36 1£ thou must cast a gold coin true As in the realm of knowledge wisdom is Let thy mint these rules pursue. triumphant In the forge of continence And yields a myriad joys·, Let the goldsmith be a man of patience, So in the realm of spiritual endeavour is His hammer be made of knowledge, beauty resplendent. His anvil made of understanding; There are fashioned forms of great With the fear of God the bellows blow, loveliness, With prayer and austerity make the fire Of them it is better to remain silent aglow. Than hazard guesses and then repent. Pour the nectar into the mould of love, There too are fashioned consciousness, Print the name of the Lord thereon, understanding, mind and reason And cool it in the holy waters. The genius ofthe sage andseer, the power For thus in the mint of truth the Word is of humans superhuman. coined, 37 Thus those who are graced are to work enjoined, In the realm of action, effort is supreme, Nanak, by His blessing have joy Nothing else prevails. o everla,sting. There dw.ell doughty warriors brave and strong, SHLOKA With hearts full of the spirit of God Air, water and earth, And celestial maidens of great beauty Of these are we made. Who sing His praises. Air like the guru'swordgives the breath oClife. They cannot die nor be beguiled, To the babe born to the great motherearth For God Himself in their hearts resides. Sired by the waters. There too are congregations of holy men The day and night our nurses be Who rejoice for the Lord in their midst That watch over us in our infancy. presides. In their laps we play. In the realm of truth is the Formless One The world is our playground. Who, having created, watches His creation Ouracts rightandwrongatThycourtshall And graces us with the blessed vision. come to judgment, There are the lands, the earths and the Some be seated near Thy seat, some ever spheres kept distant. To whose description there is no limit; The toils have ended of those that have There by a myriad forms are a myriad worshipped Thee, purposes fulfilled, o Nanak, their faces are lit with joyful What He ordains is in them instilled. radiance- many others they set free. 3 -Hymns from .'Sri Raga

Mod ca mandir usraih meani ca ho:e pdao Were my word law, all revenues mine; (Sri Naga) o Nanak, all this would be like thin air. Lord, letnotmineeyes be deceived bythese Were I to live in a palace built of walls That I fail to recall Thy Name. Studded with pearls and rubies, Fragrant with odours of musk and saffron Smeared with agar and sandal Kot kot« meri arja pavan peean apiao Lord, letnotmineeyesbe deceivedbythese (Sri Raga) That I fail to recall Thy Name. Were I to live a million years in a cavern WithouttheLordmysoulwouldbeburntto Pierced neither by the sun nor the moon; cinders. Too small to let me stretch myself, I asked my guru and now I know Too small to sleep and dream; There is no sanctuary but the Lord. Were myfood anddrinktheairI breathed (And I tried to assess Thy worth) Were my floor embedded with diamonds I would. not know how great Thou art, and rubies, How then can I praise Th~? On the floor a couch likewise with rubies inlaid' He is the Truth, He is without fonn. And on the couchajewel-bedeckeddamsel He is self-existent, His .status is unique. Sportive and wanton. We hear of Him; then we speak of Him. Lord, letnotItline eyes be deceived bythese If He wills we have to know Him. That I fail to recall Thy Name. Were I to be slashed to shreds Minced and ground to pulp Were I endowed with powers to perfonn Fired in a furnace, with ashes mingled, miracles, I would not know how great Thou art. To attractpeoplebythegift ofmakinggold; Were I able to vanish and reappear at will Were I a bird soaring through. a hundred Thus strike awe in the heans'of the skies . populace. Beyond the range of vision Lord, letnotmineeyes be deceived bythese Feeding on nothing, drinking nothing, That I fail to recall Thy Name. I would not know how great Thou art, How then cart I praise Thee? Were I a Sultan attended by retainers With annies under my command and o Nanak, hadI.a hundred thousand tons of My foot planted firmly upon my throne; paper

._--.__ ._._ .. - _------_ -- Andfilled thepageswithessenceoflearning Emulate not the mighty. Penplyingwiththespeed ofwind, dipping Where the fallen have protected been in an inexhaustible inkwell, . There is Thy grace and mercy seen. Even so I would not know how great Thou an, How then can I pnrise Thee? jal moh ghas mas kar mat kagad kar sar (Sri Raga)

Lekhai boJan bo1ana lekhai khans khao Bumawayattachment to thingsoftheworld (Sri Raga) Crush its soot to make ink; Use yourunderstandingas ifitwerea sheet There is a limit to the amount we talk of paper, And to the food we eat; With the pen of love There is a limit to our wanderings Your mind the scribe To thesightswesee, to thesoundswe hear; And the guru to guide you There is a limit to the numberofhreathsa Write down your thoughts. man breathes Write the Name of the Lord We do not have to ask learned men about Write praises of the Lord truths like these. Write that He is without end and without Brother, Maya hath spread its deception limit. everywhere; Brother, ifyou learn to writeall these things Those it blinds forget His Name. Yours will be the password at the place of For them there is no peace in this life reckoning. And in life hereafter it will be the same. You will be acclaimed with honour. Once born, manhas to live to theendofhis A joyous welcome you will receive, days, On your forehead will be the mark of To sustain himself for that span of time. approval Man goes alone to the place of reckoning If in the Name of the True One you truly when h~ dies believe. The wailings of those he leaves behind are but meaningless cries. This is the gift of grace Idle prattle is all else. Everyone says the Lord is great, None will be outdone in praising Him; One comes, another goes; Yet no one has discovered His real wonh. Some style themselves as sardars His stature increased by praise. Others are destined to beg Theworldsarepackedwitha multitude of Yet others hold grand darbars. people Man will know this truth when he dies But Thou alone an our Lord and Master, That without the Name nothing avails . Thou alone an the Truth. (Without the Name all else is lies). Of the low castes mine is the lowest, Thy might strikes terror in my hean, I am the meanest of the mean. My body wastes away in fear of Thee. o Nanak, amongst thepoorseekthyfriends Proud, tided"Khans andSultans have I seen and companions Reduced to dust. o Nanakt Truth is the kiDs of1dDp He takaIa us and uniteth us With Him.

- Dhat milai pbuJi dJJat J,au silti sifar &IIIIJat Awruh """':IIJIfl'milauIJ anlc (Sri Raga) salwrtrler;ah As pieces of metal of the same kind melt into one another, Come my sister So a WOIShipper merges his personality in the Let us embrace!_ object of his worship. Come ,beloved friend like the ~ red of the poppy Rower Let us speak oflove! Is he dyed in ~ fast colours of truth. Let us sit together He who in repose and sIDgle-minded And talk ofour Husband' meditadon - Our perfect, powerf1,d lord. ­ Prays to the Truthful One Lord. Thou an the Troth. B«omes one with the LDrd. Thou. the repositOry of goodness•. We the repositories ofmI. obrotherl beas the dust underthe feet of Thou an the CiUtor saints. And an is within Thy power. In the company of the saintly youll find By Thy One Name we abide Your guru and the gift of salvation, When Thou an there You will getlWDadbenu, the c:elestial cow. Why need we think of anyone beside? . The giver of all thinas desired. Go ask -the happy spouse, HiP in the heavens 'What virtues eamed you favour of the tord?' In setdng paradisal (She will rdl thee) , SIands the mansion of the tord. 'It's the gentle path of sabaj, calmness of A truthful1ife and good deeds done manner and sweetness of tongue.' Earn us the right to human birth; Ifyou hear~ unto the guru's Word By love we find our way You will meet your Husband, the Lord of To the gate of the tord's mansion. Love. The saintly train their m£nds .to pOnder On the all-pervading soul in meditation. -.' .. Manifoldts 1by~, GftatisThy bounty Ifwe live by the threefold fruits of KmDa Mani(olci'lhy aeatura whopl8ise Thee (the good. the neunal and the bad) - day and-night. We shallbevictimsofbopesandanxieties. Manifold Thy'shapes.and colours How Can one escape thestranglebold ofthis Manifold Thy mea and castes. . mple noose ? How find the gentle pathofS8bajand peace On meeting the- true guru ~ce One gains·knowledge of.the truth Save by of the guru? Then one merges intO the Truthful One. (Under the guidance of the guru) From theguru's teadUngwe learn the fear We know that in our own home oftheLDrd. Stands the mansion of the Lord. From comprehension of the truth we gain We c:an invoke His grace honour. And be cleansed of our sins. 26 I

Without theguru's helpwe cannotwash off the ~irt of the world, Without the Lord'~ gmce how can ~ our haven find? Abandon hope in other thin~ On the Divine Word fix your IIlind. Sacri6.ced to that guru may Nanak's life be Who having himself seen the Lord Shows others how to see.

Tan jal hal nati bhaia, man maya moh manoor (Sri Raga) My body is burntto ashes andIIlingled with dust My mind is rusted with attachment to worldly things; Once again my sins pursue me And falsehood trumpets its victory. Without the Word we are caught in the wheel (Of birth, death and rebirth). Thus hath double-IIlinded 4uality Been the undoing of multitudes. My soul, fix thy IIlind on the Word Divine The Word willtake theeacross the waters of life. Those who the guru's teaching do not know Will die and be reborn, go and come, come ...and ~o. A person is pure Ifheenshrines theTrue Name within him. His body is imbuedwith the fear oftheTrue One And his tongue loves the taste of truth. He, by God's grace, is in a state of ecstasy His body is of passions free. The True One made the air, From air came water From the waters He made the three regions In every hean He lit His lamp. The Lord is Pure, He cannot be defiled. He who is dyed in the colours of the Lord 28

------~------.------_._------_._--- /~~~./' Will be honoured (and remain unsullied). ..;" ~,(---JI' 'F, ... .", .. ,., ,.,-....~'J . The mind is the true abode of peace /, ~..../ , " ..... ~... ~ .. ~ Therein comes the grace of the Lord • ",-i- ~'.,' .'" ,,//~'l;~''"/' I,, The five elements of his body I I / • ~ Are tempered in the fear of.the True One I I //, ." ,. ;,. The light of Truth illumines his mind. / ,I /,,. I, ,.~ ~ .' , '1' . a Nanak! his sins are forgiven .,' 1, I I y. . )~ And the guru preserves his honour. ::-7-,:-rr ,. .\ I ..... - • 6 " Nanak bedi sach ki bbareeai gur veechar Ii I -:. . (Sri Raga) ,~ - .....(, Sayeth Nanak: Launch theboat01 truthwith thoughts of the guru. One comes into the world, another goes Everyone full of self-esteem. A closed and stubborn mind will sink thy vessel, Buttruthoftheguru's teachingwill take it across. Without the guru to guide me How can I cross over to the other shore? How can I reach the haven of peace? Lord, preserve me if so Thy pleasure be -I have no either Protector save Thee. Facing me I see a forest on fire Behind me I see new life in green. (And I know thereby that) life begins as it ends (From God it's born, into God it blends). Let Truth'in every heart be instilled. He is the Uniter, He makes the union He takes us to His mansion. Let every breath I take breathe Thy Name Lord, let me never forget Thee. The more my Master possesses my mind The more I imbibe thenectarofmyguru's message.

, ' Lord, to Thee I surrendermybodyandmy mind Thou art my Master.

.- Lord, destroy Thou my self-esteem And· let me mingled be in Thee. He who created this world Created also the three regions. Men of God see the Divine light They.that ium their backs on God Stumble in datkness. In every hean shines th~ light Eternal Through the guru's guidance can it-be discerned. Praise be to the saindy who know God They are blended with the True One Their true worth shines forth. o Nanakl His Name dothsuch peace bring fOr the body and soulmin His keeping.

Ik tilpyara veesnU rog vadda man mab (Sri Raga) If I· forget the Beloved even for a trice A seIious sickness afflicts my soul. If Hart dwell not within my lbind InHiscourtnoplace ofhonourwill1find. On meeting the guru we find peace Hunger's fire is doused by the waters of virtue. o heanl day and nightsingpraises ofGod. Rare in the world are people Who forget not the Name for even a moment. Blend your light with the light Eternal Mingle your consciousness with His-and·see . Violence, selfhood. wanderings ofthe mind Anxiety and sorrow will cease to be. By the grace of the guru meet the saindy In whose hearts dwells Hari the Lord. If1 offer my body as if it were a bride The Lord will take it as if He were the groom. Love not a mortal who you know IS here for a while as in a passing show. 30 The saintly blend with the LDrd Falsehood's mansion ~ raised on a false The vinuous share His couch and become foundation. one with Him. Those iinbued with truth, meet ~e' guru With the sacred water given by the guru The nuthful blend with the Truthful One. Quench the four fires (ofaueltyandanger, In our minds is embedded the gem, the of greed and love of worldly ~). Name, The lotuswhich is within theewill blossom ' ruby of the It is a nugget, a diamond beyond all price. thy hean fill with And will ambrosia. Truth be our investment and our o Nanak! make the nue guru thy friend merchandise' He will rake thee to the coun of the True One. / The Name' of the LDrd the ueasure we earn. In the depth of every bean dwells the LDrd o Nanak! the saintly guru and guide we Han Han japaoh pyariah gurmat ley Han find hoI If the priceless gem that is Hari be kind. (Sri Raga) Beloved friend, on thy lips ever be the Name BJuumai bhab na vijhvai je bhave disantar of God! des Heed the advice ofthe guru and call on Hari! (Sri Raga) Test thy mindwith the touchstone ofnuth The fire of pride is not extinguished See that it is of perfect weight, By wandering over distant lands. The mind is a priceless gem No one has valued it. The din of the mind is not cleansed By wearing clean garments. o Brother! the gem that is Hari Fie, the life of falsehood! Fie, the mask of IS in possession of the gum. divinity!, By associating with men of God thou wilt find the nue guru. Nothing will make thee a Bhakta true And day and night thou wilt sing songs of· Save the teaching of the nue SUru. praise. o mind! if thou seekest good and annihilate pride In the light of the guru's teaching Let the guru's word find a place in thine Truthful be thy trade bean Truthful too thy earnings. And the craving of th~ ego will be As fire is put out by water destroyed. So will desire be subdued And become the slave of thy slave. The mind is a priceless pearl With it thou canst acquire an honoured The demon of death will not pursue thee place beside the Master. Thou wilt swim across the fearful ocean of In the company of the pious seek the LDrd life. For the LDrd loveS those on whose lips is Men of God like not falsehood His Name. Being themselves nue, they love the nuthful. Thy pride shall vanish, and thine be the Those who worship mammon, love not the bliss nuth Of a' wave mingling back into the waters. . Those that have not brought the thought of . Hart·totheir miDds . Shall be caught in the cycle Qf bii'tlt and death. Those that come not to the True One. the Supreme·~ . Shall be ruined and like flotsam drift On the turbulent waters of life Human life which. is ·priceless lxyond compare Will thus be banered·away.for a worthless shell. Those to whom the trUe guru tells the secret. Acquire complete wisdom. The guru takes them ~ the waters And they are received with honour. o Nanakl their faces are radiant And in their beans is joy, Born of the music of His Word.

Dhan joban ar phulda natheedai din char .(Sri Raga) Wealth, youth and Rowers . Are shon-liv~ guests for four brief days. As,leaves of a water-hyacinth taken out of water wither So wither they. . Dear friend! make merry while the sap of youth courses in your veins . .Your days shorten and weariness will overtake your ageing body. My friend once so gay Has gone to sleep in his grave; A wretched outeaste that 1am, 1 too wili follow him Wailing in my feeble voice. My soul! my fair onel didst thou not bear With thine own ear Not forever is the bliss of the paremal home? .32 For thy groom (death) -awaits thee there? o Nanak! in her father's home she slept So -carefree as if the night were endless; In broad daylight was she robbed lier dowry of goodness was thus lost And her sack filled with sin. ...- .. . . .,. J'. Tu daryao dana bina mai machali kaisey ane •• -. _- .. - .. ' till -- . ._~ ~~~~ .... _tI1,"'-s-_ Jahah ,.~...: ...... ,.-;'~~.,:!-_,,-r ~ -~ .,,.~-~.-- (Sri Raga) . ,.,..-'" -,-...... ','"" '_~J-' .. ~... . ••~ Lord, Thou art the mighty river, . " _...... , - ..'".....--- . ~- -..-~ , .' ...... ~ "" & .. ~- ... " 4 Thou knowest and seestall things. . ~~ J.,. /'. -...... How can I, a poor fish know " . - ,-.-."...," .. ... " Thy depth and Thy ~? ..,~,-."..J!':" -;-".:---.:.;,...... ~ .,.-~.'. Whichever way I turn, .. ,,., ..~-- ---~_/ There art Thou and no other. tI" • - ~ '. ." ~ Taken away from Thine waters, ... .. - ., , I suffocate and die. -.... I know not the fisherman -,...... _- . I see not his net...... But when I am caught in it .~~ ~ . In my black agony ...... It is to Thee I turn Lord-, Thou who art present everywhere, In my folly I believed Thou wert far from me. Whatever I do is known to Thee When Thou seest all How can I deny my deeds? I am not ~orthy to serve Thee, I cannot glorify Thy Name. Whatever Thou givest That will I eat; I beg at no other door but Thine. Nanak hath but one petition Let his body and soul be in Thine 'keeping. He is near, He is far. He is midway between the two; All that He has created in the world He watches and He hears. o Nanald what He wills Comes to pass.,

(Sri Raga) He deprives of delusion The things that delude; . He blunts the edge of the dagger And it does not WOUJid. .- Man's mind wavers for it is full of craving; He is safe only in the Lord's keepillg. How then light the lamp ~ there is no oU? . let your body be the lamp:, From the holy books take wisdom And use it as oil. let knowledge of His praence be the wick And with the tinder of truth Strike the spark. Thus light }'0\1 the oil-lamp .And in itS light meet your Lord. When the recording Angel claims your body And Caralogues your deeds, Your good acts wiB save you from the cycle of birth and death. 1£ in life- you have served others Your reward shall be a place in His coutt. Says Nanak: You wiB mise your anns in joy.

Akh alch man 1I8")eo}eojapai val (Sri Rap Ashcapadi) let your heart sing of God with every breath you draw; How great is He whom we serenade? where '. does He live? All those that sang Thy praise are now in deep medication. Brotherl Allah is beyond our reach and beyond limit Pure' is His Name; pUre His abode, He is in truth our Preserver.

------~------~----- . How great is Thy dominion cannot be Sabhe kant maheliya sa.glia karah seegar known; no one knows howto write ofit: (Sri Raga Ashtapadi) Ahundredbardssingingin choruscouldnot Weare His wives; weadornourselves for Him. describe a fraction of Thy greatness. We dress ouISe1ves bright red to gain His Nobody hath found Thy wonh; everyone iii attention repeats what he has heard another say. Butlove is notwonbybargaining; a cowlterfeit Saints, prophets, guides (who showtheway coingilded withgold issoon found outand to God), spells ruin.. Men of faith, men of God and martyrs How does a woman win the attention of the Preachers, seekeIS and law-giveIS Lord? Guardians ofmosquesandtheDarvesh who Lord, she who is pleasing to Thy sight is in are welcomed at God's gate, nuptial bliss; Thy merCy is her adornment. Gain greater blessing. The guru's word is her adornment; her body Their lives are like the additional prayer and soul are with her Lord. when worship is over. With hands clasped she waits on Him; her He asks no onewhenHe builds; He asks no prayer comes from the truthfulness of her one when He destroys; heart. He asks no one when He gives or takes. She is immersed in His love, she lives He knows His own creation; He acts and in fear of the True One; causes otheIS to act. And when dyed with His love, her colour is He extends His grace to everyone; and fast and true. favours those who please. Him. She is counted among the followeIS of the We know not His dwelling; we know not Beloved. His Name. She is recognizedas oneofHis hand-maidens. Weknownothowgreat His Name is among Herlove is riotsundered; theTrueOneunites other names. her with Himself. Howgreatis the placewherelives myLord, Her soul is plaited with the Word the king of kings? I am ever a sacrifice unto her. None can reach it; ofwhomshall I ask the She whois absorbed inthe trueguru becomes way? immortal, never-shall shebecomea widow. When God raises one caste above otheIS, Her Beloved is forever handsome and renews Those not raised do not like it. His youth; He does not die nor depart. Greatness is in the handsofthe Great One; He ever enjoys His fulfilled wife; His He gifts to whom He pleases. gracious eyes rest on her ever-obedient ·:peISO:n.. He sees that His rule obtains everywhere; He Truth is in the plaits of her hair, love in brooks no delay. her dress and ornaments. Everyone cries for more hoping thereby to God within her is like the breath of sandal increase his share. perfume, her chamber has the tenth gate How great is Thy bounty, Thou giver of (through which the Lord enteIS). coundess gifts! Nanak, from age to age, never does His She lights the lamp of the Word, she wears storehouse diminish. God's name as her necklace. ,.-'. -",-.' .....y; '"",' . - ' ..'"

. ,." She.~~W011leaofbeauty;" As a small bird in the talons of a hawk, •iHiWToieltaid_WausthejeWel of1ove. Qr.oD the ground caught in the huntsman's Hci~hcaUty8Rd wJSdQnl ~;~tehing. her snare '~.i$,ttue~"" ", So is man in·the thrall of death. She 1cnOWSno m8It~herBelOved; it is Only those the guru,Ptoteas are saved. .only for the.~ that ,she bas love Ifye have not the Name , ,and~.,' , You ,will be picked out and destroyed .-" ..."', . You will have no friends or companions to Why did you waste the dark night in sleep? help you. How WiJl you p8SS the hou1'5 without your Lo~? ' 'He is True, Woman,yourbosomshallbeaftre;your~ His realm is Truth. bum, and your miDdbe at1ame.' ", ' Those who have faith in Him A woman not cakenby her Husband wastes Are pure of heart. away her youth..,' . . .Those who have gained this knowledge from , the guru Her Husbmdis onbel' coudl;but she sleeps . Are true and speak the truth. arid lmows not of HiS presence. I sleep while my Beloved is awake; to whom rhus do I pray to the true guru: shall I tum for advice? . ,'Takemetothe Lordandunitemewith Him,' Sayeth Nanak, the true guru ,teaches bow to , On being un.ted, I will gain peace, fear and love God The demon of death will poison himself And thus,be united with Him. and die, 'Let me abide by the Name Macehli jsl ~ janian sar kluua asgab And let the Name abide in me.' (Sri Raga) Without the guru we stumble in the dark, A fi$ in the deep and salty sea, Withoutthe-Word there is nounderstanding, Very wise lind pretty was she, The guru's teaching illumines the mind Howwas itthen that shewas taken unawares And attaches it to the truth And knew not of the net? Then hath death no dominion (),ur,!!ght blends with the tight Eternal. ' She suffered for her acts None can escape the noostof death. Thou art our Companion, Thou art wise, Btothers.1cnow that the angel of death Thou art Thyself the Uniter. hovers above you. Through the teaching of the guru As on the Bsh so on us men We exalt Thee who hast no end nor limit. When we least expect it Where there isthe immortalWordoftheguru Will fall the net. Death shall have no dominion. The entire worldis wtdUn death's compass By His ordinances comes all creation into Without theguru there is no means of ' being, comba~g it. ' By His ordinances all labour and earn. By truth gain release Under His ordinance is death, Through truth dispt:l doubt and duality By His ordinance we mingle with Truth. My life be a sacrifice· to the truthful o'Nanak! whatever pleases Him comes to Who have reached the gate of the True One. pass

We mortals by ourselves.can do nothing. Truth will be his prayer-mat Truthful his life, True his love and adoration. Those who recognize their real selves Their heans become the abode of God. They take on the hues of the True One The True One becomes their gain. . In the three regions, He alone is the Supreme Lord, He is the Truth, His Name is Truth. A wife who knows the company of her Husband Who is sent for by Him to His mansion And with whom He dispons Himself Is in veritable bliss. Call her happy, call her true She hathwonherLord's heartby hervirtue. I stumble in the desert wastes From desens I clamber up the hills; I lose myself in the forests. Without the guru to guide me I shall not find my way. If thus I wander everywhere I shall come and go from life to life. Go, ask travellers who tread the path of servitude, How to recognize our Sovereign Lord. How to gain admission to his mansion Without being questioned at the gates. o Nanak! the One Lord reigns supreme everywhere There is nosecondperson, there is noother.

Sun man bhooley bavrey gur lei chami Jag (Sri Raga) Thou simple, stupid soul Hearken unto me! Attach thyself to the feet of the guru Pray to Hari, ponder over His Name. The demonofdeathwill beaffeared ofThee 38

--~------~--- ~------Sorrows will flee from thee. TheyworshipThynamea hundred timesand Awomanwithdualloyaltiessuffers much; more How can she remain happily married? And have Hari enshrined in their hearts. Why forget Him who sustains life? Brother! 1 have no other sanctuary Save His Name; it is my only treasure. Hewho dies with thedivineWordonhislips My guru gave it to me Dies to death 1am forever beholden to him. He need not die a second time. Through theguru's teachingwe attainhonour Only through the Word shall we find Him To theguru beall praise for unitingme to Him. And learn the love of prayer. WithoutHim1would notlive a singlewatch of Without the Word, people wander in error They die only to be reborn, over and over the day, Without the name 1 would surely perish. again. Everyone praises himself Blindam1, let menotlosesightofthe Name; From being great he becomes greatest of the Let mymindbesteadfastwhen1leave for my great. last journey. Withouttheguru'shelp heknows nothis real Those whose -gurus are themselves blind self, Poindess is their pursuit (of Truth) He only hears what others say about him. Without guidance of the true guru o Nanak! he who knows the Word We cannot find the Name. Never thereafter talks of himself. Without the Name life hath no purpose. It's birth and death and regret Satgur paora je milai paeeiai ratan It is like the cawing of a crow in a deserted beechar house. (Sri Raga) Without the Name the body is like a hall of If we find the true, the perfect guru sorrows Our thoughts become priceless as a ruby; With its walls eaten up by dry rot; If we present our minds to the guru We cannot reach His abode We are rewarded with all-embracing love, Unless there is truth in our hearts. We get the gift of salvation If we are imbued with the Name . The Forgiver forgiVes us our sins. In our own homes we attain salvation. o brother! know that without the guru there I enquired of my guru, is no knowledge By his direction 1 earned my life's wages. Go ask Brahma, Narad andVyasa, askanyone. Ego that fouled my soul, The guru gives us knowledge and power to Ego that caused sorrow concentrate, Was thus burnt out by the Word of God. The guru makes the incomprehensible By the gende path of sahaj did 1 meet Him, capable of understanding. Purified bytruth1merged in the Truest ofthe The guru is like the tree in full leaf True. casting a vast shade, Theguru's treasury is full ofrubies, gemsand Those imbued with theWordarewithoutstain, other precious stones. They lust no more, They conquer anger and pride; In the guru's treasury is the Name unsullied

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and pure love (From it we can borrow) Trade in truth And earn profit-beyond reckoning. The true guru i$ the giver ofjoy And the dispeller of sorrows. He is the destroyer of the five demol1;S of sin (lust, anger, greed, attachment and pride). The ocean of life is terrifying and difficult to cross. -WecanSee neitherthelandbehindusnorthe opposite shore, Neither boat nor raft, neither an oar nor a- boatman. Let the fear of the true guru be our boat. By His grace He will take us across. If for a trice you forget the Beloved Lord Sorrow will afflict you, joy will depan. Bum the wretched tongue which loves not repeating the Name. Thebody'searthenvessel cracks, itis wracked with pain, Thedemonofdeathgrabsyou, yourregrets are then in vain. All our lives we cry; 'this is mine' and depart crying, 'this too is mine'. - We discover that neither body, nor wealth, nor wife was ours to take away. There is no wealth except the Name; (Withoutthe Name) we arelostin themazeof maya Serve the Master who is Truth The guru will tell you of O~ who is beyond telling. On the wheel of birth, death and rebirth Are our natures moulded And the pattern of our lives determined. What is writ cannot be erased by anyone, For it is the dictate of the Lord. Without the Name of Hart there is no escape (From the cycle of birth, death and rebirth) The teaching of the guru shows the way to union divine.

------~------I have no one save the Lord My life and soul belong to Him. I have burnt away my ego I have burnt my greed and pride. Sayeth Nanak, ponder over the Name Divine The treasure of virtues Will all be thine.

Re man Hari sea aisee preet kar jaisee ja! kam!eh ' (Sri Raga) My soul hearken unto me! Love thy Lord as the lotus loves water Buffeted by waves its affection does not falter. Creatures that have their being in water, Taken out of water, die. My soul! if thou hast not.such love How wilt thou obtain release? If the Word of the guru is within us We shall accumulate a store of devotion. My soul hearken unto me! Love thy Lord as a ·fish loves water. The more the water, the greater its joy, Greater the tranquillity ofits bodyand mind. Withoutwaterit cannotlive one watch ofthe day Only God knows the anguish of its heart. My soul hearken unto me! Love thy Lord as the Chatrik loves the rain. Although the lakes be full, the plains flooded and green It will not drink one drop. By God's grace, its thirst will be slaked But destiny may doom it to die. My soul hearken unto me! Love thy Lord as water loves milk. It takes on the heat, boils and evaporates before the milk can suffer. He alone unites, He alone separates He alone bestows true greatness. My'soul hearken unto mel Ram lJSIl!. man bedhiya, avar lei kan Love thy Lord as the C1utlcvi·loves·the sun vichar I~ sleeps not a wink for the distant sun it (Sri Raga As~tapadhi) deems close. My hean is pierced by the Name of Ramal Theperverse ofmindknownotthatthegodly are ever in His presence. what else shall I reflect upon? is Theperverseofmind make~ycalculations Tranquil the mind which meditates on What the Creator does comes to pass. the Word, Muchas alldesire to evaluate Him, Hecannot Happy is the one wllo is imbued with God. be evaluated. Preserve me as it pleases Thee, Through the teaching of the guru can He be Thy Name, 0 Hari, is my suppon. Is found My soul, the will of the Master just. And with the True One comes Attach thyself to Him who made thy body tnlIlquillity: and mind and adorned it. Were I to weigh 'my body, cut into tiny 'lftJie,ti'ue:~,presents it, true love will nOt~"". pieces and bum in a sacrificial fire; WereI totummybodyandsoulinto firewood, Weafe'~'tfre:giftofknowledgeandlearn bum it every. day; the secret of the three worlds. Were I to light hundreds of thousands of 1£ we trade in' goodness,we .shall not forget sacrificial fires, they would not equal the the Name that is pure. Name of Hari. Birds thatfed onland andwaterhavesported Weremyheadsawedin twain, my torso tom and left their feeding ground. in 'two; Weareherea watchortwo onborrowedtime; Were my body frozen in Himalayan snows, oursponisalso for the dayand the morrow. It would not rid my mind of disease. HewhomThouunitestwithThyselffind their. No remedy the Name of Hari , true aOOde. . equals This have I tested and found true. Without the guru, love cannot be born Were I to give away casdes of gold, / The dross of the ego cannot be rinsed away. Strings of horses of good pedigree He who recognizes the God within . And mighty elephants; Understands the secret of the Word and is Were I to make gifts of land and of herds happy. of cows. I would be aware of my goodness Dooples of the guru know their real selves, And pride would remain in my hean. No need. have they for anyone's help. , The guru has given me the true gift; My mind is pierced by the Name of Rama. Whyspeakofthosewhoarealready onewith God? How many hard-headed thinkers are there? They have the Word and are fulfillei:l. How many interpretations of the Vedas? The perverse of mind do not comprehend, II1' how many fetters is the soul bound? They are separated from God and suffer. The gate of salvation is only reached o NaDak.! there is but one gate to the tQrough the guru's instruction. Lord's mansion Truth is above all; above truth is truthful And there is no other sanctuary. conduct. 42 can everyone exalted; let no ODe appear .t~ If God wills it, we shall be liberated; thee low. God alone can pardon us. The One God fashioned the vessels, The fool believes that daughters\'sons and OneS9urce oflightillumines the threeworlds" relations belong to him; By Hisgrattwefind thetruth; whatHegives He sees hiswife andispleased: Heknows not once none can take away. thatshewhobringsjoy,alsobrings sorrow. Men of God are imbued with the Word, day When a good man meets a saint and night imbibe Hari's ambrosia. He gains the guru's affection And attains ttanquillity. ' The mind of the unbeliever wavers and If we are absorbed in the true guru, we can wanders in the futile quest after wealth. meditate in matters' beyond the realm of Wewaste ourselves inlookingall roundwhile speech. the Real- Thing is within us. He who drinks the nectar of the Name shall Theperverse preoccupiedwith themselves do find fulfilment, not see it; He shall go to God's coun wearing robes The saindy secure it in their aprons. of honour. Infidel, who an without vinue, learn thy true origin! In the hearts of those who love the Word, Thebodywhich is compoundedofbloodand reverberate strains of the lute. semen shall be burnt in fire. Few thereare whohearken to the guru'swords everyday and obtain understanding. Thy body is at the mercy of breath , 0 Nanak! forget not the Name let the It will1ast as long as it is fated to last. Word be thy wage and gain release. We pray for long life; no one seeks death. Only he can be described as happy who through the guru's teaching has God in Chile disai dhaulhar bage bank duar his hean. (Sri Raga Ashtapadi) Wonhless is life without the Name, Behold, gilded mansions with white Wasted is life if it gains not a vision of omaniented gates! God. Knowing they are perishable and delude us As a manknows nothis statewhen hesleeps into love of worldly things at night, • Our eyes rejoice at the sight. So one who hath pride in his hean knows likewise the human body; it shall decay not that he is in the coils of duality and and be mingled with the dust. maya:S serpent. If it hath love in it, nothing else will remain. Hearken to the teaching of your guru, listenbrother! neither thy bodynorthywealth ~nduontheMllireofthisworld will accompany thee. And you will see that life and the world The Name of Rama is real wealth; God are as dreams. gives it through the guru. If the Giver gives real wealth of the Name As the fire of thirst is slaked by water, ofRama ' As mother's milk is to her hungry child, He who is befriended by the guru and the As the lake is to the 10llis and the fish, Creator shall not be questioned in the Without which they die- world to come. . So is the nectar or Hari's Name given by the guru, sayeth Nanak. Man may have his dominion proclaimed by 'May mylife bespentsinging·the songs ofthe beat of drum throughout the whole world. Lord.' He knows not that without the Name death will ever hover about his head. Doongar dekh daravano paeidai daryas When the body collapses, the game of life is over, (Sri Raga Ashtapadi) Whatthenshall be the state ofthe evil-doers? The mountain of life is awesome; I watch it from my father's house and am terrified. Man delights when he sees his sons It is steep and difficult to ascend; there Has the sight of his wife on her couch; is no ladder to climb. He wears perfumes of aloe and sandal; he I took my guru's teaching to my heart; the dresses in fme clothes and ornaments guru united me to God and I was saved. Yet shall he leave his home and family; Brother! the ocean of life is fearful and dust must return to dust. hard to cross! However great the tide - chief, emperor or. If the perfect, the true guru, in his pleasure raja. receives me, Governor, khan, headman or chieftain, He will take me across on the Name of God. These are but faggots in the frre of pride. If all I do is to say 'I have to go' Tum your face against God and ye shall be It will be of no avail. As stalks'of pampas in a forest fire. If in fact I realize that death is certain Whoever comes into the world (Then I really know). Shall depart; Everyone who comes into theworld mustgo; However proud he be, Only God and the guru are immortal. Must die and go. Praise the True One, The whole world is as a chamber black with Cherish the place where His praise is sung. , soot; Beautiful gateways, The body and soul which enter it are also Houses and palaces blackened. Strongholds by the thousand; Only they whom the guru preserves remain Elephants and horses richly caparisoned, clean Hundreds of thousands of troops--beyond For thefire ofdesires is extinguished byprayer. all count. o Nanak! we cross the ocean oflife bytheTrue Not one ofthesewill accompan.y you onyour Name of God who is the king of kings! last journey. May I not forget the Name of Hari; may the The fool pines away for them and dies in Name ofHari beas ajewelofmypurchase. his ignorance. Theperverseperishin the terrible ocean ofthe Man amasses gold and silver, world; He knows notthatwealth isan entanglingnet. Only men of God cross'the fathomless sea. 4 Hymns from. Var'Majh

Pahley pahrey rain key vanjariya mitra .You think not of the Name of God, my , (Sri Raga Pahrey) trader-friend, You are concerned only with profit. In the first watch of night, my trader-friend, My soul, you think not of the Name of Hari By order Eternal Because you are agitated in the pursuit of . You found yourself in the womb; wealth! Upsidedownlikeayogi inpenance youwere, In the search for gold, .my trader-friend! Drunk with the wine of youth Praying to the Lord, meditating thus head You made no truck with faith below and feet above Nor espoused good deeds as your frien$. Naked didyou comeinto the worldofKaliyuga Sayeth Nanak, in the third watch Nakedwillyoudepanwhenyourtime comes. Themindis obsessedwithwealthandyouth. As the. eternal pen hath flown Inthe fourth watchofnight, my trader-friend, So has your fate been writ on your forehead. .The Reaper came to your field. Sayeth Nanak by divine Ordinance Who sent Death the Reaper? Does life begin in: the womb. Thatsecretnoonehas found, mytrader-friend, Inthesecondwatchofnight, mytrader-friend, Thatunravelled secret is in thebreastofGod. You forget your past meditation. God sends forth death on its task. You bounced from one lap to another, my False lamentation will break forth all around trader-friend. thee AsKrishna sportinginthehandsofYashodhara In.a trice will you become a stranger. You boun(!%d from one lap to another, All thatyou lovedwill beacquiredbyothers. Your mother saying 'This is my son: Sayeth Nanak, 0 mysoul, inthe fourthwatch o stupid and thoughtless soul of mine! The Reaper reaps the field. Knowest not thou that in the end You will have nothing to call your own? Gur clata gur hivai, gur dipak teb loe . Of Him who gave you birth (Var Majh) You have no knowledge in your heart. Sayeth Nanak, in the second watch The guru is the giver; . Man forgets his past meditation. The guru is the haven of peace, Thepeace thatreigns onsnow-cladmountains. Inthethirdwatchofnight, mytrader-mend, The guru is the lamp that lights the three Yourmindisobsessedwithwealthand youth. worlds. 46

I .~

--_.------_._- . __..... o NaIliik, whenHe vouchsafesyou thedivine gift of faith, . Then alone is there peace. (There are ten stages of life steeped in ignorance) First the child's craving fot the mother'~ breast; ThenhiS awareness of his father and mother; Of his sister and brother and brother's wife. Thereafter he takes to games and sportS, He relishes food and drink, And wallows in lust and passion ~t know no caste. . He hoards wealth, he builds a house. Then choler affiiets his system, His hair turns grey, his breath becomes wheezy. (Hedies), flames consumehis bodyand reduce it to ashes. His friends lament for a while and go away. The swan has flown, who knows where! He came and he went; his name is soon wrgotten. For a while the obsequial ceremonieS: eating off leaf-plates And feeding crows. o Nanak, this is the way of those who grope in the dark, Without the guru the world remains sunk in ignorance.

]e 13t lagai kapadai, jama hoe paUt (Var Majh) Ifdrops ofbloodstaina garmentandrender it impure, How can minds of those who live on human blood be pUrified? Says Nanak, first cleanse yourhean, then utter the Name of God, All else is but a worldly show (that does no good), All else is but practice of falsehood. Mehar masit sidak musalla (Var Majh) Of you would be a Muslim true Let your life these rules pursue.) Make your mosque the abode of kindness In it spread the prayer-mat of faith, And as you read the Koran, think of what is just and what is lawful. Let modesty be your circumcision-your pledge to God. Gentle acts the fast of Ramadan. Thus will you be a good Mussalman. Let righteous conduct be your Ka~ba. And truth your spiritual guide. Let deeds of piety and prayer be your creed And what is pleasing to the Lord your rosary of beads. Says Nanak: The Lord will then preserve your honour.

Hak paraya Nanaka us suar us gae (Var Majh) o Nanak! to usurp another's right is forbidden As is the flesh of swine to the Muslim Or the flesh of the cow to the Hindu. Your guru, the mentor, will stand by you If you covet not another's goods But reject it as carrion. . The idle prattler goes not to paradise Only righteous conduct releases one from life's bondage. Forbidden food remains forbidden evenwhen flavoured with spices, o Nanak! that which is false is forever false.

Panj nivajan vakht panj (Var Majh) Muslims have five prayers Each with a time and a name of its own. (Let these prayers these rules pursue) First, be truthful, Second, take only what is your due, 49 Third, give ahns mthe name or Allah, Whatmattersitto thebirdhow vast the sky? Fourth, make your intentions pure, What dfect does cold have on a stone? Fifth. let your voice rise in praise of God. What use is a eunuch in rearing a family? Let good adS be your Creed A dog with sandal pISte you may smear Then proclaim you are a Muslim. It will not change its canine nature. O' NanakI (tim lesson we.must learn) If the man you speak to be deaf The false will otlly falsehood earn. What use ,is recitation of sacred texts to him? What use their explanation? Put a blind man in the light, Mussabpankabavan muskal light fifty oil-lamps (Var Majh) What difference will they make to him? To be a Mussalman is not easy Place a mound of gold in front of cattle Only he who is one in reality They will continue to munch grass. Should make the claim. Bum iron with nux as much as you will Follow first in the footsteps of the saintly It may melt but it will not to cotton tum. Accept their bitter,words as sweet. . Sayeth Nanak, such is the chaIaeterofthe fool Rub off the dross ofworldlywea1th and pride Forhim there in no hope (butonlyridicule). As sandpaper saapes rust off iron. A.Muslim's faith is to follow the Prophet Kali kad rajey kasai Caring neither for life nor death; (Majh ki Var) To accept the OrdinanceS of God, To believe He is the One and Only Creator The age is like a knife And oblite12te every thougm of sdf. Kings are butchers ~, 0 Nanak, if he ~ his mercy The law hath taken wings and nown; to all ' In the dark night of falsehood Treats all living beings as the same Icannotespy the rising ofthe moon oftruth; Himself a Mussalman he can proclaim. I have searched everywhere and wearied of the quest; Machi wu kya lcarey.pankbi kya akas In the dusk I cannot find my path. Pride that is within is the root of sorrow (Var Majh) o Nanakl how shall we be saved (on the Whatmatters itto the 6sh how profound the morrow)? ocean?

50 5 Hymns from Raga Gaudi

Bhau much bhara vadda tol Of these elements is our body made (Raga Gaudi Guareri) Withinitis the resdessagitation ofthemind. It has nine doorways Fear of the Lord is a great fear The tenth is the one through which one goes to A substantial fear of great weight, meet God. Beside it man is of small intelligence, learned one, have you thought of this? His words do not carry weight. o let us bear the fear ofthe Lord on our heads as Everyone can discourse, speak and listen. we go, Onlyhewho thinks for hinise1fisa truescholar His grace, our own deeds and the guru's And· a leamed divine. teaching will save us. The body is made of clay .Withoutthefear ofGod nonecan cross to the Thesoundsthatemergeare ofsubstanceairy. other shore, Know you, 0 learned one, Fear of God preserves man's love of God. What dies when a man does die? Fear of God burns away lesser fears within the Consciousness dies body, Then dies the ego Fearandlove ofGodmouldman'sspeechand But the soul, it dies not. deportment. What is fashioned without fear is utterly Whatseekyou inpilgrimage to sacred rivers? worthless The priceless jewel is enthroned within your Its mould is faulty; it blinds the man whose breast. hand gives it shape. Thelearnedpanditreadsmuch, declaims much Inman'sbrainarehatched manyworldlyplots But knows not of the treasure within. A thousand stratagems fail to fire the oven of It is not I who die. the fear of God. But the demonofignorancewhois destroyed; o Nanak! the speech of the perverse mind is The soul that sustains me dies not. but hot air Says Nanak, this is whattheLord the Creator The words it utters are devoid of sense. has shown me Now I know there is neither birth nor death. Paunai pani agni lea mel (Raga Gaudi Guareri) Jato jae kahan te avai (Raja Gaudi Guareri) Air, water and fire · I

I found that only the Name of the Lord is Friends ask for food and drink. immortal.' o Namk, one who sins for such cheap gains Shall go to his doom bound in dIains. 'Deep foundations I dug And on than ~ high waDs; But the temple I built collapsed in a rubbled Rain gavaee soi ke divas gavaya khae

~. ' -(Raja Gaudi Bairagan) I hoarded my treasure, I gave nothing away. I wasted my nights in sleep I was blind, I believtd it was mine to keep The days I wasted eating and enjoying, Then like the golden Lanka all was gone.' The priceless gift of life o foolish, ignorant soul listen to mer I barteied away-for a cowrie shell. Only the lord's will comes to pass. I knew not the Name of Rama OUr Master is a great Merchant Prince, Fool! You will regret this hereafter. We his travelling salesmen, Our souls and bodies are His investment Man buries his hoard under the earth. , He fills and re-animates as He wills. He seeks not God who is ouly without limit. Those who go into the world seeking gain lose the lord when they return. Avar panch ham ekjana keo rakbao ghar bar mana If all one desired one got (Raga Gaudi Chert) All of us would be wealthy; Not by words but by deeds do we reach They were five, I was alone The goal for which we aspire. How could I guard my home and my possessions? . a Nanak, the Creator takes care They beat and looted me again and again, Of what He did create. To whom shall I lodge a complaint? We do not comprehend His Ordinances Nor why He makes some men great. My soul! repeat the Name of Rama Facing thee is the army ofYama, The god of death. jai ghar kirat akhiai kane ka hoe bicharo (Raga Gaudi Poorbi Deepki) He raised the body like a house with many gates The home in which He is exalted , Within He put the soul as housewife. Where people meditate on the C~tor Whileshedisportsherselfbelieving thehouse In that home sing songs of praise arid all it has - And worship your Maker. Is hers forever Sing songs of praise of my lord The five are forever plundering her. Who is without fear, Death demolished the house, Let mylife be a sacrifice to thesongofpraise Looted all there was therein, That is my eternal solace. And took the housewife captive. Death beat her with a rod Always and forever He keeps vigil And put a ~ round her neck. Over creatures whom He ~ve life. The five took to their heels and fled. Thy bounty cannot be valued, A wife wants silver and gold, Who dare count Thy gifts? 54 Setded is the date of my last breath Without the Lord of the world, these will be (of my marriage with death) but sham display. Friends, pour nuptial oil at my door, I may gain renown as a miracle maker, Friends, I crave your blessings For union with my Master. Have power to make gold, power to vanish at will. To every home is the invitation sent, I mayweara crown onmyheadandoverita To everyone will issue thesummonssome day, royal umbrella to shade me, . Worship Him who sends for us Without the Lord of the world, how shall I Let the day draw nigh, doth Nanak pray. find truth? I may be a khan, a chieftain, a king Cboa chandan ank chadavau, pat patambar Order everyone about: 'Come here you! and pehor hadavau you!' (Raga Gaudi) It will all be sham display, I may pedumemybodywith scentedaloe and Without the guru's word my affairs will not sandal prosper. Drape it in silks and satins, By the guru's teaching Without the Name of Hari, how shall I find I· have overcome my ego and my pride; happiness? By the- guru's teaching What shall I wear? What display? I know that God the destroyer of demons Without the Lord of the world, how shall I Doth within me reside. find happiness? Nanak makes this supplication, 'Master I crave Thy protection.' I maywear rings inmyears anda necklace of pearls about my neck, -I may sit on a red mattress adorned with poppy Seva ek na janas avrey, parpanch biadh tyagai flowers, kavrey Without the Lord ofthe world, how shall I find (Raga Gaudi) happiness? He who serves the One God will know no I may possess a beautiful woman with other, bewitching eyes He does notconcern himselfwith the world's Lovelier for the sixteen kinds of beauty aids. bitterness and strife; Without the Lord of the world, forever shall By love and truth he is united with the I wander in frustration. truest of the True. - I may have houses and mansions with Such a man is a devotee of God, luxurious couches to recline on, He sings praises of the Lord; Gardens with gardeners tending flowerbeds at He washes away the din on his person all hours, And makes his Union with God. Without the Name of Hari, they will be The lotus in our hearts is upside down; abodes of sorrow. The world heeds false messages and bums in I mayhave horses andelephants, lancers and error; bandsmen Only he who meditates on the guru's words Militia, mace-bearers and retainers, - will be saved.

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The bumble-bee and the moth, the. elephant He who heeds his guru and repeats the Name of and the £ish RaIna . like deer meet their doom because of their Becomes fully integrated; own doings. ,' In'his heart beats unstruck by band the So itis withmen: cravings makes them blind celestial drum. ~ reality. Those who worship Rama andlove Hari, Lust fills their hearts; they become lovers of The Lord protects them inHisinfinite mercy. women, Those inwhose heartS lives Hart become like Frustration and anger prove their undoing. Hari, They lose their minds and their poise Their sight and touch produce tranquillity. Because they forget the Name. In all living things lives the Only One. Concern with other people's affairs makes their Those who tum aWay from Him are full of minds wander in 'error; pride, They put halters round their necks and are And are caught in the wheel of birth, death enmeshed in troubles. ' and rebirth. Only the saindy who sing praises of God Only those who find the true guru escape. Conquer their ego andcomprehend the truth Asawidowwillfor thelove ofmoneygiveher through the guru's word. body to strangers .' How can we learn the art ofunion of creatures So we pledge our minds to others. below and the Lord above? Without the Lord as ourloverwe shall never Ifwe reCeive guidance ofthe guru, our minds find fulfilment.' ' comprehend reality. Study all the scriptures, all litanies recite We are sinners; withoutany virtues, how can Read all the religious epics and have them ' we become virtuous? explained; When·the Lord is merciful, sayeth Nanak the Unless you are dyed in the essence of Truth slave, Your mind will wobble in error: His mercy He willshower, and the people save. As theclWrik bird loves the rain. And cries for a'few drops to slake its thirst; Mundh rain duhe1adia jeeo need na avai As the fish gambols in the 'waters, . (Raga Gaudi Poorbi) Nanak is athirst for theName of Hari, Long and sleepless is the night (of life) He drinks and his heart is 'filled with joy. For a woman'separated from the Lord She wears away pining for Him, Ram Dam chit rapai ja lea upjamp darsan She becomes weak waiting and watching for keejai ta](a the return of her Spouse. . (Raga Gaudi) Her adornments. the sweet delicacies offered He who in his mind repeats the Name ofRama, to her Pay him homage at the break of day. Are without taste; life has no purpose for her. Ifyou repeat not the Name of Rama Heryouthbursting like heady wine turnssour Great is your misfortune. But youth returnS not; herbosomwill not fill In every age Rama has been the bounteous God. again. 56

------~--_._------~ ._. ---'.'--..- , ...... _._, --- ..__.... - --_. Sayeth Nanak: aswitha womanso withusall My desires are fulfilled, We shall meet the Lord when He wills, My Beloved hath come to my home. Else ournightswill belongandwithoutsleep. Women! sing hosannas to the Lord Sing songs ofjoy and bliss. Ifthewretchedwomanbedeprived ofherLord The Lord hath fulfilled me. and Husband My sorrows are over. How shall she find fulfilment? My friends rejoice WithoutherHusbandherhousewill notbea My foes are filled with envy.' home. Such a woman's prayer is tn,le Ask herfriends and companions, theywill tell you And true her earnings. Withthe ofherhandsjoinedsheprays: Without the love of the Name palms 'Lord, night and day let me live in Thy love.' There is no truth, no life of comfon. Sayeth Nanak, when man and wife are thus In your hean let there be truth, united Let contentment be your companion, Are their desires truly fulfilled. In your mind the guru's message. These facilitate union with the Lover, our Sun nah prabhu jeo ekaldi ban mahe Husband. (Raga Gaudi) Sayeth Nanak, a womanwhonever forsakes the Name All alone am I in the wilderness Is gendy united with her Lord. o Lord, my Husband, listen to me! How can a wife be free of care Come· my friends and companions! Unless she finds You who are free ofall care? Let us praise the Lord, our Husband. I will ask my guru and write a message of love She cannot live without her Husband to be sent to Him, Her nights are long and hard to endure My guru hath shown me my True Lord. For sleep comes not to her, Lord of Love, listen to my prayer! Theperverse ofmindwill have cause to regret, o My wayward mind has ceased to wander; OnlymyLove cares for me, none elsegives a It is stilled and I recognIZe the truth. thought to me, The wine of truth renews its strength, Alone am I in my lamentation. The Word renews the vigour of love; . 0 Nanak, the fonunate woman has her tryst o Nanak, when the Lord is gracious with her Lord Truth is easily comprehended. And becomes one with Him. . WithoutHim herlife is indeeda tale ofsorrow. 'Friendsand companions! I am united with the Lord, ~ ,". , ~~, ..

6 ~ymns from Raga Asa

Sun vadda alchai sab koi WhomThou givest the powerneed ttyno other (Raga Asa) ways Having heard of Thy greamess 'This truth have I beheld; Nanak .says. All say Thou an great; H~ great Thou'an Akhan jivan visrai marjaun We shall know when we see Thee' (Raga Asa) 'Thy wonh cannot be valued ' Thy praise not put into words; By prayer I live; without it I die. Thosewho tried tospeak ofThee were merged The Name of the True One is hard to say in Thee. Hunger for the Name of the True One Ful6.ls that hunger and sorrows fiy away. o GreatMasterofminel ofwisdom profound of vinues a treaSure! ' Why then fmget Him. 0 mother of mine? _ Of Thy great apron none hath the measure. The Lord is tnle, His Name isTruth divine. All learned men with their loads of Vedic Praise ofthe True Name isabare mustard seed learning. (of His real greatness) All evaluations put together; Wel1 speak ofHim tillwe areweary ofspeech, Scholars. thinkers. teaChers and those who (We runoutofwords) and yet not His values teachers teach reach. Could noteven a sesame seed ofThy greamess Ifall together we exalted His nature , gauge. It would neither increase nor decrease His stature. charities and giving of alms; All He does not die; He suffers no sorrow All penances, all that good deeds gain He goes on giving, His bOunty never fails, Piiises by Siddbas who perfonn miracles . (all. all are in vain). ' , This virtue alone hath He None like there was before Without Thy aid Siddhas could no miracles Him Him make None like shall hereafter be. None can come between us ifThou art Thy bounty is as great as Thy might compassionate. Thpu madest the day and also the night. Sonyis theplightofone who tries tocontain He who forgets Thee is of low birth in words. o Nanak! one without Name is lowest of the Thy treasure is replete with words of praise. low-born. leta sabad SUlat dhun teti jeta rup kaya ten (Will be caught in the wheel of life) (Rasa Asa) Hewillbeborn to die, die to berebQm, again and again; All the sounds we hear are but a part of the Because this hathno end, itis hardtoexplain mighty roar of Thy torrent, What(when all issaidanddone), ofwhatwe All thesightsweseearebnta partofThyvast see creation, Do we understand or comprehend? Thou art the taste (in all we taste) Thou art the fragrance (in all that is fragrant) Without the Name, the mind will not find o mother of mine! no other hath these peace qualities. He that is born must suffer this affliction. My Master is One Delusion andself-esteem bringsorrowin their He is One, brother, the only One. train Only those the Lord protects are saved He is the Destroyer and the Redeemer He who serves the true guru tastes divine He gives and He takes ambrosia. He regards and rejoices, He is the granter of grace. He stills the wayward mind, He lets us taste the nectar, He is the Doer of whatever is to done, be He who serves the true guru will drink No one else can make that claim. ambrosia As He deals with us, so we speak of Him. With the true Word he will attain salvation Everything doth His greatness proclaim, Sayeth Nanak, he will thus expel thoughts In this darkage man's mindis likea brewer's within of self. vat Filled with the sweet wine of delusion. Niv pae lagau gur apney atam Ram nihariya Sayeth humble Nanak, (Raga Asa) This is also one of Thy many manifestations. I bow low to clasp the feet of my guru, I have vision of God RaIna. Gurmat sachi hUjat dur, bahut suanap lagai My mind meditated on Him dhur In my heart I saw and enshrined Him. (Raga Asa) The teaching of the guru is true, Utter the Name of Rama and be saved! It rids the mind of obstinacy, By the guru's grace All other clever devices are but an The gem that is God you will find, accumulation of dust, The darkness of ignorance will be dispelled Dust that setdes on the mind is wiped And your mind will be illumined. away by the Name. . Mere lip-worship cannot break our fetters By the grace of the guru, the mind remains Nor dissipate delusions of the ego; attached to Him. Whenwe meet the true guru, thoughts ofself Let us repair to Hispresenceand pray toHim disappear All joys and sorrows emanate from the True And we reach our goal. Creator. Those who worship $e Name of Hari He who earns the wages of falsehood Regard Him as their well-beloved Lord; .. Their heans 6ll with peace ',-.. As the oceans 6ll with water. ., ' , ., The Bountiful Giver of life to the-world .,.-' Loves those who WOlShip Him. .. .. ,­ Let the guru's teaching guide your thinking, .. .. ,.. . Hari will Himself take you across the ocean , . , . of life. , . '. He who kills himself battling his own hean finds God, In his own mind he vanquishes his cravings. Sayeth Nanak, if the Lord, Ufe-of-the-World be kind The gende path of'prayer we shall find.

Dudb bin dhen; pankh bin pankhi, jal bin utbhuj kam nahi (Raga Asa) A cow that yields no milk A bird clipped of its wings Are of as litde use as unwatered, withered vegetation; So likea king towhom noonemakes salutation Is the hean without the Name: A cell in pitch-black darkness. When I forget Thee many sorrows assail me Lord, forsake me not in my afflictions. My eyes have lost their light My tongue hath lost its taste No sounds echo in my ear With the aid ofcrutches my feet move forward. Such is the harv~t of bitter fruit reaped by those who serve not God. In the orchard of yout: hean, 0 man Sow seeds· of the divine Word! Water it in plenty with love. Your trees will bear fruit of the One Name. Ifyou make not this effon How do you expect to reap any harvest? All creatures are Thine If they serve Thee not, They will reap no fruit. Sorrow and joy are as Thou willest Without Thy Name there is no life. To kill thoughts of self within oneself Is true living; there is no other way to live. Sayeth Nanak, Thou art the Restorer' of life Preserve us as it pleases Thee.

Kaia Brahms man hai dhoti, gran janeu dhyan kuspati (Raga Asa) Ifthy bodywerea Brahmin priestperforming ritual Let thy heart be the dhoti he wears; Let divine knowledge be thy sacred thread Meditation theleaf-ring hewears onhis finger, Instead ofalms, begfor the name ofGod and thank Him. By the guru's favour you will blend in your 'Maker. a pandit priest! Let the Name of God be thy purification, Let the Name bethylearning, wisdom andway of life.- The sacred- thread on the body means litde Unless there be divine light within thee. -Make remembrance of the Name The mark on thy forehead and thy dhoti. The Name shall abide by thee in this life And the life hereafter. Seek the Name and nothing else besides. With love in thy heart worship the Lord And bum away love for wealth. Seek only the One, seek no other. See the essence of reality Through the vault that opens the tenth gate Repeat His Name and upon it meditate. If love be thy sacred food Fear and superstition will flee; If the watchman is wakeful Thieves will not break in at night. Let knowledge that God is One be the mark on your foIdlead Hopes and ambitions have I dispelled Consciousness -of the GOO within the essence 111 seek neither the good nor the neutral not ofleaming. the evil . No one cui win favour With God by mere The blessed fourth stage111 find in theguru's per£ormam:e of ritual; _ teaching Mere redladoD of sacred teXtS does not The assemblage of the saindy will be my reVeal His won:h sanewary. -His secrets ale not UlU3velled by the eighteen Puranas or the four Vedas. All our learning and thinking Sayeth Nanak, only the trueguru can showyou All prayt:lS and penances the Creator. Are directed to God who is beyond compIdlensionand whose secret is unravelled. Kachi gagar deb dubeJi upjal binsai dukb pae Sayeth Nanak, my mind is imbued with the - (Raga Asa) Name of RaIna, Thebody is likeapitehetof~ft clay filled with Teaching of the guru hath pointed out to me sorrow; the gende path of sahaj and service. It is made and unmade And each time it suffelS. Vidya vichari can parupkari This world is like a wrbulent sea, (Raga Asa) How shall we swim in it? Without the bdp of God and the guru Ifyou desire to acquire true knowledge We will not find the opposite shore. Make people's welfare thy aim in life. When you master your five senses ExcqJt rttee I have no 'other, my Beloved! life itself will become a pilgrimage. -0 Hari, except Thee I have no other! When the mind is stilled Thou giveth colour to all that is colourful It healS the tinkle of a dancer's bells. Thou giveth shape to everything that hath What then can Yama do to thee? shape; He who abandons desires, Thou forgiveth those onwhom descends Thy Is the real sanyasi. grace. He who bas mastered passions .Maya is like a wicked mother-in-law Enjoys his body and is a true yogi. Who will not let me make a home He who bas compassion Nor let me meet my Lord and Husband. And looks within himself On- gratitude) sballl clasp the feet of my Is like a sky-clad Digambar hermit. friends and companions. For he bas killed his self without killirtg For by the-kindness of my guru _ anyone. The Lord bath looked upon me with favour o Nanak, he who knows Thy sportive ways And I- shall be saved. Knows Thou artOne butbathmany disguises. I meditated I conqUered my mind and perceiVed Tit sarvade bhai lai nivasa There is no greater friend than Thou. (Raga Asa) As you otdain, so shall I live. Sorrow and joy you ~pportion, I'n accept. We live in' a pond whose watelS 62 He Himself hath filled with fire; A hundred thousand may rise to salute thee; Our feet are stuck in the mud of attachment A hundredthousand mayobeythyordersand We cannot move; many have I seen sunk in their respects pay. the mire. If these honours are not counted on the day of reck(>ning Heart! foolish bean! never dwellest thou Considerthemfruidess, a labourthrownaway. on the One If thou forgettest thy Lord, Withoutthe NameofHari, theworld's affairs Thou shalt dissipate the deserts of the virtue. are like a maze Neither continent, nor truthful, nor learned The more you explain to your stupid mind am I, The farther it strays from the truth Foolish and ignorant was I begot; As blind follow the blind. Nanak pra~ for the protection of those Ahundredthousandways we mayearn, amass Who never have Thine Name forgot. and spend Ahundred thousandmaycomeandgooutof Chhey ghar chhey gur chhey updes our hands . (Raga Asa) If these honours are not counted on the day of reckoning Six the sacred texts Where shall we find our sanctuary? Six the gurus who wrote them Six the messages they left. A hundred thousandsermonsfrom sacredtexts But the Guru of all gurus is One you may hear He hath many disguises. Ahundredthousandpanditsmayexplain the epics to you The. text which praises the Creator If these honours are not counted on the day Is sacred; adopt it as your oWn of reckoning And thereby merit gain. Consider them a waste: for they have been The blink of an eye, rejected by God. Fifteen lllinks, fifteen times and twice again. With the True Name comes honour, The watch, seven and a half watches The Creator's Name invokes grace; Auspiciousdays, days oftheweekandmonths If day and night He abides in our heans Are but divisions of time; He will be gracious, sayeth Nanak, All the many seasons there are And we shall be saved. But their only maker is the sun (likewise though many forms He takes The Lord our God is One.) Deeva mera ek nam dukh vieb para tel Sayeth Nanak, the Creator (Raga Asa) Is One, but hath many disguises. The Name of the Lord is my only lamp In it I put my sorrows of oil; Lalch Jashkar lalch vajey nejey Jakh uth karaih The brighter burns the flame salaam The qUicker is consumed the oil (Raga Asa) Thus I escape encounter with the demon of death. A hundred thousand footmen, lancers and bandsmen be in thy service. People, do not mock me!

I ...... -.

Justasa thousand p~of lop are dead and gone. . _ Can be lit by atiny spark Thou art the Uniter and the Divider (So can rhe Name set alight the world). Thou seest spectacles of Thy Grea~. (For my obsequial ceremony) Ifanyone calls himself great Inste1iKl of rice-cakes and leaf-plates - And indulges in all that meets his fancy, Be used the Name ofGod. In the eyeS of our Lord, he is like, vermin The Name of the True Creator shall also my Crawling on the ground nibbling at grain. oblations be, When a man while alive kills his worldly In this world and the worlds to come desires Then alone, Sayeth Nanak, can he receive In the futUre and in time past He alone bath been my refuge. The gift of Thy Name. Lord, Thy praise will be my pilgrimage to Benares Sabjap sab tap sab chatu13ee, ujhadbhannai My soul will dip into the waters of the holy rah napaee (Raga Asa) M~:on will beperformedifday andnight All prayer and penance, all other devices I cherish Thee. , Are like wandering in the wilderness without Some rice-cakes are offered to the ancestors, finding a path~ Others to the spirits,that wander round the ~~; Without understanding one cannot reach one's . destination. But it is the BIahmins who eat them all. And without the Name (there is no Nanak, if there is gmce upon the rice-cake o understanding); Never never will it go to ~e. One's forehead is-smeared with the ashes of Shame. Khorasan lcbasmana kiya Hindustan daraya - , (Raga Asa) Our Master is true, immortal He is; The rest of the world is born to die; He first conquered Khorasan By service of the saindy we gain release. Then struck ten'Orin Hindustan. The Creator took no blame upon Himself The wodel is bound in cords Of attachment and many hopes;' But disguised death as the Mugbal And sent him against us. Onlythe teachingofthe guru gives a sense of detachment. Didst Thou not See the kUling? Didst Thou not hear the wailing? The name illumines the mind within It opens like the bud Of the lotus Rower Did.not Thy heart fill with pain? They (the guru's disciples) fear I,l0t the Thqu art the Creato~ of all mankind; .clutches of Yama. If the strong battled the strong Because of men who lust after women, Ourheartswould notbeas fullofcomplaint. The world is dominated by womankind. Ifa fierce lion fell upon a herd of.coWs Men love their sons and wives but forget the Wewould askthecoWherd, where wertthou? Name, The priceless heritage was thus wasted Theywaste theirbirthrightandlose thegamble The dogs thus threw- away a priceless gem; , of life , No one will recall their names when they They forget that service of the true guru is 64

the greatest service. . It runs hither and thither in terror of death Menwho boastandopenlypraise themselves 1£ it fintls the guru to guide, it will find its Can never anoiltt their hearts with the salve sanctUary. of salvation. Without the guru's word, the mind will not He who by the guru's teaching bums ~ stilled; love of worklly lhings Repeat the Name of Rama. it is utterly pure Finds the Name unsullied ensconced in his AbIndon other ritual. it is bitterness of the hean. ego. His mind ceases to wander and is stabilized; How can this wayward mind be stilled? One meers such a one by the grace of God. Unless it understands, it will suffer at the Without the guru one is lost in the cycle of hands of death. birth and death God is our Saviour, By thegrace ofGodwe forge unionwith God. The true guru can unite us with God. Fain would I describe the Handsome One He can draw the thorn ofdeath outofourflesh But words fail me. He can make truth triumphant. How can I speak of One who is beyond the The mind though compounded of five power of speech? elements How can I Mluate One who is beyond all Determines our destiny for it is the doer evaluation? And in .the mind is law divine. All sorrows and joys are of His making The mind of the fool worships power and is But the True Name conquers every sorrow. full of greed, By theguru'sadvice itworships the Name, is He whounderslallds theWordachieves bliss; '£reed For him music is played by hands unseen . And attains eternal felicity. For him feet unseen beat time to dance Truth is within him; all joy is his Under the guru's instruction the mind finds By His grace the Protector pI'C)teet5 him. its true function; Under the guru's instruction the mind He loses himself but gains the three worlds, comprehends the three worlds. He understands the divine inessage andblends The mind can be a celibate yogi or the widt the Truth. householder. Meditate on the Word. be single-minded in The mind can be a per£ormet of penances; your thought of God. Under the guru's instructionitcan realize God. And sayeth Nanak. thank Him who straightens our affairs. . Thus doth the restless mind come to rest And relinquish thoughts of self. In every hean is the contagion of duality; Man maigal sakat devana, ban lc1wJd maya Under instruction of the guru (it avoids the mob bairana contagion) . (Raga Au) It tastes the divine essence of God. Ourmind is likea rogue dephantcrazed with And atevery door ofevery home and mansion notions of its own might. it is welcomed with honour. It lives in a jungle of ddusions and This mind of ours can be a monarch auachmenL And the hero of the fidd of battle, 66

• The guru gives it the gift of theName and Strange are Thy manifestations! makes it fearless. When they were taken in marriage Man, conquer your five enemies Handsome were their grooms beside them. (lust, anger, greed, attachment and pride) They were carried home in palanquins made Reduce them to servitude of iVOry . And along withyourego bundle themintoone! Basins ofwater were waved around their heads The music of the guru's message fulfils And ornate fans to fan the breeze. Man loses taSte for other food. A hundred thousand coins when they took The guru's message awakens the mind to their seats worship. A hundred thousand more when they stood up Ithears musicunstruckandmeditates on the Sliced coconut and raisins they ate Name On adorned couches they slept. It understands its spiritual self and becomeS formless. Their necklaces are broken and their pearls scattered In the mansion ofthe Lord is ourmindpurified Ropes are tied round their necks and they The guru teaches it to love and worship. are led away. Day and night it sings praises of God-such Beautyandyouthwhichgave themandothers grace the guru brings pleasure In everyheart is God whois withoutendand Have both become their direst foes; without a beginning. . Soldiers have permission to takeanddishonour This mind is drunk with juices of God them. Ul)der the guru's instruction find God, the curer of all ailments. Whom He wills He exalts, Sit at the feet of the guru and become a Whom He wills He punishes. Had our rulers but looked at the future worshipper Would they have suffered such fate? Nanak is the slave of the slaves of the people of God. Our rulers lost their heads Insensual indulgenceandpursuitofpleasure. When Babar's dominion was proclaimed lin sir saban pattian mangi pae sandhur Nota prince oftheIau.d couldeathis meal in (Raga Asa) peace. Women whose heads were adorned with tresses Some have been robbed of the right to Parting of whose hair was daubed with genuflect, . vermilion, Othersdeprived oftime to worship theirgods; Their locks are shorn with shears, their Hindu women have no sanctified squares throats choked with dust Howcan theyperformablutionandmarktheir Once they lived in palaces, foreheads? Now they dare not go near them. They who thought not of the Name of Rama Hallelujah! Glory be to God! Are now denied the right to call on Allah. Thou wen the First, none hath found Thylimit Some returned to their homes Thou an theAuthor of all things, Thou seest Others ask them of the fate of those who all, did not come back. ·For some it is writ that they sit and bewail their woes. What He wills comes to pass. Ah Nanak! of what reckoning is man!

Roodo Thakur mahro roodi Gurbani (Raga Asa) Excellent is my Master, Excellent are the songs of the guru. The very fortunate meet the true guru And attain salvation. 1 am lowest of the low. 1 am Thy slave boy, As Thou keepest so shall 1 live. Thy name will ever be on my lips. 1 thirst for vision of Thee Thy ordinances my hean accepts My Masterholdsgreatness inthepalmofHis hand If it be His pleasure. I will be received with honour. Do not regard the True One as far away. He is within us. Whichever Way I tum, I see 1].im there; Who has evaluated Him? He makes, He demolishes. He watches and glories in His work. By treading the saindy path We shall have His viSion And thus appraise His wonh. Such are the doings of the guru That in this life we can earn profit. But we can only find the true guru If it is writ in our book of fate. The perverse of mind will forever suffer loss They stumble in superstition and mislead others The perverse of mind are like ~e blind. If they recall Him not to their mind, How can they expect to see Him? 68 Whenyou have attachedyourselfto the True I have forsaken wealth, divorced maya from my One mind Consider your lives on earth worthwhile; And crushed her under my foot. The guru is like a touchstone The Primal lord showed me the way Onmeeting him (ironis transmuted into gold) Wherever I tum I see Him. He blends your light with' the light Eternal. Sayeth Nanak, abandon not the worship of Ever and always remain aloof from things of Hari, the world By the gentle path of sahaj, you will Serve· only the Primal lord. attain Him. Sayeth Nanak, the nameproduces tranquillity It absorbs us in love of the feet of God. Believe me, my mind has been pUrified, It seeks the Truth, 0 Rama! My sins are forgiven, Mera mana mera man rata Ram piyara Ram I am at the meeting of rivers of virtue, (Raga Asa) o Rama! Believe me. my mind is imbued with love of I abandon evil ways and tread the path of my beloved Rama virtue; The lord is the Truth, He is the primal I am at the gate of Truth, person, He is beyond all limits. I shall not be born to die, Him have I accepted as my Rama I have imbibed the quintessence ofthe guru'<; He is beyond reach, beyond comprehension of teaching. the senses Noble Friend! Learned Companion! When I meet Thee I see the Truth and am Beyond our most distant horizons. exalted. He is the Great God who presides over Nanak, the jewel of the Name glitters, everything. o Such is the message of the guru! He was before everything else; He was when Time began, Truth is the salve He is and ever shall be. This salve I apply to my eyes, Believe me all else is falsehood. I beheld the lord and loved Him, 0 Rama! He who knows not the worth of good deeds My mind and body rejoiced inHim. and piety, He gives life to the world, He is bountiful, How can he understand anything? o Rama! How shall he attain salvation? He is the giver of life to the world, Sayeth Nanak, the saintly know the Word He is the Bountiful lord. Day andnight they meditate upon I have dyed mymindwith the colours ofHari's the Name. Name, By the gentle way of sahaj He blended me Believe me my mindhas accepted the Name of with Him. Rama as its companion I know that neither ego nor things I love nor I found the company of holy men wealth will go with me, 0 Rama! Companionship of the congregation Neither mother nor father, brother nor sons By the grace of God I achieved tranquillity. Norany ofcunningdevices norpropertywill Seekers immerse in the worship of Hari, help you take themoryourwives with you. Conquerthe cravings ofattachmentanddesire. Sayem ;Nanak, once the ego is destroyed Why dost thou enmesh thyself iil it? The fortunate ones are confinned in their faith. If the True Master dwell in thY. hean How can the noose of Yama fall on thee? As whenthefisherman sepamtes the fish from ToaD sun hama kalia kee vadeeai rata Ram the water , (Raga Ass) And puts it in his net Black buck, listen to me! The fishes' eyes fill with tears Whatmakes thee breakinto fenced~offfields? (So will it be with dlee). Forbiddenfruit tastessweetbutfor fourshon The world which we cherish as sweet days Is but a delusion. Thereafteritproduces ill~humoUISinthebody. Only in the end is the veil of delusion Whatthou cravestproducesgreatsom;>w an4 lifted from our eyes. anguish. . Fix your mind on God Those who forego the Name Free it of anxieties. Suffer the flames of hell.. Nanak speaks the truth: As shon~lived as the wave in the ocean, My soul, ponder over the fact that Brief as the flash of lightning, Thou an not native to this world. Is the joy of forbidden fruit. o Ramal rivers in their course break into There is no other protector save God. streams And it is God thou hast forsaken. And streamS again run back into the river, Sayeth Nanak, man ponder over thiS in thy . So are oursouls unitedwithGod from whom hean: they came. What is it that makes the black buck lace o Rama! some rare one who hath renounced to its doom? the world knows o Rama! my mind is like the honey-bee That the world which appears so sweet in (Stealing nectar from the flowers); every age o Ramal it will suffer great affliction. Is really full of venom. I asked my guru about bees and creepers in Those who meditate on the message of the bloom. true guru The guru pondered and asked me in return FindTruth through the gende way of sahaj 'Whylike thehoney-beean thou lostamongst And realize God. the flowers?' Without the Name of God thoughdess fools When (ends the nightoflife and) thesunriseth, are we; With hot oil will your body be scalcled. We stumble on paths of ignorance and You will be in the thrall of death, superstition. Buffeted by Yama's blows; Without the Word, you will be like an evil Those who worship not the Name of Hari spirit. Nor have truth in their heans Will regret it in the end; theyll beat their '0 my souU' says Nanak truthfully, 'meditate breasts and lament. on the Lord Nanak speaks the truth when he says Forthewayoftheblackhoney-beeisme way Through the Word we meet the Truth to damnation.' And ~ur prolonged separation ends in ultimate My soul! thou an not native to this world. union.

7 Hymns fr,om Asa-di-Var

Asa-di-Var is a collection of hymns meant our innermostsecrets. We cannotcomprehend to be sung in the hours of the da:wn. It is His ways. He put Ufe into things that have Ufe, composed in the form ofa heroic ballad (Var) gave them different names and assigned them and is set to the musical mode ofthe Raga &a. different functions andwill judge them accord­ It is divided into Slokas (staves) and Pauris ingly. (stanzas) following one another alternately as We are limited in our comprehension of ~temeD.t anda commentary thereon. Except God-made phenomena-sights, sounds, col­ fOr a few verses of the second Guru Angad, ours, winds, waters, fire, forms of life, tastes, the work is entirely that, of Guru,Nanak. patterns of behaviour, etc. All we can do is to In the Asa-di-Var, as in his other composi­ marvel at them and shower praise on God. tions, the Guru did not restria himself to a Left to himself, man would consume himself single theme or a logical development of a in lust and thus waste his sojourn on earth. particular thesis. Nevertheless the oneidea that All that is in the world whether animate or predominates in, this work is how man can inanimate-breeze, streams, fires, clouds, the elevate himself from his low state to a godly sun and the moon, mortals, and super­ one and th\lS prepare himself for union with men-abide in the fear of God. God alone is God. Some passages of this Var were inspired free of fear. God alone is beyond reckoning of by the Mundakya and the Kattha Upanishads. time. Gods like Rama and Krishna were like It is severelycritical ofthe Hindu'sambivalence jugglers who displayed their tricks in the mar­ of his pretence of orthodoxy on the one hand ketplace and packed up to leave when their and sycophantic imitation ofMuslim (foreign) performance was over. Cl,lStoms toplease therulingclass on theother. Divine knowledge is notfound bywandering The Var opens with praise of the guru who about the streets; it comes by the grace ofGod. by bringing oUJ,the best in man can make him By God's grace man finds a true teacher (sat­ godlike. Anyone who thinks hecan dowithout guru) who whispers the divine word (sabda) the guru is doomed to failure. into the disciple's ear and helps him overcome God first created the world and glorified His his ego. own Name. Then He sat Himself upon His God Himself created both reality and illu­ prayer-mat to enjoy His creation. sion: we have to learn how to distinguish bet­ All that God has created, the cosmos and ween the two. Wecannotdo thisby performing the laws-by which they are governed,are true, ritual for ritual is like a whirlwind ofmeaning­ just and real. Let us,glorify His Name for He less activity, but only by abiding in the fear of alone is immortal and bountiful. He can read God. Those who fear the Lord, cherish the 72

-----_._-----~- ---_.-----~---- -~- ~--_ ..__ .__ .------_. Lord in their hearts. ~1se, be it in terms of power or of wealth, is Thou an Formless; Thy Name preserves us Illusory. They know the futility of loving from hen. Death is inevitable. No one can stop human beings who are on the eanh but for a the. march of time. However much we try to brief spell, they know thatman is not cleansed disguise the onset of years, age win manifest bywashing orwearing clean garments butonly itself in some way or other. after the ffith of falsehood is rinsed out of his There are different forms of worship-the system and his hean becomes the temple of Muslims' and the Hindus', the celibates' and Love. the householders'. No one is in a position to A man becomes pure when he Sees the light ridicule another's customs. Muslims say that of God in all that is lit, when he shows mercy because the Hindus bum their dead they go and charity towards his fellow-creatures. to hell. They do not realize that the clay a Beg for a pinchful of dust off the feet of the potter fires in his oven is compounded ofeanh ~ithful, smear it on your forehead, in in which dead Muslims have been buried. smgle-minded meditation think of the One. Without the intercession of the satguru no Your labours will surely bear fruit. one has, nor ever will, find God because God We li~e in a dark age (Kaliyuga) when greed manifests Himself in the satguru and speaks and lust are the ruling passions, our scholars through him. have no learning, our warriors no vaJouland Ego is the root ofall evil. Until we overcome all are concerned only with their 6\Yn selfish the ego we shall continue to stumble in ignor­ interests. We do not realize that God knows ance without finding the true path. We can our innermost secrets and we shall get what overcome ego and find the path of truth by we deserve. serving and worshipping God, by forsaking Pain is often the panacea for ourills. Comfon evil, by performing good deeds and by being can be a curse for those who live in ease and abstemious in what we eat and drink. think not of. God. Since God created everyone and everything Just as a pitcher, which can only be made we should leave the cares of the world to Him. with water, can contain water, so can the mind Performance of ritual, good deeds, giving of contain knowledge but it needs divine know­ alms, going on pilgrimages, meditation, fight­ ledge that the guru gives to make the right ing for righteous causes, etc., are of little avail kind of mind. If the learned know not these if there is no divine grace. truths, how can we blame those who have no Only the satguru can tell us how to find pretence to learning? God and cherish truth. Those who think they Just as the rosary has one big bead in the can do this by themselves are foolish andwaste centre, so do human beings havea chiefcharac­ their lives without even knowing why they teristic. likewise each epoch has been marked by its own special feature. epoch can be were born. No amount of book-learning can An teach us this supreme truth. Book-learning compared to a chariot and its charioteer. The four of the Hindus were contempora­ only boosts the ego. Performance of a pilgrim­ Vedas neous with different gods and prevailed in dif­ age only makes a person sanctimonious. Sub­ ferent epochs. We are now in the dark age jecting the body to penance does litde good when the predominant Veda is the Atharva as the sense ofselfhood can only be eradicated th~ by the divine word (sabda). True worshippers the dominant god is the Allah ofIslam and (Bhakras) understand this and are forever sing­ predominant customs are those ofthe Muslims whom the Hindus imitate in dress and dePon­ ing praises of the Lord. They know that all ment. 73 , The only way of~.from tlte evils of the souls of his dead forefathers, will they not be . charged with theCt? Will not the .priest who ~~:~lor~:hing perfOnned the obsequial ceremony be Be nordeluded bf ~. Take, f~r punis~? ,', . exatnple,thu11lt~Dttee·ltlshuge,~t -Falsehood comes as naturally to a liar as the as anatl'ow-aud W:.•enormousspreacI:'tet menstrual period to a woman. After her period neicherits·leavesnorksJlowers. DOi' its fruitJ a woman cleans herself,by washing her body; are ofany use to ali~.Inhumility Uessweet- . but falsehood can only be cleansed by enshrin­ ness andgreacness.See that whaiweighed in ing God in our heans. a pair' of heavier scales, the ol>ject which is The rich and the powerful who indulge their nearer the ,base is the heavier. . whims' in things they fancy-Reet-footed Exhibition of religiosity, p3rr0t-1ike'repeti­ horses, beautiful women, large mansions-of­ don ofsatted texts, daubing the fordlead with ten forget, till old age overtakes them, that saffron, etc., is oflittle avail ifthere is no trUth in the hean. . .' death which is inevitable will put an end to everything. .. We cOme intotbis. world with a- clean.slate Qeanlinessand purity are not contained m and thereaftergatri- or lost, according to the way we cook or eat our food but in w~t whether we do good '·or eviL We return as is in our 'heans. It is in what we behold WIth ~ naked as we came and if our record bad we our eyes, hear with our eaIS, taste with OUf go into the jaws of heR to repent our deeds: tongues and do with our ~bs that. ~e us The. Hindus wear a sacred thread. This pure or impure. All else 15 superst1t1on and ]aneau can be soiled, burnt, lost or broken. ddwrion. . . Why not make a sacred thread of mercy. con­ Praise the satguru as the greatest of mortals tentment, discipline and truth? for it is he who teaChes you to tread the path HindUs hire BrahmiDs to whisper sacred for­ of righteoUsness. He exorcizes the evil within o- mu1ae in their ears and perform religious rit,ual you and prepares you for union with God. forth~. . Brahmins perish. HOw can they save Firstletus cleanse ourselves; otherwise how­ . others when they cannot saye themselves? ever fastidious we may be in the way we cook See hoW low the Hindu hasfallenl He,talks our food, it will be as unclean as if someone of the sanctity ofthe Brahmin and the cow and - had spat into it. at the same time apes me customs and manners Do not denig~ your women for they are of his Muslim masters in:order to gain favour conceived and born as men are conceived and with them. Such are the wearers of the sacred born. We befriend, wed and go unto them. ~use thread. They have no sense-ofsbame Why slanderthe sex which gives biMto kings? they ttade in deceit and falsehood. Be notmis- . All who live are born of women; only God led by the caste-marks OD:their foreheads, their (who is, Truth and Reality) owes not His exis­ fancy. dhotis, their fussiness. over the,place tence to any woman. where they cook theidood-for what they eat Everyone speaks of himself; mark the one is· impure. They cannot wash -the m ·within -. who says IlQthing of himself in his talk. . them by-rinsing their mouths. Everyone must pay for what he does; God thinks of everyone and assigns a func­ everyone must fulfil his destiny. tion to each one. If even a mighty king were Knowing how brief is our sojourn on the to go againSt divine ordinances" he would be eanh, why should we fiaunt our pride? reduced to fodder. _ ' Speak not evil of any man and engage not Ifa thief offers what he has thieved for the in argument with a fool. Born of water and sweat The slanderer's shafts only poison his own Of all these He alone hath estimate. body and soul. No one will give sanctuary to . 0 Nanak., He knows the ~ and the the slanderer,people will spit on him, call him mountains a fool and beat him with their shoes.. One who He knows the masses of mankind is false in his heart but ~esto earn respect o Nanak, He who gave life to creatures and fame is an impostor. He is worse off than He will keep them -in His mind. a beggar who, although he may, be in rags, has attached himself to God, is carefree and rich Hewhomakes musttake care ofwhatHehath of heart. made! What is in the heart will come out of the Let the cares of the wo.rld He made be His mouth. If you Sow seeds of poison, do not worry. expect to reap a harvest of nectar. To Him make obeisance, to Him be victory! We shall never get to know God because May His court be in eternal session! He is infinite. His is all the power. He puts the o Nanak, if we have not the True r-{atne chains of slavery round the necks of some, Worthless is the mark on the forehead, gives others fleet-footed horses to ride. Since Worthless too the sacred thread. He is the Doer of all things, to whom shall we make complaint? He is the Divine Potter who designed our Sach to parjaneeai ja ridai sacha hoi bodies as vessels. Some He fills with delicious milk; others He lets simmer over the fire; some He alone is truly truthful men are destined to slumber on comfortable In whose heart is the True One living couches; others to spend their nights keeping Whose soul within is rinsed of falsehood watch over those that are sleeping. Andhisbodywithoutis cleansedbywashing. How can we evalUate the greatness of the He alone is truly truthful Greatest One? He is beneficent; He is merciful; Who loves truth with passion He is bountiful and provides for everyone. Let Whose heart rejoices in the Name your acts be good, your earnings pleasing to And finds the door to salvation. Him. Do only thatwhichwill merit the pleasure of the Lord. He alone is truly truthful Who knows the art of living SELECTIONS FROM ASA-DI-VAR Who prepares his body like a bed And plants the seed'of the Lord therein. Purkhan birkhan teerthan rattan meghan He alone is truly truthful khetan . Who accepts the true message Towards the living shows mercy Mankind and arbours Gives something as alms and in charity. Places of pilgrimage by river banks Clouds that float over fanners' fields He alone is truly truthful Islands and spheres, Whose soul in pilgrimage resides Continents and the universe, the entire Who consults the true guru cosmos. And by his counsel ever abides. All that is born of egg and womb, Truth is the nostrum for all ills. 75 It exorcizes sin, washes tbe·,boclr,dean. o pandit, ifsuch a sac:mJ thread there be Those that bavetrUth:ia:theirapioaS' Around our.neck. we shaIl'war it wiIJingly. Before doth Nauak binl'df man 4eman. A thread so made w1U I\Ol break ~. It wilt not get be. burnt or lost. Satpr viaaulJ·""')it·miIiai lcIJasam o NaDak. thou shaD 'see .. SlU'DRlMh" ., 'those"who wearrbis shall blessed be. Blessed be the true·guru . For four cowrie shells this thread is bought He reminds us of our Masrer. A square is marked for the caaDOIlY. His sermon is the salve of knowledge, The Brahmin whispers a manoa in the ear Oureyes comprehendd.terealUy.oftbeworld. And thusbecomes the guru and teacher. Those that tum their backs on the Master But when the-wearer c:lia. cast away is his And take service under another oDe 'thread WiD lose their tmde and faCe disaster. And threadless he goes on his voyage ahead. A ship to take uS.~ is, our aueguru Those ~tknowthis truth are but a few. Je kar sootak lDalJlIeai sab tai sootak hoe Once we say: This is pure. this unclean, Simal ~ samdya ad dilagh ad much See that in aU thinp there is life unseen. The sima1 tree is. huge ~ straight . Thereare wormsin wood and cowdungcalces, But if one comes to.it with hope of gain There'is life in the ~ ground into.bread. What will one get and whither tum? There is life in the water which turns plants Its fruit is without taste. green. Its flowers have DO fragrance .Howmenbeclanwhenimpurityisoverthe Its leaves are of no use. kitchen spread? hUmility o Nanak, and sweetness Nanak, notthusarethiqpimpure ~ce o purified Are the of virtue. and goodness. . Wash them with divine knowledge instead. Readily do we'aU pay homage to ourselves Impurity of the mind is greed. Before others we refuse to bow. . or tongue, untruth . Weigh anything in a.pair:of scales and see Impurity of the eye is coveting That of greater substance does the lower go. Another's wealth. his wife, her comdiness; The wicked'man bends Over double Impurity ,of the ears is Jisrening to calumny. . As deer"5layershooting his dart,. ",'. " 0 Nanak, thus does the fetteml soul What. use is ~ding or bowing of bead Wmg its way to the dty of doom. When you bow not your heart? Apey bhandey sajeean apey pooran dey Daya kapfIh santokh sootjargandbi sat 1I8t . ~ ~ God gives shape to human vessels. When making the sacred thread, the ]aneau, And God BUs·them with what He wills See that following roles you pursue. . Into some He pours mUk Out of the ~ of compassion Others He makes simmer on the hearths. Spin the thread of aanquillity Some are destined to sleep on soft couches Let continence be the knot Others spend their nights keeping a vigil. And virtue the twist,thereon. He saves ·those whom He Wills. 76 Vade ldyan vadieyeean Beyond speech is the glory of the GreatOne He is the Creator, mighty and benign. To each He giVes his living Our lives fulfil His great design. God is our one and only refuge Besides Him there is no second one Whatever pleases Him, He causes to be- done. 8 .:"Hymns from

" .. ·bpGujri

TelaDamJ,queecbannatl-ajqlD8l1&{lRIhoe .. There is no count of those who beg of Thee, . . '

79 9 :H~mns from-, ...Vadhans',·..·.

AmI; amal na ambc::IIU macbi Deer.uhoe (They pierce through me like daggers) (RapVadbans) They fill my bean With greed and longing; For one glimpse of Thee 111 give my life To the opium addicnhere is nothing like . For Thy Name may I be a sacrifice. opium. WhenThou artmine, my heart fillswithpride, To the fish water is everything. . What can IbeproudoHfThou artnotwith me? Those imbued, With the Name.of thtir Lord Woman, smash thy'bangles on thy bedstead Find evay prospect pleaSing; Bleak thyarms, break the arms ofthy couch; .May every moment of my life be a saaifiCe Thy adornments hold no charmS Thy Lord is in another's arms. to Thy Name, 0 my Master! , My Master is like a tree that beareth fruit The Lord liked not thy bangle-seller The Name of the fruit is nectar . Thybracelets andglass banglesHedoth spurn Those who drink itsjuice are tndy fuIfilkd Arms chat do not the Lord's neck embrace May my life be sacrifked to theml With anguish shall forever bum. All my friends have gone to their lovers Thou livest amongst all creatures I feel wretched, whose door shall I seek? Yet I see Thee not; Friends, of proven virtue and fair am I How can the thirsty their thirst slake, Lord, does nothing about me find favour in If a walJ. separates them from the lake? Thine eye? Nanak is Thy tradesman; . I plaited my tresseS, Thou an my Master and my goods. Withvermilion daubed the partingofmy hair My .mind would rid ilSdf ofdehJsion And. went to Him If to Thee l addressed. my prayers But with me He would not lie. And to Thee my petition. My heart is grief-stricken, I could die. I wept, and the world wept with me. Moti nm jbunJa12, bbsiney savan a12 . Even birds of the forest cried, . (Raga Vadhans) Only my soul tom out of my body shed not Sweet sound of water gurgling. down the a tear, water-spout Nay, my soul which separated me from my (The peacock's shrill, eXultant ay) Beloved shed not a tear. Sister, it's savan, the month of rainl In a dream He came to me Beloved Thine eyes bind me in a spell (l woke) and He was gone. 80

I wept a Rood-of tears. Beloved I cannot come to Thee, No messenger will take my message; Blessed sleep co~e thou -back to me, Thatinmydreamsmylover1againmaysee! Nanak, what wilt thou give the messenger Who brings thee a message from thy Master? 111 sever my head to make a seat for-him; Headless though1be, 111 continuetoserve him. Whythen do1notdie? Whynotgive away my life? My Husband is estranged from me and has taken another wife!

]a1ao aisee reet jit mai PyaIa veeszai (Vadhans-di-Var) Ritual thatmakes meforget myBelcwed Lord shall 1 burn. . o Nanak that love is best that in the Lord's eyes doth merit earn. The body is like a wife in her home, When-her Lord is away S~ pines for him. If her intentions are pure, shel1 be re-united any time any day. o Nanak, unless there be love, False and futile is all talk. Man who calculates good In the spirit of give and take Even for the good he does He doth its vinue vitiate.

82 10 Hymns from Raga Sorath

Sabhna mama dya vichhoda sabhna our brothers and wen·wishers. (Raga Sorath) When we pass on and our credentials are examined Death will come to everyone, Those who had no guru are beaten and .To everyone separation, discarded. Who will hereafter be re-united? Go ask the wise ones. Those who forget my Master Alakh aparagam agocharna tiskalna karma Will suffer much tribulation. (Raga Sorath) Forever worship Him who is the Truth Beyond comprehension, without end By His grace you will gain joy everlasting. Beyond reach, beyond description Praise Him as the Mighty Immortal, beyond cause and effect He alone is and ever shall be. Beyond the pale of caste and caste1essness Lord, Thou art the One, the Only Giver; Beyond the cycle of life, death and rebirth Mankind's gifts account for nothing. Self-existent and alone What Thou ordainest comes to pass Without desire,·without delusion. All else is as futile as women's wailing. He is the Truest of the True Many raised forts and casdes upon the earth To Him I sacrifice my life. Proclaimed dominion by beat of drum-and He hath no form nor colour nor line passed on; He manifests Himself through His Word Those who walked with their heads in the divine. clouds Are now like beasts led by the nose-string. He hath no mother or father or other kin Man knowing how like a stake driven through He hath no woman nor lusts for one; the body Hehathno forefathers, nothingcontaminates Him, ' Will be thy pain He is endless, He is infinite. Thou eatest sweet things of the world, Thou art the light .of all light. Why dost thou not abstain? In every heart art Thou hid sayeth Nanak, the more we sin, the heavier In every heart bumeth Thy light. the chain we forge about our necks. The guru's message bursts open the granite It can be severed by good deeds which are like doors to understanding 83 ~;: ~..

ADd it meals the Farless.One-CIlbBDCed in Man,srand finn. go not astray prOfoundmedt1atioft. - , IfeJKwhere you look. yours will be frustration He created life and over it spread. paJl of, and Ifle£ daub .- For the aDtbrosia you seek Is within your hean, within your home. AIlman'scunain& devices He ~aDd contto1s. . Abandon, the path of evil, take the path of .Serve the true guru, a priceless treasure virtue will be thine. - You'll regret the evil acts you do. To gain Mease. live according to the Word If you know not good from evil, (the further divine. you go) The, deeper in the mire will you sink. Ifthy vessel (thy body) be clean, the True One will enrer it and there remain; Ofwhatavail isexternal washing ofthe body, But rare are those whose chatacter is without When the grime ;of greed and falsehood is stain. within?> As essences- merge in the quintessence Ifunder the guru's guidanceyou wolShip the So doth man's sOul blend in the primal soul. pure Name Sayeth Nanak. lDrd, Thou- art lIlY fefuge. You will be saved, your innerselfbe cleansed of sin. _Jisjal Didhi lamm tumjagaye so amritgurpdi }eeo Discard greed and calumny, with falsehood -(Raga Sorath> make no compromise With the guru's teaching pluck the fruit The elixir you came into the worlcttoseek' of truth. - lhatsacredfontofnect8ryou'll6ndwith the guru; . As be Thy will, b Lord, keep I Take off your mask and ,other disguises So me, crave. Praises of Thy Word I'll sing, Give up trickeIy and aU other pursuit is Doubt-and duality bear no fruit. Nanak Thy bond slave. 1~ Hymns from Raga Dhanasari

)eeo daIac bai Ilpnl! kai sea karee pulair ]eeo lapac hai baro bar (Raga Dhanasari) (Raga Dhanasari) My mind is beset with fears Fires of temptation assail me time and again, Before whom shall I cry for help? I weaken and am a prey to many ills; I shall serve the Remover of Sorrows I forgot the guru's hymns He is forever bountiful, He gives me what I ask. And like one chronically sick and in bodily My Master reveals Himself, pain I and moan and complain. Ever fresh, forever new, groan He is forever and ever bountiful. Too much talk is foolish prattle Without our telling Night and day will I serve m)' Master When comes myend, He will be my Redeemer. He knows everything That is worth knowing. Woman who has bewitched my heart, 0 hark! He who gave us ears, eyes and nose, hear! o Who gave us tongue so cunning of speech, The lordalone can take us to the othershore. He who preserved us in the furnace of the o Merciful.lord, ThyName shallbe my boat. womb To Thee shall I sacrifice my life forever. At His bidding is all the breath we. breathe. In all the world Thou alone art True As strong our attachments, our loves and There is none besides Thee cravings On whom falls Thy grace, So black is the stain they leave on our Are destined to serve Thee. reputations. Beloved, without Thee how shall I survive? Those who pursue the path of transgression Grant me theboonthatI cling to ThyName. will be branded My love, there is no other to whom I can turn. And will not find a seat in His presence. Master, Thee alone shall I serve, of Thee By Thy grace we have power to worship Thy alone will I beg; Name . Forever will Nanak be Thy seJvant. Thy Name alone saves, we have no other Every joint and limb of my body I dedicate recourse. to Him, Even those sunk can thus be salvaged Yea, every limb and every joint I offer to my o Nanak, theTrue Oneis bounteous towards Master. everyone. '. :. ->""- . ~" ' .... ~. .:,......

C1J9r ~ cbeet na bheejai~.jey bac1f1wai Amountain of sandal is Thy joss-stick . .at ~ na _1.1._, • . : ~ ~)IIl Breezes that blow Thy fan; . (Rap~sart) ,~ .:All:the wOods and vegetation . All flowers that bloom Words ofpraisefrom a thiefd.9 noipleasetbe Take their colQUI'S trom Thy light. mind . ,; . . Nor words of calumny spoken by hiDdn the Thus we wave·the salver of lamps least demtct; .. . How beautiful is this ritual! ,For a thief no one stands surety. no one will Thou art the destroyer of the cycle of.birth. hold a brief ' . death and rebinh. How can anythipggood be expected ofa thief? In Thy temple echo beats the drum unstruck by hands. My mind. lisien! thou blind. base cur! listen forsooth· A thousand eyes hast Thou. yet no eye hast Without being told. the TroeOne finds the ,Truth.",·, Thou. . A thousand shapes hastThou, yet no shape hast Thou. ., A thief may appear learned.and wise Hell be a base coin worth tWo pieS . A thousand feet hast Thou. yet no foot hast However much you miX the base with the Thou. genuine ' ".' ,.,' A th6usand ,nostrils hast Thou, yet no nose hast Thou. Base will be found· to be base when carefully exauililed. These are miracles that have bewitched my hean. . As our acts. so will our d(SeltS be As we sow"so shall we reap; . Thine is the light in every lamp: Of himself whatever a man may'say . Thine the radiance in all that is radiant. (It changes not his real self) his senses The guru's teaching illumines our minds. determine his way. What pleases Him is the trueworship oflamps. Ahundredlies hemay tell to coveruphis filth As the honeybee seeks honey in flowers and falsehood;' . My soul which is ever athirst, ~ He may win acclaim an over. the world. Thy lotuS feet . (Itwin nothelp:the base can neverbegpod) To slake its thirst for nectar. Kitbe Thywill. even a fool wiltThoureceiVe . Lord, show Thy mercy ::0· Napak,.He is wise and. omniscient.' Give Nanak the water he seeks. : N~ doth the Lord c::leceWe. ' He lJke the satang cries for rain Let him forever abide in Thy Name. ARTI Gagan mai thal ravi chand dipak banai . Gur sagar zarani bharpoorey, amrit sant (Rap Phanasari) chugaih nahi doorey (Raga Dhanasari) ,The firmament is Thy salver The guru is a sea fun of pearls 'The sun and moon ThyJamps; Thecs.iindy are like swans that feed The galaxy of stars as pCatls streWn. . :And ..never far from its shore; 86

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They pick uptheirshare ofthe-nectar (ofthe Name) , doubt and sorely grieves. ~ Lord loves them and holds them dear. Those who know speak, read, and b.ear praises In this sea the swans find God, the Lord of of the One God, life.' . . The God who supports the earth. The wretclted heron wades in the dirty pond He instils in them faith and, fortitude, and It wallows in the mire, it cannot be ck.ansed. becomes tbdr protector. The wise watch their steps ere they go their minds become chaste, righteous and They Rject duality and worship God as the self-controUed 'Formless One. If they choose, they attain the fourth estate. . They drink nectar and attain salvation . So pureare the truthful, nothing can soil them; The gururescues them from the cycle ofdeath The guru's teaching dispels doubt and fear. and rebinh. Nanak begs of the Truthful One, the ~ Swans never leave the sea, Lord Withlove andadoration they gendybecome a Handsome of face and feature which are part of iL ' beyond compare. Then is the swan in the sea and the sea within 'the swan Teerath nawn jao teerath Nam hai Itknows the unknowable andpays homage to (Raga Dhanasari Chhant) the guru's words. Why go ye on pilgrimage to bathe in holy Entraticed inprofound meditation is the Divine waters? Yogi ~ow that real pilgrimage is worship of the He is neither male nor female, how can one Name! describe Him? True pilgrimage is meditationontheWord and In the three worlds is His divine light knowledge of the self. '. , w~rshipped Knowledge impartedby theguru is more real Gods and men and ascetics seek refuge in, Him. (than a sacred river bank); It is more rewarding dum bathing on the ten God is the root of the tree of bliss, holy days; He is the Protector of the helpless; ,In meditation and in worship It is like an unending festival of Dussehra. , Men ofGod follow the gende method of sahaj. Forever shall I beg the Name of God, Hari. God cherishes His worshippers, He is the God, Sustainer of the world, give Thy Name ,Destroyer of fear to me! Manconquershisego, hissteps tum towards The'world is sick, God's Name is the remedy. the Lord. If we do not have the Name of the True One We shall forever be smeared in sin. Man tries countless other devices but death The guru's·teaching is pure, eternally dogs his footsteps; , effulgent. For those who came into the world, death is It is ever the truest pilgrimage and ablution. destined Ufe is aninvaluablegift, man squanders itin Dirt does not stick to those who are truthful duality, They have no need to scrub or rinse He knows it not himself, he stumbles in themselves. 88 it you string a garland of good deeds round It is a stream as holy as the Sangam 'your neck, (Where meet Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati). You need not then raise cries of regret. Contemplation conquers ego, Thou shalt be the truest of the true; Thou shalt worship the One God who is the ~t helps man save himself and save others. It prevents rebirth. truth And whose bounty ever increaseth. The one who contemplates becomes the Friends! company of the saindy supreme meditator. Is the way to salvation. The touchstone (wherebyall tnlthsare tested) God gmnts this in His gmce and unites us with The truthful please the Truthful One. Himself. Day and night is he in true ecstatic bliSs Everyone speaks of the Lord Sin. and sorrow do not afflict him. Who can say how great He is? He hath found the Name of dle True One. I am foolish, low-born and ignorant The guru hath shown him the way to God. I learn from the guru's teaching No sin can stain him because Which is like drinking pure nectar. The True One abides in his hE~n. It persuaded my mind to accept the truth. Meeting and companionship of the men of We come into the world with a load of sin, God is real bathing, true pilgrimage, We depan with the self-same load. One who sings the songs ofthe Lord·is himself Only my guru's teaching explains the truth exalted, to me. Praise the TrueOne, have faith in the trueguru. Wecan endlesslytalkofthe Lord; HeHimself Thynaturewill tumto giving ahnsandcharity, is the keeper of the treasure of worship. Performing of good deeds and.acts of mercy. His presence is felt everywhere. If thou love being with thy Lord Nanak speaks the truth and pleads In the gende stream of sahaj vvillst thou then He who cleanses his hean is truly cleansed. bathe , ,", " . ~.--

12 :HymDS -from .,Rap Tilang

to Yak lin no."""~U(Raga... pe:s dar goskun lcartsr _ Brimful with delusions of maya , -J 6 .... TiJang) ,I have become like a cloth dyed with greed. Dear friend, -the colour of my cloak Creator! a petition -I place at Thy door not·the Lord my Groom. - ~ve Pleases Give ear and hear what I to say. How ,then shaUl who am His bride, Thou- just, great, merciful and of evil free an , Be invited to His nuptial couch? Thou an Protector of all ~-tbat be. We must always bear in mind Let my life be a sacrifice unto Thee, That the world is ~le. o Merciful. One! The angel ot death ha~ my hair in his ~ Let my life be a sacrificel . And yet my bean hath no knoWledge of It. Let my life be a sacrifice to those who WOl'Ship Thy Name. Neither wife nor son, neither father n~r - Yea, let my life be sacrificed to them a brother, hundred times. Not one can extend to me a helping hand!, Wh~ comes my time to depart, Dear friend, if the body be like a dyer's vat Time to say the final prayer ' We mustfill itwith the madderofthe Lord's No one will hear my can, Name; And to my rescue come. The Divine Dyer willdye itinhues none hath ever seen. Night and day, I trod the path of greed My mind thought only evil thoughts Dear friend, she whose garment is thus dyed I did not do any good deed. Hath the Lord her Groom by her side. Nanak prays for the dust of her feet. I am unfonunate, niggardly and d1oughdeSs, A shameless wretch am I; The Lord weaves the cl9th and dyes it. I have even lost the fear of God. He Himself appraises -the coloul'S. Sayeth Nanak, Thy slaye am I, Sayeth Nanak, if the woman thus adomed Yea, lam the dust of the feet of Thy slaves. plbse Him , . He will begraciousand take herunto Hunself.

Ih ran ma1nl _J.i.. pyarey leetda lab rangae 'J- JAU'" (Raga Tilang)

Dearfriend, Iamlikeone drowned inadyer's vat

.-- ~-~---- What it told me, I shall tell thee, 0 Wo. Babar disguised as a bridegroom hath hastened down from Kabul; His hordes are perpetrators of sin, With force of arms he demands the gift (of a bride) Propriety and laws have gone :into hiding, Falsehood comes to the fore, () Lalo. Nobody invites the Qadi or the Brahmin, Satan is asked to recite the rna,rriage vows. Muslim women recite the Kordll, And in anguish they call on Allah. Hindu women of castes high and low, Suffer the same fate, 0 Wo. o Nanak, theypraise bloodyviolenceintheir marriage songs (Instead of saffron) they smear the bride's parting of hair with blood, 0 Lalo. Nanak shall ever sing praises of his Master. Forthis charnel-househehathc,omposed the following lines: 'He who created life and involved it in living Nowsits aloofandbeholds the g.oings-on (the killing) The Master is true, just are His dictates And just are His decisions. Our bodies and their covering Will be slashed and tattered to shreds. People of India, remember my words! In 78 they will come, in 97 they will depan In their stead will rise a man The disciple of manly man.' Nanak makes this prophecy The prophecy will be true As time will soon testify. · ,~ ,

13 ·Hym·ns from Raga Suhi

Jog na khintha, jogna dandey, jog na bhasam Among theworld's impurities, be ofimpurities chadhaeeai free. . (Raga SuhO Sayeth Nanak, if thou must be a real yogi, Religion Ueth not in the patched c~t the yogi Be intheworldbutbe dead to its tinsel values. wears, When 'the lute strikes notes without being Not in the staff he bears, touched Nor in the ashes on his body. Know then that thou hast conquered fear. Religion Ueth not in rings in the ears, If thou must the path of true religion see, Not in a shaven head, Amongtheworld's impurities, be ofimpurities Nor in the·blowing of the conch-shell. free. If thou must the path of true religion see, Among the world's impurities, be ofimpurities free. Sabh avgun mai gun nahi koe (Raga Suhi) Not by talk can you achieve union He who sees ~ mankind as equals Full of evil, no virtues have I­ Can be deemed to be a. yogi. How will I my husband meet? My face is notcomely, there is nolustre in my Religion lieth not in visiting tombs eyes Norinvisitingplaceswhere theyburnthe dead I have nolineage, nowinsomeways, norsweet Not in sitting entranced in contemplation speech. NorinwanderinginthecoimtrySideorforeign lands Shewhocomesadornedwith thebeautynature Nor in bathing at places of pilgrimage. gave If thou must the path of true religion see, , Shall find favour with her Lord Among'theworld'simpurities, beofimpurities And her marriage consummated. free. He hath neither form nor shape When a man meets the true guru But seek Him now. His doubts are dispelled Put of not prayer till the end is near. And his mind ceases its wanderings; I have no sense, no learning, no ability Drops of n~r pour down on him·like rain. Lord have mercy, let me clasp Thy feet. His ears catch strains of sahaj's celestial music What avail is my youth Andhis mindislitupwithknowledge divine. If it please not my Lord? If thou must the path oftrue "religion see, MaYa hath deluded me; I have lost my way. 92

-.i When the notion of self goes, God enters Such a one will die estranged, Then thebride finds herGroom and the nine His body and soul be stained. treasures. Under the guru's instructions earn goodness Many lives have I spent sorrowing separated And take home thy gains; from Thee Through the guru's hymns comprehend the My Lord, mylover take mein thinearmsand Word and be free save me Nanak hath but one prayer: Says Nanak: those He likes, He accepts 'If it please Thee The Lord is--and ever shall be. Grant me shelter of the Name, Let me sing praises of Hari.' Manas janam dulambh gurmukh paiya (Raga Suhi) Sau ulame dinai key rati milan sahans Human birth is a rare opportunity, (Raga Suhi) Only the saindy know its worth. The day's hundred regrets If the guru is gracious (he will grant me the By night multiply tenfold; boon) As a swan instead of feeding on pearls My mind and bodywill besereneas the moon. (Which are its real sustenance) When comes the time for them to go Pecks at carrion The saindy take their accumulated wealth of So man forgets to sing hosannas to his God good deeds. (Which are the real sustenance for his soul Through theguru, they know the fear ofGod; And turns instead to the fleshpots of the They are given a place ofhonouI' in the court world). of God. Cursed be the life thus wasted He who with his mind and body Praises the In stuffing food and increasing the paunch. Truth The Name of the True One changes not; that Is pleasing to the Truthful Om:. much we know The perfectguru persuades the mindand itis All else, sayeth Nanak, turns from friend to foe. merged in the Lord. Lord, let me live a virtuous life! Deeva balai andhera jai, bed path mati papa Lord, abide Thou within me! khai With Thee ever within my mind (Raga Suhi Slok) I'll take the gende path of sahaj And joy everlasting find. When a lamp is lit, darkness is dispelled Many a time have I told myself, admonished Where scriptures are read, evil thoughts are my foolish mind . expelled. 'Learn from the guru, sing the Lord's praises When the sun rises, the moon is not seen Immerse thyself in His love.' When knowledge comes, ignorance is Ever have the Beloved Lord in your heart dispelled. If thou treadest the path of virtue, The reading ofthe Vedas is nowa worldly trade Sorrow will not dog thy footsteps. o pandit! you read much, butwithout thought, Those who tum away from the: Lord Without understanding this reading is a loss. Will be lost in a maze of doubt . Says Nanak, only those the guru loves will go And will not know what it is to love God. across.

-- ..~---~. ~-~------~~~--~~~~- 14 .Hymns from Raga Bilaval

Too sultan kaba hau miyan tenkavan vaddiaee Man mandir tan ves kalandM gb6.t hee teenh (Raga Bilaval) nahvan (Raga Bilaval) Thou an the Sultan If I address Thee as the village headman Jhave made my mind my temple Do I magnify Thy Name? . My body I have dressed in a pilgrim's garb Lord, I address thee as Thou hastempowered In my hean are the holy waters in which I me bathe. I am foolish and know not the art of polite' His word to me is the very breath of life' speech. 111 be born no more, ended is my strife. As Thou instructest me so shall I word my My mind is engrossed in the Merciful Lord, praise . o Mother,· Thy will shall bemyway oflife, inThyttuth Who can.know of my hean's sorrow? shall I abide. Except my Lord, I think of no other. All that comes to pass is at Thy bidding You who are beyond reach, beyond Everything that· happens is within Thy description, beyond knowledge, knowing You who are limidess, My Master, I know not Thy dimensions Think of us! I have no means of knowing, I am blind, You are spread over the waters What shall I say? I tried to ~ And across the land. I learned that I could not speak of One In the spaces betWeen the heavens and the Who is beyond description. eanh I can only say as much as Thou willst·me to Are You, say . In every hean burns bright Your light. And that is but a tiny fragment ofThy real greatness. All teaching, all understanding, all comprehension Ahomeless dogamongsta packofdogs amI As You ordain"all this is. I go about.yelping for food to fill my belly. You are the shade in which we·rest o Nanak, one deprived of the ability to And the ~ons we raise. worship, Islikea womanwho knoweth nouhename of None other besides You willI ever know, her Lord. . o Master, 94

'-ll~~ , ~_: : ------_.------. ------. ----- Forever shall I sing in praise of You. Men and beasts, all Your shelter seek You have to look after everyon.e. This is Nanak's one prayer and only request That he look upon Your will as. the best.

95 15 HytJ)l1s from SiddhaGoshta

Siddba ,(;oshea' is' based on a dialogue said 'Who art thou?' the yogis asked, 'What is thy. to have taken place between Guru Nanak and name? a band of yogis who came to visit him either What path dost thou pursue? at Acbal-Batala (Bbai Gurudas Var I, paudi What is thy life's aim? .39-44) or at .Gorakh Hatri (Puzatalf']anam Pray tell us all, to us be true.' Salehi). It deals largely with the respective 'To men of God my life be sacrificed', merits ofHath-Yoga adVQOiwi byyogic follow­ Nanak made obeisance and replied. ers of Guru GoIakbnath and Nama-marga preached by the' guru. In this compoSition the 'Where is, thy seat ?' persisted the yogis, guru also spells out in greater detail his notion 'Son, where is thy home? of terms like saba} and'sunya as well as the From where hast thou come? personalities of the guru ,and a gurmuJch. Where wilt thou go when thou goest away? Thouhadstrenounced theworld tobecomea Selections from Nanak's Dialogue with the wandering hermit YOgis Whatpathwilt thou pursue, tellus wepray?'

(Raga Ramkali) 'He that dwells in every heart The yogis took their seats on their prayer-mats Within Him I've made my seat,' replied And spake in chorus: 'Our salutations to this Nanak. holy assemblage!' 'Whicheverway I'm directedbythe true guru That is the path 1 pursue. 'IsaluteHimwhoisthe Truth,'replied Nanak, Gendy did 1 come from God ' To God shall 1 return 'Who is Infinite, Who is without any limit. Nanakshall forever live accordingtoHiswill. Fain w~ld 1severmyheadwithmyown hand And lay it at His feet! My seat is my prayer-mat 1 worship the immortal Narayana. To Him 1 dedicate my body and my soul. Truthishoweveralso found inthecompanyof This was 1 taught by my guru the holy Through thegurudidI come to knowmyself Andmergedmyselfin theTruestoftheTrue.' And through them the soulis ledby the path of sabaj to glory. Thenspakeoneofthem, called CharpatYogi: Butwhatuseisittowanderinthewilderness? 'They say.the world is like a turbulent sea, Through truth alone is true purification' A sea which no one can swim over. WithouttheTrueWordthereisnosalvation.' How then can we find the other shore?

~~-- _.~._-_.~------_... -._... ---~--

Nanak, detached from the world dost thou live 'Among shops and highways may you five Ponderover the problem ~ the ttueanswer Only Pe vigilant and never slumber give.' Let not your mind stay and dwell On the wife or wealth of a stranger. Nanak Iq)lied: 'When ,someone poses a Without the Name the mind will never be question in such form stable That the question itself contains .the answer; Nor,.says Nanak, from worldlyhankerings be What cananyone give suchaquestion? answer ever free. If you to have reached the other shore claim My guru has shown me cities andshops within Why ponder over this problem any more? my heart. As the lotus.in the water is not wet Nor the water-fowl sporting in a stream There can I easily ttade and earn truthful gain. Fixyourmind on theguru'swords and thus, , Says· Nanak, cross the world's sea to your Says Nanak, the essence ofasceticism, let it be Lord Supreme. . understood, He who in a crowd can be alone IS to abstain from too much sleep and too much In a multitude of desires is without desire food. Such a one has access to the Inaccessible 'Examine the schools of philosophy And knows the Unknowable. Accept one that is pre-eminent Having himself had the vision Wear rings in your ears and He shoWs others to see The hermit'S cloak on your person. Nanak is the slave of such a one.' Carry the beggar's bowl 'Master, listen to me,' pleaded one, Of the twelve orders choose one 'Be not offended by my question! Of the six schools to one subScribe How d~ one reach the gate of th~ house I(you take my advice, my son, of the guru? You will be spared the buffeting of chance Much have 1pondered over this problem, I The. sage achieves the goal of divine union. ten thee true.' 'Let the divine word be always within you. 'This mind of ours is resdess,' said Nanak Overcome your ego, erase attachment to 'Itisbrought to restby the anchor ofthe Name worldly things Then does it find its true abode and The guru's word will help you conquer resting-place Pride in self, lust and anger. The Creator unites it with Himself and thus What means the patched cloak and begging Is conceivedlove for the truth (by His grace). bowl? It's better to know that the spirit of God 'Shun the shops and highways of the cities, pervades Amidst trees of forests go and stay Nanakknows that only God can save Wild roots.and berries'be the food you eat He is the Truth, His name.is True Sages who know say this is the way. I found thisby testing thewords oftheguru. Go bathe at places of pilgrimage Go pluck the fruits of peace 'Instead ofputting upside down your begging The filth of the world win not soU you. bowl Ifunion with God be your goal, says Loharipa Turn your back on worldly things. son of Gorakhnath, lildeuse is it to wear the yogi's cap upon your This is the only Way of life as you will see. head 98

------~~---_ .._--_.- '-"_..-". ".'_.' .._-_ .._._- - ...._- From the five elements take their quality 'Urn sunya:S trance you still yourSelf,' instead. a yogi said Instead ofa ~ttress to preserveyoufrom dust ~Your soul will stop its swan-like wayward Keep your body clean by acts of purity flight, ilnstead of a jock-snap to check your lust Your bodywillnotlikea rottenwallcrumble Bend your mind towards chastity. and fall dead.' Truth, tranquillity and self-control be ever 'In the calm of sahaj:S cave your guides. You can discover the True One, Says Nanak, learn from the guru, the Name ever abides.' Sayeth Nanak, theTrueOneloves the truthful.' 'Who is hidden in all things? 'What prompted you to leave your home Who attains the gates of paradise? And become a wandering udasil Whose body and soul blend with God? Why wear you this hermit's garb? What comes to life at birth? What is theme~ndise in your store? What dies when a man dies? How will you take us to the opposite shore?' Whose spirit pervades the three regions 'In search of the saindy men The nether world, the earth and the skies?' I became a wandering udasi, 'God is hidden in all things In the hope of getting a vision of the Divine Those that serve 'Him attain the gates of I donned this hermit's garb. paradise Truthis all themerchandise I have inmystore, Those whose bodies and souls Nanak says, with the saindy shall we get to Are permeated with the divine Word the opposite shore.' Blend their light with the light of God. 'Man, by what devices did you change the Evil-doers perish, are reborn only to die course destined for you. Men of God merge with the True One.' Howsingle-mindeddidyou this aimpursue? 'Why are some to worldly values bound? How did you worldly hopes and desires Why do they let themselves be swallowed by eschew? maya ~ serpent? How did you find the divine light within How is the soul lost? How is it found? yourself? How does one become pure? A man who knows no yoga is like a man How is the mind's darkness dispelled? without teeth. On these if you give us answers true, life is hard as steel, how can he bite on it Well acknowledge you as ou.r g\lru.' and live? Nanak, ponder over .thse questions and the 'Because of evil counsel to worldly values are right answers give.' we bound We throw ourselves in the maws of maya:S 'Since I was borninthehouseofthe true guru serpent I escaped the wheel of death and rebirth. Evil-doers lose their souls, by the godly are The destined course of my life was thus they found changed. Those who find the true gunl, dispel the I heard divine music and was entranced darkness in their minds. And became single-minded in my pursuit. Theyerase theiregosarid are merged into God.' My mundanehopesandaspirations didI bum ·~ -

In the fire of the divine Word; to the' guru I tum To find the divine lightwi~ me bum. Erase the three-tiered divisiOn ofanicle and action Andyouwillgrow teeth thatwillbite onsteel, Nanaksays. Heis'the ferryman. Hellfenyyou across to salvation.' , 'What are your views on the beginning of creation? Where did the Creator-in-trance then reside? Whatwere thefirst glimmeringsofknowledge? What does in all our heans abide? This terrible blot of·death how can we bum? How be fearless when to our final home we . tum? How do we find the seat of sahaj and contentment? By what means can our enemies be slain?' 'With theguru's wordspurge the poison ofthe ego There will you find real place of rest He who through theWordlearns ofthe Creator of this Creation Himwill Nanakserve asa slave (for heis blest).' 'Where does man come from? Where does he go when he dies? Wheredoesherestwhenheattainssalvation? One who can answer these question is a real seer Aguruwithno fi¥ling. a guruwithouta peer. How can we find the reality of the Ineffable? HowdowecUltivate love for theguru'swords? Nanak, reflect and your views state on these questions Howdoes theCreatorevaluate His creations?' 'By divinecommanddoesmancomeinto the world By divine commanq does he depan By divine command he remains- merged in God. From the true guru does he learn The wage of truth to earn.

~~~-~~~~~~---~~------~~----,-~------through the divine word he a(:hieves desires. While the saindy merge with God, the salvation.' self-willed SPend their days without finding any moorings Le. the guru's instruction; they 'The begiitning of the beginning staggers the stumble along the path of evil, they are not imagination united with God but continue in the cycle of It can only be described as indescribable death and rebirth. wonder. The saindy (gurmukh) notonlyachieve god­ In the profound stillness of suuya also God came to in-dwell within Himself.' liness for themselves, but they are able to instruct and influence others to take to the 'Through the guru's instruction free yourself path of moral rectitude. It is not necessary to of desires be an ascetic or a celibate to achieve union Let triumph over desires be thl~ emblem you with God: one can lead a life of prayer and wear; . devotion doing one's ordinary work and dis­ Know that in every heart that beats charging obligations toone's family. The Lord of life hath His mansion. The way to salvation lies through the divine It is through the guru's teaching word sabda arid the worship of the name of We merge in the Formless Onl~. God-nam suman. one who is imbued with By the gende path of sahaj the name ofGod conquers his ego andachieves Attain God, purest of the pure.. salvation through union with God. Being A disciple who serves his guru and no other imbued with the name ofGod is therefore more Will succeed, says Nanak, that is sure. rewarding than performing penances, acquir­ He who questions not the divine command ing occult power or book-learning. But accepts it as a wonder beyond seeing 'How did life begin?' asked one yogi. 'With Will understand the reality of things and air we drew in our first breath,' replied Nanak. beings. 'You exhort' everyone to take a guru,' said He wlro effaces his ego, another, 'who is your guru?' Nanak replied: Of attachments is made free 'The sabda or the divine word is my teacher. Within whose heart is truth enshrined Through the sabda I worship God by ceaseless He alone is a real yogi. adoration. Through the sabda I know God, 'He the formless and the immaculate through the sabda I live in the world without From nirguna-above qualities being infected by the world's values; the sabda Became saguna-the repositor of all qualities.' helps me overcome my ego.' Hereafter the question-and-ano;wer pattern of 'If teeth are made of wax, how can they bite Siddh;J Goshta gets somewhat c:onfused. There on steel?' asked the yogis, meaning thereby are longsoliloquies, sometimes repetitive inter­ that the path to salvation is hard and one must rupted by further questions-also frequendy steel oneself by ascetic austerities to be able to repetitive. I have consequendy thought i't;best tread it. 'How can one live in a house ofsnow to summarize the contents of the longer pas­ when one's clothes are aflame?' they asked, sages and reproduce only a selected few. meaning thereby that the soul, since it is Nanak states that the service ofthe guru has encased in a body subject to passiOns, has litde its reward in the union with God. This is chance ofsalvation. 'Where can one find a cave achieved through knowledge of truth, removal wherein themindcan be tranquil?' theyasked. of doubt and duality and dle conquest of Nanak replied: 'If you exorcize the ego, doubt and duality, you:will grow _ ~ The yogis questioed Nanak on the validity enough to bite on steel. Flames of peuiOn QlIl of their own belids. What is the maDtnI-which be d~'by the consciousnessof-Godwitbi1i., helps man cross the fearful ocean oflife? Where Fear of God destroys pride of self. As soon as does human breath (life) which the' yogis the divine word-sabrJa and God find a place believe when ~ed goes the length of ten in the heart. mind arid body m;d~nsed. the fingers from the nostrib; reside? How can the v~ous fires of m. and anger are put out mind be made stable? How can we see some­ and so is man prepared to receive the grate of thing which is admittedly beyond the range of God.' vision? r The yogis con(inued-their questions in cryp- . 'The divine JlWJtnI is within us,' the guru tic' form. 'Whc!rdrOm comes the light of the replied. 'God is invisible as the air and like it moon which is itself only the· house of snOws everywhere about us. God is bom nilguna and shadowsl And wherefrom does the sun (without attributes) and ~na (with attri­ get its searingheat? Howean the Ulind (moon) butes). The mind is purifiid and ~bilized and the reason (sunbeing the symbolofknow'­ when it becomes the abode of nama. The guru ledge) overcome the fear of deathr will teach you how ·to' cross the fearful ocean Nanak replied: ~ repetition of sabda of life anE that God in life is the same illumines the mind with ,nuUance; Cromthe as God in e life.hereafter. Although He has guru learn to treat joy ~ sorrow ~th equal no form 0 colour and casts no shadow, He is indifference and the fear ofdeath will cease,to not illusory. Our lives (the exhaled breath that gnaw into your vitals. Above all, know the yogis spoke of) are sustained by God. nama-thename ofGod. Withnama overcome 'In order to discover theinvisible and infinite sorrow apd fear of death, dispel doubt md God, it is vital that we rise above'the threefold duality. Worship nama as you breathetiU brea­ nature of qualities and actions (sacvik, rajsilc thing becomes like an Aeolian harp. rJten with and tamSilc), through the sabda, rid the mind a thunderclap will open the tenth orifice aIid of ego and pride, acknowledge God as the one eternal light come flooding in. Thus will you and only Master and cultivate love for Him. be gendy merged in God. You will auain sunya Then by His grace shall we have the mystical which isalso the fourth state-turiyaavastha. experience of partaking of union with Him.' 'Sunya is the great sUllness within and with­ 'If air is the substance of life: asked the outand pervades the three regions. It is in the yogis, 'wherefrom does air itself draw suste- state of sunya that a human being is identified nance?' . with God.' 'Ssbda ~ the true sustenance oflife,' replied . On bdng further questioned on the Status Nanak. The guru then expounded his views of those who attained sunya, Nanak fep1ied, on the importance ofprayer, self-control, truth 'they are like the Creator who created and grace. 'Hunger for truth consumes other them outside the wheel of birth, death and hungers andremoves sorrow,'assuredNanak. rebirth they hear the beat of drum unbeaten The yogis continued their questions. 'When by hand and are in tune with the Infinite.' . there was neither a_ hean nor a body, where The gunrfurther elucidated the difference did the mind and breath reside?' between the gurmukh (the saindy) who in their 'In the stillness of sunya,' replied Nanak. humility-accept guidance from a guru and the 'Everyone and everything was a part of God pwuuukb who bum in conceit and never get prior to creation. It, is the greatest of untold to bow the essence of reality. tales.' , 102 'Then tell us how the world came into exis­ tence,' they demanded. Nanak replied: 'Out of the ego came the world. Whenitforgets the Name itwillsuffersorrow; The saindy think over the essence of knowledge They bum out their ego in the flame of the divine Word; Their bodies and souls are cleansed, their speech refined, They remain blended in the True One. 'Through the Name of the Lord. (who is nameless) one achieves detachment And enshrines the truth within one's mind. Withqut the Name there never can be any union Ponder over this in your hean and find.' The guru further expounded his views on the qualities of a gunnukh. the importance of sabda and nama to effect union with God, and the role of the satgum as a guide. The Siddha Goshra ends widl the praise of God and a prayer for the gift of His Name. 16 Hymns from Bara Mah

The practice of composing the Twelve ~onths Sayeth Nanak: When the Lord her Master (BanI Malt) was once common amongst Indian comes home to her . poets. It gave them an opportunity to describe Then is spring seemly because she is nature and human moods and moralize at the fulfilled. same time. Several exist in the Punjabi lan­ VAISAKH (April-May) guage, ofwhich Guru Nanak's in Tu1cbari Raga is most highly. rated. It is believed to be amongst the last of the Guru's compositions. Vaisakh bhaJa sakha ves kare Beauteous Vaisakh, when the bough adorns CHET (March-April) itself anew The wife awaits the coming of her lord Chet basant ·bhaJa bhavar suhavde Her eye{> fixed on the door. It is the month of Chet 'My love, who alone can help me cross It is spring. All is seemly, The turbulent waters of life, The beauteous bumble-bees Have compassion for me and come home, The woodlands in flower; Without thee I am as worthless as a shell. But there is a sorrow in my soul Love, look thou upon me with favour For away is the Lord my Master. And let our eyes mingle Thenwill I becomepriceless beyond compare.' Ifthehusbandcomesnothome, howcan a wife Find peace of mind? Nanak asks: 'Whither seekest thou the Lord? Sorrows of separation waste away her body. Whom awaitest thou? Thou hast not far to go, for the Lord The koe1 calls in the mango grove, Is within thee, thou art His mansion. Her notes are full ofjoy If thy body and soul yearn for the Lord, But there is a sorrow in my soul. The Lord shall love thee The bu~ble-beehovers abouttheblossoming And Vaisakh will beautiful be: . bough . (Atne$SeDger 'of life and hope) jETH (May-June) But 0 Mother of mine, 'tis like death to me For'there is a sorrow in my soul. Mah jeth bhaJa pritam kiu bisrai How shall I banish sorrow and find blessed Why forget the beloved Lord in the good peace? month ofJeth?

The earth shimmers in the summer's heat The season ofnimbus clouds and rain, The wiS·makes o~and prays My body and soul yeam for my Lord. i..ct me fi9d favour in Thine eyes 0 Lord, But my Lord is gone to foreign lands. Thou art great and good If He return not, I shall die pining for Him. Truth manifest and unshakable. Of attachments an Thou free. The lightning strikes terror in my bean. And I,lowly, humble, helpless. I stand all alone in my courtyard, How shall I approach Thee? In solitude and in soirow. How find the haven of peace? o Mother of mine, I stand on the brink of In the ~nth ofJeth, says Nanak, death. She who knoweth the Lord Without the Lord I have neither hunger nor sleep' Becometh like the Lord. She knoweth Him I cannot suffer the clothes oli my body. By treading the path of virtue. Nanak says, she alone is the true wife Who loses herself in the Lord. ASADH Qune-July)

Asadh bhala swaj gagan rapid BHADON (August-September) In Asadh the sun scorches. Bhadon bharam bhuli bhar joban pachtani Skies are hot The earth burns like an oven In the month of Bhadon Waters give up their vapours. I lose myself in a maze of falsehood It burns. and scorches relendessly I waste my wanton youth. Thus the land fails not River andlandare oneendless expanse ofwater To fulfil its destiny. For it is the monsoon the season of merry-making. The sun's chariot passes the mountain tops;. Long shadows stretch across the land It rains, And the cicada calls from the glades. The nights are dark. The beloved seeks the cool of ~e evening. What comfon is it to the wife left alone? If the cOImon she seeks be in falsehood, Frogs croak ' There will be sorrow in store for her. Peacocks scream ' The papeeha calls 'peeoh, peeoh.' lf it be in truth, The fangs of serpents that crawl, Hers will be a life of joy everlasting. The stings of mosquitoes that fly My life and its ending depend on the will of Are full of venom. the Lord. To Him, says Nanak, I surrendered my soul. The seas have burst their bounds in the ecstasy Of fulfilment. SAVAN Quly-August) Without the Lord I alone am bereft ofjoy-. Whither shall I go? Sawn salaS mana ghan vazsai rut ae Says Nanak, ask the ~ru the way' o my heart, rejoice! It's Savan Heknoweth thepathwhichleads to the Lord. 106

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It's death after virtuous life. !fhat doth the Lord please. Asian aupiIa .saclban jhur mui Those who are granted the worship of Thy It's the month of Asan - name - o -Master come to me Merge in Thee, for Thou art then, I waste and shall die. Their aim and end in life. Ifthe Master wills, Nanak says: Lord, till Thou grant vision I shall meet Him. And burst the bonds of superstition, If He wills not, One watch ofdaywilldrag onlikehalfayear. In a deep well shall I be IOSL I strayed on to the paths of falsehood And the MaSter forsook me. MAGHAR (November-December) Age hath gleyed my lockS 1 have left many winters behind. Maghar mah bhaJa han gun ank samave But the £ires of hell still lie ahead. The month of Maghar is bliss Whither shall I tum? For her who is lost in the Lord. The bough rpnaineth ever green She singeth songs -of joy and fulfilment. Forthesap thatmoveth within day andnight, Why not love the Lord who is eternal? Night and-day, i'eneweth life. He who is eternal, wise, omniscient is also Ifthe name ofthe Lord courseth inthy veins, the master of destiny. life and hope will forever be green. _ The world isagitated because it hath lost faith That which ~keth slowly cooketh best. in Him. ._ . It is Asari, says Nanak, She that hath knowledge and contt,.plates It is:aysting time. 0 lord, Loses herself in Him. And we have waited long. She loveththe Lord, the Lord loveth her. In songand dance arid verse, let itbe the name KATAK (October-November) of Lord Rama And sorrows will flyaway. Katak kiIat paiya jo pzabh bhaia Nanak says, only she is loved by her Lord Who prayeth, not only with her lips In the month of Katak But worships Him with her soul. Will I get my due. What pleases the Lord Is all I merit. POKH (December-January) The lamp of,wisdom bumeth steadily If the oil that feeds it Pokh tukhar pade van trin ras sokhai Be reality. As in the month of Pokh If the oil that feeds the lamp Wmter's frost doth freeze Be love, The sap in tree and bush, so does The belovedwillmeet the Lord andbe fulfllled. The absence of the Lord Full of faults, she dies not Kill the body and the mind. - Nor gains release o Lord, why comest not Thou?

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1 praise through the guru's Word PHALGUN (February-March) Him that gives'life to all the world, His-light shines in aU life born . PlWgun man mhsi prem subhaea Ofegg or Womb or sweat or seed. In the month of Phalgun Merciful God and"Master! thy vision grant She whose heart is full of love And grant me salvation. is ever in full bloom. Nanak says, only she mingles with Him Oay and night she is in spiritual exaltation Who loves the Lord, the giver of life. She is inbliss because she hath nolove ofself. Only those that love Thee MAGR (January-February) Conquer love of self. Be kind to me Magh puniC bbai timth anrarjanis And make my home Thy abode. . Many a lovely garment did I wear. In the month of Magh The Master I made my ablution, willed not and were barred to The Lord entered my being. His palace doors me. I made pilgRmage within myself and was When He wanted me I went purified. . . With garlands and strings of jewels and raiments of finery. I met Him. Nanak~ He found me good "0 a bride welcomed in the Master's And let me lose myself in Him. mansion Hath found her true Lord and Love. 'BeloVed! IfThou findest me fair My pilgrimage is made, My ablution done. More than the sacred waters OfGanga, Yamuna andTriveni mingled at the Sangam, . More than the seven seas. . All these and charity, alms-givingandprayer, Are the knowledge ofeternity that is the Lord.' Nanak says, Magh is the. essence of ambrosia Forhimwho hathworshipped the GmltGiver of life. Hath ,done more than bathe in the sixty and eight p~ of pilgrimage. Appendix 1 Religious Inheritance

Nanak's schooling was in Sanskrit and Per­ to this rule were conquerors who came from outside sian-and he composed some hymns in Persian India and refused, as long as they could, to make and used Sanskrit vocabulary. Being a Bedi (or one a compromise with Hinduism. The most important who has knowledge of the Vedas), Nanak certainly of these outsiders were Muslims. had had occasion to study the sacred Hindu texts. Islam was introduced into India soon after it was Even a casual reading ofhis hymnsshowthatNanak promulgated by Prophet Mohammed in was well acquainted with the Rig Veda, the Arabia-first by Arab seamen and traders and then Upanishads-notably the Mandu.kya, Chandogya, by Arab, Turkish, Mongol, Persian and Afghan Prasna, Katha--end the Bhagavad Gita. invaders. Itwas a violent introductionbecause Mus­ Mehervan's]anam Salehi also refers to dialogues lims looked dOwn upon Hinduism as an idolatrous with holy men of different faiths and persua­ invention of the devil deserving destruction. This sions-Hindus, Muslims, Bhaktas, Sufis and diffe­ policy the early Muslim invaders pursued with var­ rent orders of ascetics. Nanak's hymns confirm ying degrees of iconoclastic fervour. They levelled some of these meetings: many hymns are in ques­ Hindu temples to the ground, raised pyramids of tion-and-answer form or deal specifically with cus­ Hindu skulls and rammed Islam down the throats toms ofa particular sect; sometimes they are based of the populace. It took the Muslims many years on similar compositions of other :saint-poets. of bloodshed to realize that force steeled a people's All these influences were what contributed to hearts, but could not convert them. Nanak~s religious inheritance and the social and At this stage Muslim missionaries took over the political conditions which moulded his thinking. business of conversion from the soldiers. Amongst From the earliest times recorded in history, India the most successful of Islam's missionaries were an has been known as the land of the Hindus: .and order ofmystics known as Sufis--from suEmeaning Hinduism has held different meanings for different wool (they wore garments ofcoarse woolas a badge people-and even these meanings have been chang­ of poverty). The Sufis emphasized those aspects of ing with the times. To the intellectual elite it has the Koran and the Hadith (ttaditions) which drew been the Vedas, the Upanishads and the schools of them closer to the people amongst whom they philosophy. To the mass of peopll~ it has been the lived-for the cardinal principle of Sufi belief was pantheon of gods and goddesses, rituals and the talif..i-kulub, the stringing together of hearts. For a rules of caste. At the lowest level it has consisted change Hindus who had been terrorized by· the ofworship ofreptiles, animalsand trees. Hinduism Muslim invaders, found some Muslims wanting to has had its quota of critics and reformers as well befriend them. The Sufis promised thenewconverts as its champions. The significant fact of the history equality, and redeemed their promise by raising of Hinduisn!. is that critics, refonners and even the lowest of the Hindu untouchables to the social denigrators were, despite efforts to the conttary, level of the highest Arab. By the fifteenth century, unable to completely break away from Hinduism: there were a dozen orders ofSufis in northern India to be Indian was to be Hindu. The only exceptions of which four, the Chishtiya, Qadiriya, Suhrawar- /

diya and later the Naqshbandbl, were the most across the Indo-Gangetic plain into Punjab. There ilriponant. In the Punjab, the city ofMultan and was relipNs ferv9urall over the countryandpeople the toWn of Pak Pattan became the~ of who 1cnf:wlittkorDOChiDgofeachotherwere saying . the Sufi orders,ofwhich the Chisluiya became the. the ~ son of tbitl& in their own 1aDgwige in most popular. . distant pans ofIndia. TIteR was ~ in Ben­ The Sufis, like other ortltcx.loa Muslims•.~ pi;.~.~an4. Jarer on Tukaram . in one God but iDsttad of_..__ '!II:";.. iDl4aIal'ldaua;'MiIa1.lti inRajasthan; and Sadhana UIJab' (there is no God'butAllah) thtY quoted the in Sindh. OIl the emotional plane a puaJlcl move­ Koran to say the same ~ different words: 'Wherever ment bad been started by the saint-poets ofTiUnil­ ye .turn there is the face of Allah.' (Incidentally naci-4he Alvars (worshippers of Vishnu) and the Nanak used. almost the same' words: 'lit dhir Adiyars (worshippers ofSiva); both saasingBbakti cle1c1:wl, tit dhir llUIUjood.') They believed in the through music and singing. Very soon the inOuence brotherhood 'of mankind· which ~ both of the Bhaktas was far greater than that oforthodox Muslims andnon-Muslims. They believed ina mys­ Brahinanial Hinduism. tic union with God through ascetic discipline and The main pointS of the tea~ of the Bhaktas the chanting of liranies (dlJila) under ~ guidance were that God was one and the only reality; the of a religious teacher called a peer. Through the rest waS maya or illusion. The b(st way to serve influence of the Sufis•. 1sJam and Hinduism drew God was by absolute submission to His will The c10sef to each other. best way to find His will was through the guidance A similar movement, BbIkti(WOl'Ship), had of a spiritual teacher, a guru. The best way .to started £rom the Hindu enci'tDWards Islam. Bhakti approach God was through meditation and through was as old as Hinduism· itself. It W8$ one of' the singing hymns of love and praise. three approaches to· God reconnnen4~ by the Punjab, at the time of Nanak. was almost equally Bbagavad Gitll, the other two being lcnowledge and divided between Hindus and Muslims-the vast action. k became a po'Mri,dweapon:to combat the majority of whom were recent C9Ilverts £rom Hin­ coldly logical theories of the Jains;mdthe Bud­ duism. Muslims were the dominant class but had dhists. The Hindp rena.nee was. atwo-proaged long ago ceased trying. to impose their faith on attack. On the rational p1aDe itwas Iedby.Sbanbta non.MusIims; this was the prerogatiye ofthe newer (eighth century A. D.). S~ was the expounder wave of invaders. Hindus and Muslims had suc­ of Keva1advaita-puremonism.· Histeaehing can ceeded in defining the tenns ofmutual co-existence be summed up in three pithy statemeDts: Brahm based on the feeling that India waS the homeland Saryam, .lagan Mimya, }ivo Bmunaiva na ofboth communities and itwas better to emphasize pa.rah--Brahma orGod is real, the W9rld is unral, what was common to their faiths. This for the Hin­ the individual self is the only supremeself, noother. dus was Bhakti, for the Mush Sufism. It was in InSbanlwa's monism there was nolQOlll for ic:kJIs, themeetingofthe twinstreamSofBbaktiandSufism neither for the atSte syStem nor fbt many ofthe that Nanak made his pilgrimage. He criticized ex­ practices of the Bmhmins. He ~ in the one clusiveness and tnto1emna and meaningless ritqa} indefinable, omnipresent God.. of both Hinduism and Islam; he lauded what they Themessagc of S~ WIS ~ up by had in common; be1iefin the One indefinable God, Ramanuja (A.D, lOI6-113n. Ramanuja was a wor­ and the casteless equality ofmankind; the necess~ty shipper ofVJSbnu and advocated thepath ofBbKti of caking a guide (guru of the Hindus, peer of the or devotion overJmowiedge' or aaion as the way Muslims); the futility of ascetic isolation and to salvation. He travelled extenSiw:ly an over 1lOl'th­ .penance; the possibility ofannbining religious life em India. Thus the IIlOVeDltnt £ouiJd a.protagonist With domestic and social obligations; and themystic inRamananda, whowent a stepfunher byac:ccpting realization ofGod through singing hymns ofpraise Muslims and Hindus of the lower caste as his dis­ in the still, quiet hours of early dawn. ciples. Thesedisdp1cs, notably the Muslim Kabir Guru Nanak makes several rd'crences to the AD. 1398-1518), spread the' ~ of Bbakti wretched state of affairs in nonhem India in his 112

~ ~-~--~------._-----~ day. The nominal rulers were the Lodhi Afghans Decency and laws have vanished; falsehood stalks but the writ of the Sultans did not run farbeyond abroad ... the walls of their citadels.. Local governors had set The vocation of priests is gone and the devil x:eads themselves up as independent monarchs and mulc­ the marriage vows. . ted the Poor as and when they liked. Invasions o{ Praises of murder are sung. Blood is shed in place savage tribes from Central Asia had become a regu­ ofsaffron, ... lar feature. In 1398 the Mongol Taimur had sacked and slaughtered his way through the Punjab to Delhi and back again. People lived in terror behind Nanak witnessed the result of the invasion of the mud-walled fortresses of towns and villages. Guru Mughal Babar in 1526 and the finaI destruction of NaIiak described the times in one of his composi­ the Lodhi dynasty. He wrote: 'Then came Babar to tions: Hindustan. Death disguised as a Mughal made war on us. There was slaughter and lamentation. Did The age is like a knife. Kings are butchers. n?t Thou, 0 Lord. feel the pain?' They dispense justice when their palms are fil­ This for Nanak was Kaliyuga, the darkage, when: led ... 'true men speak the truth and suffer for it; when Wealth and beauty which afforded men pleasure penitents cannot perform penance; when he who have now become their bane ... repeats God's name meets obloquy.' : ."

Appendix 2 The ·M"sage

Guru Nanak's -message is conveyed inhis hymns. .Brahma) in a state of deep· trance and was above And his hymns tell us about Nanak's.*ws on God, all qualities: nUpna. Bmunaaune outof~trance the genesis and purpose o£life,Jife bereafter.~'s and created the world. Although He still remained duty to the society in which he lives lind the meims niranlcsr (without form), He now became ofachieving union with GOd. Nanak stated his con- saguua-repository of all qualities. cept of God with utter clarity: . Nanak's monotheism brooked no compromise. There is One.God He illustrated his point with many a metaphor: 'Just His Name is Truth. as there are many seasons but the sun that makes them He is the Creator, is one; so, 0 Nanak, the Creator hath many He ~ without fear and without hate. garbs. but is one.' God is like one large lake in He is beyond time Immortal, which blossom many varieties of water lilies. His spirit pervades the universe. Nanak's God pervades His cosmos. Man has but to He is not born, . master his own mind, have faith. and then, Nor does He die to be borp again, whicheverwayhe turns hiseyes. hewillsee God. He is self-existent. . Nanak invests his ~rahma with all the qualities By the guru's grace shalt thou w:orship 'Him. he can think· of because his God is above error, peerless in His beauty,lxmnty and mercy; unques­ This is the mool manna (the root maDaa) and tioned in His power to create. preserve and destroy; the basic creed of Sikhism. The·Adi Granth begins He is the repository of all knowledge. And, of with the statement and it is repeated as a prelimi- . course, being without a beginning and an end, He nary to every prayer.lapj;, the morning prayer con­ is immortal. sidered by most scholars to be the epitome of all Despite his incomprehensibility, Nanak's God is that Nanak taught, futther re-affinns the guru's a good. wann and friendly God. He is the father, belief that God is beyond. the reckoiling of time lovu, inastet and husband. Call him as you like; and space and is the only rea1ity--.sat (meaning Allah, Rab, Rahim, Maliklike the Muslims; orRama, both truth and reality). Govinda. Murari, Hart as do the· HindU$; Nanak Though the oneness of God was not unknown h~r, called Him Aumkar. Taken from the to Hinduism, Nanak's empha~ andrepeated rejec­ Upanishads, the mystic syllable Awn is said to con­ tion of the Hindu pantheon including the trinity tain all the consonants in the range of human voice of Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver) and Shiva and, hence, 'all speech' and thus becomes the per­ (Destroyer) as three aspects of God is renUniscCnt feet word to represent God. 'As all parts of a leaf of the monotheistic fervour of Islam. Nanak are held together by a central rod: says the Chan­ accepted the Hindu (and Muslim) terms for God. dogya Upanishad, 'so an speech is held together by TheSanskrit Brahman became Nanak's Brahma and Aum.' Nanak describes Aumlc:ar as the 'Creator of he invested Brahma with a dUal role. Before Brahma Brahma. Consciousness, time arid space and the created the cosmos, He was p818bmhma (supreme Vedas; the emancipatorand the essence of the three worlds.' Very soon this elusive concept becomes a ers should not prevent us in our pursuit of truth symbol to emphasize the singular quality of God; and realityand treading the pathofrighteousness. lk Aumkar- there is One God. One aspect of God that Nanak emphasizes more Nanak's favourite names for God are Sat Kartar, than any other was His being sat (meaning both the True Creator or sat Nam: the True Name. He truth and reality) as opposed to asat (falsehood) accepted the Vedic notion of creation. He talks of and maya (illusion).· Thus God becomes both a a time when complete darkness brooded over utter spiritual concept and a code oflife. IfGod is truth, chaos. When there were no'worlds, no finnaments to speakan untruth or to be false to anyone (includ­ and only the will ofthe Lord pervaded. When there ing oneselO is to be ungodly. A good Sikh therefore was neither night nor day, neither sun nor moon, must not only believe that God is the Only One, only God in everlasting trance; neither air nor the Omnipotent and Omniscient Reality, but also con­ waters; neither sound nor source of life; neither duct himselfinsuch a way towards his fellow beings beginning nor end; neither growth nor decay; no that he does not harm them-for hunCul conduct swell in the ocean, no rivers winding their way. such as lying, cheating, fornication, trespass on a Only. the Lord spoke of Himself; only He the person or on his property, does not conform to the unknowable had knowledge of Himself. When He truth that is God. so willed, He shaped the universe-out of the In equating GOd with the abStract principle of unmamfested, immovable ground of his Being, to truth, Nanak avoided the difficulty encountered by us and within us, He made Himself manifest. other religious teachers who describe Him only as ACcording to NaDak, God Himseif changed His the Creator or the Father: If God created the world, own natu.re and function after the creation of the who created God? IfHe is the Father, who was His world. And God is Himself the author of duality father? But Nanak's system had its own problems. and delusion. In the daWn hymns, the Asa-ued his ~ when he .fuse launched on his spiritual queSt _ ofteteft be united with Him. Such an opportunity may not come a second time and should not. therefore, be it when.he was away on his traVels, but he always came back to it. He propagates _ griltMadbmna butered away for mere baubles. You must strive to set your own affairs in order for no one else can or the religion of the househQlder. He advoc:ares do it for you. The saindy know that this endeavour' the of holy men, the S8dlJ SIIJ8It. as an company should be the pursuit of truth, contentment. kind­ esSential requisite of righteous living. And though he .equates trUth, with God, he puts righteous ness and faith. 'With your own hands,' says Nanak, behaviour even above ~th: 'carve out your oWn fate.' He believed in the funda­ mel}w goodness of human nature which could be Sacbon ore sabh leo brought to its,fullness under the guidance of the l/pp8r sac:bacbar. guru. God is (mmring) Truthahove all, Though Himself the author of delusion , and duality that befogs the human mind, He has Above,trUth, truthful conduct. also given us the means to tear the veil of illusion, 'Meeting and company of the good is the rm know the truth and be united with Him. Man's pilgrimage,' says Hanak. '~ then you sing main obstacle in the path of union is his own ego, songs in praise of the ineffAble' Lord.' A life of the sense ofthe 'I am'. This ego is the root of all delaChment is strongly recommended: you can live. sins; it produces lust, anger, gruel. attaclunent and in the midst ofyour family and yet notallow your­ pride. But its power to do evilis more than matched self to be enmeshed in a way that precludes God. by its power to do good. Under the gui~~ of The more you involve yourself in the love. of your the guru it can be canalized into ovettOI,IUDg Itself, kith and ,kin and in pursuit ofgold. the more you of stilling the wayward flights of fancy that are will be absorbed by them to the exclusion of God. characteristic of the human mind and thus prepar­ In this world full of people with desire, your only ing it for the mystic experience which reveals God. 116 '",

The process of overcoming the ego has ofnecessity side within the mind.' And once the ::nind becomes to be a gentle one-that which cooks slowly; tastes subservient to the will, it will become the abode of sweetest: and the slow and gentle method is the the'Name. And the Name, according to Nanak is one by which the mind achieves eqUipoise. All that worth ~ore than all pilgrimages to 'holy' rivers remains after that is to invoke the Name of God because in the worship of the Name the hean is and the process of union is complete. To Nanak, delved into--and the hean is the shrine of God the Name is the supreme remedy for all ills. and the sanctuary ofdivine knowledge. 'As the blind The Gita advocated three alternative paths for use a stick, so do 1 use the name of the Lord to salvation: that ofaction, of knowledge and ofdevo­ feel the path that leads to Gxl,' says Nanak. tion, Guru Nanak accepted the path ofBhakti, lay­ 'Conquer your mind,' continues Nanak, 'andyou ing emphasis on the worship of the Name. 'I have will conquer the world.' For then, gently, will the no miracles,' he said, 'except the name of the Lord.' mind become the repositoty of the Name and the But worshipping the Name means, for Nanak, m~ch cycle ofbright, dea~ and rebirth will end by union more than a parrotlike repetition-itimplies under­ with God. standing the words of the prayer and making them To help discipline the mind, Nanak advocates the rule of life. This requires three things: the reali­ listening to hymns. He advises his followers to rise zation of the truth within the bean; its expression well before dawn and listen to the soft strains of in prayer; and detachment from worldly things. music under the light of the stars. Thestillness of Nanak believes that man's real battle in life is the ambrosial hours, says Nanak, is the best time fought with himself. 'Use knowledge as a double­ to have communion with God. edged dagger,' he says, 'then will base desires sub- ....~.~ ..-

·.·~ry·of ::"" 'terRlS

Ani: A form of religious ritual in which atrayful of.. are led by the groom after death. lamps (syniholizing the COSIJ)OS) isVlllWd1fl&ont Fueftnc Q"OW5:' A part of the obsequial ceremonies of the deity; It is.usually perioJ:iDtld.at SlIUtt be­ arnonpt upper caste HiDdus. fore the-gods..ao'lO tbdr ... Sikb& have ..... 'froM daCJiYc dctneau," ..,.....,...•: From the Ani using. flowers instad.,oJ·" and' ..., sky. purity;.from fire; pOwer to bum dross; from perform it at the. end' ~{ Ii twoofIay

Pronunciation Guide

dan : daan gyan :. gyaan isnan : isnaan , the "', Nates""."0' 'on .',. '~ Colour Plates

No. 1 (facing page 2): 'One &cairJg 1ftJuly: ...• and the Lord who is present everywhere. The ~ is Guru Nanak .as a')IOUDI man 1m­ lotus. the swan, the ~n and the moon are sym- metsed in siD&iDI hymns to God. t'heartist has bols of eternity. ' drawn iDspirBdon' 60m various ~ folk an forms such as. the aadkional phuDrdri No.6, (facing page 42): 'Love thy Lord as the Chakvi embroidery. loves the sun ....• The monsoon looms over this painting as' the No.2 (facing page 8): 'He Wesscdtlil swans tmd b«de Chakvt bird flies up in search ofthe elusive sun. them godspeed ....• " The landscape is .particuIarly, 'in~ ,here. No.7 (facing pag~ 46): ~ Krishna sporting in the The sparse~, the·~ YistaaU make hands of Yashodhara:. ,.• ,one think of CeIltml Asia thioqgh which the The god Krishna was made much of as a child swans migrate. Intidemally the SWIn, or Guru by his foster mother. Yashodhara. The animals Nanak, also symbolizes the soul. sketched in the background of this painting tell us that Krishna was once a cowherd. and the No. 3 (facing page 20): ~ 4 bqgar goes 4­ two jars in the foreground remind us of the begging ....• lovely folktale which gave the child Krishna his The colours of this painting are particularly epithet: 'butter stealer'. arresting -- the rose pinks and the turquoise make an unusually rich, and harmonious com­ No.8 (facing page 52): 'Lilte birds at dusk settling on bination. 'This perhaps hints at one poor in trees ....• material goods but rich in ~ty. This painting,has a profound serenity as the colours.ofdusk setde about it. The artist's sense No. 4 (facing page 26): 'Corne"., sister Jet us of detail is particularly evident here in the care­ tinbrace ....• . , fully etched leaves and the different postures of The two women whO form the central image in the birds as they nesde down for the night. Not this painting are dressed in clothes and in col­ forgotten is the squirrel as it too hurries home. outs that evOke the essence of Punjab. The ver­ dant landscape and the ~t hilts all speak of No. 9 (facing page 64): 'He first conquered Khor- a land bordering the Himalayas, czsan...... In complete contrast to the one gone before is No. 5 (facing page 36): 'A fisIa in tile deep and salty this painting which burns with activity. sea ....• Apparently drawing inspiration from the narra­ The artist has used a vivid palett.e ofblues in this tive style of miniature painting. the artist has painting to depict the vast oc:ean,the cosmos, shown three different events in the same frame

_-~ .-.-~ ,------_._------_.. .._-_.. _._-- - - Babar's invasion of Hindustan; the fear and . No. 14 (facing page 1(4): 'It is spring.' helplessness on the faces of those anticip'uing The anist has used minW:ture painting conven­ the invasion; and Guru Nanak, in the calm after tions and bright colours to depict the season of the storm, expressing his sorrow. spring. The yellow in the painting is Significant for this colour, in Punjab, stands for spring. No. 10 (facing page 70): 'Black buck, listen to me ....' No. 15 (facing page 106): 'Without the Lord I alone The exquisite drawing ofthe black buck hints at am butft ofjoy .... ' . the miniature paintings of fifteenth century The upward flight of the bird, in this painting, Central Asia. Guru Nanak bends protectively contraSts with the pensive expression on the over the black buck. woman's face. That it is the monsoon is evident . in the leaden grey skies and the verdant green No. 11 (facing page 80): 'I plaited my tresses .... ' earth. In this painting the artist creates a multi-faceted picture by using shadow and mirror images that No. 16 (facing page 108): The bough remaineth ever are not quite shadow and reflection. green ....' . In the interior of the house, the geometric After the monsoons is one of the pleasantest patterns of Punjabi folk an are specially visible. seasons in Punjab with the heat and dust of The latticed window is unusually evocative of summer washed away by the rains, and the chill the countrySide. of winter yet to come. The earth is still moist and green and fruitful. No. 12 (facing page 86): The ftrmtlJ'nent is Thy Note the fIgUre of Mardana, the musician, salver .... ' who has remained almost constantly at Guru The anist illustrates what is surely the most Nanak's side. beautiful of hymns. The use of a myriad blues here is particularly Significant for not only does blue in most religions imply sanctity, but also, among the Sikhs, dark blue turbans are worn by the granthis or readers of the holy Guru Granth Sahib.

No. 13 (facing page 96): The yogis wok their seats ....' The vibrant colours in this painting not only reflect the lively. debate between Guru Nanak and the yogis, but also depict different religions , and shades of opinion. Of panicular note are the traditional Punjabi patterns woven on the dhurries.

121 'I bring.from the East what is practi.cally an made Sikh theologians conscious of the fact unknown religion,' wrote M. A. Macaulilfe·in that ifSikhism was to be properly explained to his preface to his. lJ;ionumemal ~ume the English-speaking world. it·would have to study, The·SiWa Religion, pl,lblished in 1909. be done by the Silchs themselves. combining Since then liwatureen the :sikbS,;.both histor­ knowledge of their own scriptures with a ical and religious, has' .~ reached sensitive feeling for the English language. A monumental proportiOns. ·Pot·,,"-Y. ytatS beginning was made by Khazan Singh with Sikh'scholars confined .tbemsdv.eS·'towriting The History and Philosophy of Sikh Riligion in. Punjabi, l~n.g English~on of (1914). Raja Sir Dalit Singh and Sir Jogendra their faith and history. lb...... After . Singh also wrote books explaining Sikhism. World War I Iridian scholats'through their Tl}ese publications, however. had limited im­ researches gave a new and national onetuation pact outside the Sikhcom,munity. This was to Sikh ~ory. In the distinguished. band unf9rtunately also the fate of the more authen­ were·Sita Ram Kohli, Indubhusan· Banerjee, tic writings of Professor Teja Singh. It would Hari Ram Gupta and .Ganda Singh. The pace be no exaggeration to state that the UNESCO­ of research and re-interpretation gained sponsored translation, Sacred Writings of the momentum with the years. . Sikhs (Allen &: Unwin) published in 1960, was It was quite some years after the publication the first real presentation in the English lan­ of Macauliffe's work that Indian scholars ven­ guage by Sikh scholars of the hymns of the tured into the field ofSikh ~ijgion.. Macauliffe Sikh Gurus. It stimulated interest in Sikhism .had been very painstaking ~tia his anxiety to and encOuraged other ~Iars into trying avoid hurting the religious.~ties of their hand at ~nslatingthe Granth Sahib in its the Sikhs he recordedevety.rnyth.·miracle and entirety. Although the·Dasam Granth (co~in- legend ascribed by gullible.:niStics to their . ing the writings of Guru Gobind Singh) still gurus - who th~eshad Vehemently de. remains to 'be translated. the 300th birth nied having any occult powers. An evenrnore . anniversary of the guru in 1966 was marked serious objection .to Macauliffe's work was his by the publication of over a hundred books rendering of the Sikh's sacred hymns. and brochures eulogizing him with extensive MacaulifIechose to be literal rathei than liter­ quotations from his writing. It can be said that ary. As a result some of the moSt beautiful most of the literature on Sikhism is now avail­ religious poeny in thePunjabi~e waS able in English. robbed of its haunting melody and .. was re­ WhY. then it may well be asked, this collec­ duced to long-winded, banalprose. Macauliffe tion of hymns? 122

-~------~ .,-_._-_. Of the 974 hymns of Nanak in the Adi by me after considering suggestions made by Granth, the UNESCO publication has a selection him and Dr Surinder Singh Kohli, Head of the of only 97. Some of these were originally Punjabi Depanment of the Punjab Universi,ty, translated by me but the Board of Translators Chandigarh. Shri P.R. Kaikini was kind made certain aherations which did not have enough to go over the translations and help .my approval. I have learnt by experience that me polish them. translations cannot be rendered by teams of I would like to place on record my gratitude translators though they can be improved by to the Guru Nanak Foundation, particularly to successive translations (as I hope mine will the Secretary, the late Sardar Kamail Singh, be). In the present case a much larger and a who with words of. encouragement and more representap,ve·selection of Guru Nanak's admonition kept prodding me to keep to sche­ hymns has been made and I have assumed the dule, and to UNESCO for agreeing to sponsor the entire responsibility of rendering them into work - and so giving me an opportunity to English. The selection of hymns was made in pay my homage to my Guru. consultation with the late Sardar Gurmukh Nihal Singh and the translation Was finalised Khushwant Singh