Jap Sahib E-Book

J.P. Vaswani

• Herausgeber: Gita Publishing House
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 729

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

The sacred Jap Sahib is a prayer for all times, for all faiths and for all people! From these forty verses an ocean of liberating wisdom can be gleaned if one can plumb its profound depths.

In the pages of this book, the reader will discover the soulful response of a pilgrim soul who experiences the One in All and All in One, and is thus able to bring out the universal and abiding nature of the teachings of the great teacher and founder of Sikhism: Guru Nanak.

Open yourself to the transforming wisdom of the Jap Sahib, that jewel of meditation, through the wisdom of a great contemporary teacher who embodies the very spirit of it doctrine of absolute surrender to the Will of God and the Guru!

Leseprobe

Published byGita Publishing HouseSadhu Vaswani Mission,10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411 001, (India)[email protected]

Grateful acknowledgement for the use of Gurmukhi to English Translation & Transliteration of verses from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib from www.gurbanifiles.org is made to Dr. Singh Sahib Sant Singh Khalsa, MD and Dr. Kulbir Singh Thind, MD.Formal application for permission to use copyrighted material has been made to the writers.

© J. P. VaswaniFirst Published - 3000 copies - August, 2017eBook edition – November, 2018

Jap Sahib:An InterpretationISBN 978-93-86004-22-2

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Author.

Printed byJayant Printery LLP352/54, Girguam Road, Murlidhar Temple Compound,Near Thakurdwar Post Office, Mumbai - 400 [email protected]

Jap Sahib:

An Interpretation

J. P. VASWANI

GITA PUBLISHING HOUSEPUNE, (INDIA).www.dadavaswanisbooks.org

Some Books and Booklets by J. P. Vaswani

7 Commandments of the Bhagavad Gita

10 Commandments of a Successful Marriage

108 Pearls of Practical Wisdom

108 Simple Prayers of a Simple Man

108 Thoughts on Success

114 Thoughts on Love

A Little Book of Life

A Little Book of Wisdom

A Love that is Love Indeed!

A Simple and Easy Way to God

A Treasure of Quotes - Vol. I

A Treasure of Quotes - Vol. II

Around the Camp Fire

Be An Achiever

Be in the Driver's Seat

Begin the Day with God

Bhagavad Gita in a Nutshell

Burn Anger Before Anger Burns You

Comrades of God - Lives of Saints from East & West

Daily Appointment with God

Daily Inspiration (A Thought for Every Day of the Year)

Daily Inspiration

Dashavatara

Destination Happiness

Dewdrops of Love

Does God Have Favorites?

Ego Goes: Divinity Grows

Empower Yourself

Enrich Your Life - Desk Calendar

Face it with Love

Finding Peace of Mind

Formula for Prosperity

Friends Forever

Gateways to Heaven

God in Quest of Man

Good Parenting

Happily Ever After

How to Overcome Depression

I am a Sindhi

I Luv U, God!

India Awake

Joy Peace Pills

Kill Fear Before Fear Kills You

Ladder of Abhyasa

Lessons Life Has Taught Me

Life after Death

Life and Teachings of Sadhu Vaswani

Life and Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Ten Companions of God

Living in the Now

Management Moment by Moment

Mantra for the Modern Man

Mantras for Peace of Mind

Many Paths: One Goal

Many Scriptures: One Wisdom

Moment of Calm - Desk Calendar

Nearer, My God, to Thee!

New Education Can Make the World New

Peace or Perish

Practice the Presence of God

Positive Power of Thanksgiving

Questions Answered

Saints for You and Me

Saints with a Difference

Say No to Negatives

Secrets of Health and Happiness

Seven Steps on the Path

Shake Hands with Life

Short Sketches of Saints Known & Unknown

Sketches of Saints Known & Unknown

Spirituality in Daily Life

Stay Connected

Stop Complaining: Start Thanking!

Stories With A Difference from the Bhagavata Purana

Swallow Irritation Before Irritation

Swallows You

Switch on the Light

Teachers are Sculptors

The Endless Quest

The Goal of Life and How to Attain it

The Highway to Happiness

The Little Book of Freedom From Stress

The Little Book of Prayer

CONTENTS

Foreword

Author’s Preface

The Mool Mantar

Stanza 1

Stanza 2

Stanza 3

Stanza 4

Stanza 5

Stanza 6

Stanza 7

Stanza 8

Stanza 9

Stanza 10

Stanza 11

Stanza 12

Stanza 13

Stanza 14

Stanza 15

Stanza 16

Stanza 17

Stanza 18

Stanza 19

Stanza 20

Stanza 21

Stanza 22

Stanza 23

Stanza 24

Stanza 25

Stanza 26

Stanza 27

Stanza 28

Stanza 29

Stanza 30

Stanza 31

Stanza 32

Stanza 33

Stanza 34

Stanza 35

Stanza 36

Stanza 37

Stanza 38

Sloka

Foreword

The Shri Guru Granth Sahib is one of the most remarkable religious texts in the world. A compilation of numerous hymns written by a large number of spiritual teachers, as well as profuse mention of many Puranas and Hindu deities, each song is set to a particular raga and tala. The whole text, therefore, is a magnificent paean to the divine. The tenth Guru Gobind Singhji Maharaj announced that after him, it is the Guru Granth Sahib which will be the focus of inspiration and worship for the Sikh community around the world. It is also held in the highest esteem by the Hindus and followers of other religions.

The first chapter of the Guru Granth Sahib is the Japji Sahib which was composed by Guru Nanak himself, the first guru and the saintly founder of the Sikh religion. It is considered to be the essence of the Guru Granth Sahib and of Sikh thought. In addition to the ‘mool mantra’ (basic sacred formula) and two slokas as prologue and epilogue, the Japji Sahib consist of 38 pauris of various metres in length. This is a poem of perennial importance because it deals with the perennial philosophy and preaches love, brotherhood and compassion.

There have been numerous translations of the entire Guru Granth Sahib, including the Japji Sahib, in many languages around the world. However, this text is unique because a line-by-line commentary has been written by Revered Dada J. P. Vaswani, who himself is an eminent spiritual leader. His translation is remarkable in the way that he has analysed the entire text and given his own commentary on it. This further enhances the significance of this text, and I warmly commend the Sadhu Vaswani Mission for bringing out this volume on the 99th birthday of revered Dadaji.

The world we live in today is full of tension and strife, with violence erupting everywhere. At a time like this, we turn to our spiritual classics, not to go backwards in time but to give us the wisdom, compassion and courage to meet the challenges that confront humanity. In this task, the great spiritual classics of the world, if interpreted in a liberal and creative manner, can give us much inspiration. For me the supreme texts are Upanishads, but with my family’s long association with the Sikh community we have always had the greatest respect and reverence for the Guru Granth Sahib.

Let me close by wishing Dada Vaswani many more years of active life. Even at this age, he travels extensively, taking with him the message of love, peace and human harmony. I congratulate him on his 99th birthday and look forward to the centenary celebrations next year.

Dr. Karan Singh

Author’s Preface

There is just one word from the Japji Sahib that fills my mind, my heart and my consciousness as I sit down to pen a few words by way of a Preface to this book, a commentary on the sacred Japji Sahib: it is perhaps the most striking word from the Mool Mantar:

Gurprasad

By the Divine Grace of God and the Guru

And as I write, Sadhu Vaswani’s wonderful and melodious translation of the Adi Granth comes to mind:

Beautiful and fair beyond compare,

Is the palace of my Lord!

Adorned with gems, with pearls and gold Is the palace of the Purest One:

His castle is enchanting!

Without a ladder how may I ascend?

The Guru is the ladder.

Without a boat there is no road on the sea:

The Guru is the boat!

Without the Guru, there is darkness:

Without the Nama, the Name, the word, there is no understanding.

If I abide within the Name,

The Name doth come and dwell within my heart!

The Guru utters the word, the Name,

And death dwells not where the word abides!

All that I am, all that I think and do, say and write, indeed my whole life and its purpose has come as Gurprasad. Unworthy as I am, the great spiritual treasure that has sustained me for a century of earthly life has been gifted to me by my Guru. All that I have spoken and written, I have learnt at the feet of my Gurudev. This book is a humble attempt to compile Sadhu Vaswani’s commentary and his teachings on the Japji Sahib.

In all religions the Light is Thine,

In all the scriptures the Inspiration is Thine,

In all the saints the Picture is Thine!

Beautiful indeed are the words penned by Sadhu Vaswani - but he did not stop with words. His life bore witness to the profound truth of the oneness of all religions. Perhaps no other writer, no other spiritual leader has written so extensively on the great ones of East and West. He studied their lives, imbibed the best of their teachings and shared the essence of their wisdom with one and all through his inspired discourses and brilliantly written works. He wrote of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad, of Gautama Buddha and Mahavira, of Chaitanya and Kabir, of Rabia and Mira, of Guru Nanak and Sri Ramakrishna, of Adi Shankara and St. Francis, of Tukaram and St. Augustine, and scores of saints belonging to all countries, races and religions. The list is indeed endless! In his wonderful words, they come alive, and he captures the very heart of their teachings, for he has absorbed their true spirit.

In his eyes shone the light of love that transcended all narrow distinctions of caste, creed and religion. In his heart glowed the light of love and compassion that extended to all creation. It was indeed the light of the One in all!

His native Sind, was a land of many faiths, a confluence of Vedic Hinduism, Islam, Sufism and Sikhism. In the sixteenth century, the teachings of Guru Nanak reached Sind. Oral tradition has it, that Guru Nanak (AD 1469-1539) visited Shikarpur in northern Sind in the course of his wanderings. His bani, drawn from Sufi mystics, the bhakti saints of India, and from his own experience and realisations, touched the hearts of all who heard it. Like the Ismailis and the Sufis, Guru Nanak rejected the differences of caste. He expressed his devotion through music and song and preached about the importance of the Guru in the language of the people. Like them, he too, broke from the orthodox stream of his own religious tradition and acted as a bridge between the Hindus and the Muslims. It is said that when Sind was annexed by the British in 1843, only 25 percent of the population consisted of Hindus. Most of them revered the Guru Granth Sahib as their sacred text. Many Sindhis who adopted Sikh teachings called themselves Nanak Panthis. Their ancient Hindu beliefs and practices were seamlessly blended with the ideals of Guru Nanak. Their temples or darbars, housed both the Adi Granth and the images of Hindu deities.

Sadhu Vaswani’s mother, Varan Devi, was an ardent devotee of Guru Nanak. On her lips and in her heart was the holy Name, ‘Waheguru’. She was the spiritual teacher who trained her children to read Sri Japji Sahib and Sri Sukhmani Sahib every day, without fail. Every day they had to recite passages from the sacred scriptures before they were given breakfast, and if they were late, breakfast had to be missed, not the prayers! Oftentimes, when young Sadhu Vaswani was getting late for school, he would tell his mother to pack his breakfast for him, “I shall recite the Japji Sahib first and have my breakfast during the break, Ma,” he would assure his mother, even as he rushed out of home!

From his beloved mother, Sadhu Vaswani inherited his great devotion for Guru Nanak. In later years, he wrote several soul- stirring articles and books on Guru Nanak and delivered hundreds of lectures on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak and other Sikh Gurus. In his kutiya was a picture of Guru Nanak at which he gazed, in rapture, over and over again.

Profound was Sadhu Vaswani’s reverence for the Adi Guru. He often spoke of Guru Nanak’s belief in the oneness of all Faiths. Asked at Mecca, if he was a Hindu or Muslim, the Guru had replied that he was neither, for he discerned God in both. Asked which is superior, Hinduism or Islam, he said, “Without good acts, the professors of both will perish.”

In glowing terms, Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani paid his tribute to Guru Nanak, “Guru Nanak is not the monopoly of the Sikh community, nor of India. He was an apostle of the infinite. He belongs to all. He belongs to the world, for he bore witness to one God, one brotherhood, one law of fellowship and love. He came to reconcile religions, he came to harmonise scriptures. He came to announce the ancient truth, the yoga of the ages, that but One Wisdom is eloquent in all prophets and sages, and that One Love doth shine in all the shrines and sacraments of man.”

Sadhu Vaswani often said in reference to the Adi Guru: “O that I had the privilege his first disciples had of hearing his wondrous words and seeing the sacred beauty of his lotus face and kissing his blessed feet!” I can only say, in all humility, I had the privilege of sitting at the feet of my Gurudev, who spoke with such great feeling, such devotion and reverence about Guru Nanak and his teachings!

Japji Sahib is often referred to as Dhur ki Bani, dhur meaning root or the origin. In this sense, it refers to Japji Sahib as the bani that originated from the Lord, and was revealed to Guru Nanak. It is thought that the sacred bani enshrined in this hymn was revealed to him on that momentous occasion when he took a sacred dip in the waters of the River Beni and attained enlightenment, when he was 31 years of age.

The Japji Sahib hymn by Guru Nanak is considered to be the concise and clear summary, indeed the very epitome of the Sikh philosophy, composed by the founder of the faith. As many of us know, the word Jap can be variously interpreted as ‘recite’, ‘chant’, or ‘to focus on’. Japa has always been an integral aspect of prayer and reflection in India, where the recitation or chanting is accompanied by inner reflection on the mantra or Naam that is uttered.

The Japji Sahib is a veritable jewel that brings hope to the hopeless ones and solace to those in grief. Devout Sikhs who regularly begin their day with its recitation are assured that it mitigates all suffering and pain and brings healing to body, mind and soul. To quote from pauri 5, “It removes grief, provides spiritual peace, and takes one to self-realisation.” But the meditation should be focused on the Naam and the Guru, not on the self. A story from the life of Guru Hargobind illustrates this beautifully.

The Sixth Guru was so devoted to this sacred prayer, that he invited many people who shared this devotion to come and recite the prayer before him. He would not only bless them abundantly, but offer gifts of gold and precious gems to those who excelled at the recitation with piety and fervor.

Once, a man called Bhai Gopal came to the Guru’s darbar to recite the Japji Sahib. So intense was his devotion and so pure his faith that the Guru was profoundly moved. As the recitation continued, the Guru began to move away from his seat, the Nanak Gaddi, and had almost arisen from his seat when the recitation came to an end. But he resumed his seat, and Bhai Gopal was gifted a beautiful horse and ample gold. Satisfied, he bowed to the Guru and left the darbar.

Devotees asked the Guru why he had moved away from his throne during the recitation. The Guru replied, “At first, his chanting was so powerful and moving that I thought to myself that it would be futile to give him gold. After all, can the worth of the Name which he sang with such devotion, be measured in worldly wealth? So I felt that I should offer him something more valuable than all this world, and decided that it had to be the Guru Gaddi, which is immortal and beyond this world. But as I began to rise from the throne, I felt his devotion losing its intensity and purity. I could see that he was casting a furtive glance at the horse that had just been gifted to me. In his heart, he was afraid that I was going to rise and leave the darbar, and that he would miss receiving a gift from my hands. He had set his mind on the horse. When I saw this, I realised that it was a worldly gift that he craved, and not the great reward of the Guru Gaddi …”

Only someone whose mind and heart are truly attached to the Name Divine, gets the best out of this sacred scripture! The rest of us must be content with worldly rewards.

It is my earnest wish that the light of the Japji Sahib should shine in our hearts and our lives, leading us closer and closer to God!

Just as the Hindu tradition describes commentaries on the sacred texts as Bhashya, or exposition, the Sikh tradition describes interpretations and commentaries on the Gurbani as Gurbani Vichar or reflection upon the utterances of the Gurus. It is also referred to as Shabad Vichar or reflection upon the word.

Sikh scholars identify certain approaches to the interpretation of the Gurbani. These are: teeka, viakhya, bhashya and paramarth.

1. A teeka or commentary provides the meaning of a particular hymn or composition in simple language.

2. Viakhya comprises an extended commentary on the Shabad and is the basic mode of vichar heard at Gurudwaras.

3. Bhashya, while giving a basic commentary includes special expositions on certain difficult terms in the sacred text.

4. Paramarth is distinguished from the shabdarth (which is a glossary of word meanings). It adds a spiritual dimension to the mystical terms in the text.

I hesitate to classify this book under any of these learned traditions. I am no expert on lexicology or etymology. My affinity with the Japji Sahib, as indeed with the sacred scriptures of the world’s faiths, is purely spiritual. But I count myself privileged to have sat at the feet of my beloved Gurudev, as he spoke to us of this sacred text that was so dear to his heart. What I offer you here are but gleanings from his mystical vision!

A beautiful Sikh belief tells us that the One Light passed into all the Sikh Gurus. And may I be permitted to say that the One Life has never vanished. It is in each one of us. Only let us break the barriers of passion and prejudice, of separateness, sectarianism and strife. Only let us remove the obstacles, so that the light may shine with splendour. India needs the Light; the nations need the Light. Civilisation needs the Light. And the Light shines through everyone who radiates love. Guru Nanak’s call is a call to us all - of sympathy, compassion and love! I cannot think of a better way to bring this section to a close, than with the words of Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani, in his lyrical rendering of the Japji Sahib:

Let self-control be the furnace, and patience the goldsmith.

Let understanding be the anvil, and spiritual wisdom the tools.

With the fear of God as the bellows, fan the flames of tapa, the body’s inner heat.

In the crucible of love, melt the nectar of the Name, and mint the true coin of the Shabad, the word of God.

Such is the karma of those upon whom He has cast His glance of grace.

O Nanak, the merciful Lord, by His grace, uplifts and exalts them.

J. P. Vaswani

THEMOOL MANTAR

Ik-onkaar sat naam kartaa purakh nirbha-o nirvair akaal moorat ajoonee saibhan gur parsaadJapAadsachjugaadsach Hai bhee sachnaanak hosee bhee sach

The Glory of the One and Only God

There is but one God. True is His Name. He is the creative power personified. He is without fear; without enmity; He is timeless, formless; beyond birth and death. Unborn, self- existent, self-illumined and self-sustaining. He is realised through the Guru’s divine grace.

Recite, reflect and meditate.

He was true in the primal beginning before the ages began. True through all the ages, He is still the truth here and now; and O Nanak, true shall He ever remain.

Ik-Onkaar

This opening term of the Mool Mantar is written by combining the numeral 1 from arithmetic and the first letter of the Gurmukhi alphabet, , pronounced “O” and the whole is sometimes pronounced as “Eko”, “Ik-Om” or “Ik-Onkaar”.

The use of the numeral makes the concept of the One certain, immutable, unliable to misinterpretation. This One is the source of everything that is. Everything emanated from this One point. Everything expanded, came into being from this One point. Some scholars say the Eko represents the primal state of cosmic unity before creation, a state of nothingness when God alone existed. Guru Nanak asks: “Who else is there, who else?” and answers: “Only you, O Lord, only you!”

Therefore the Gurbani tells us:

The One and Only Lord is pervading and permeating all. The unseen cannot be seen. (S.G.G.S. p. 37)

And again:

There is only the One Supreme Lord God; there is no other at all.

(S.G.G.S. p. 45)

The One Lord is wondrous and amazing! He is the One, the One and only.

(S.G.G.S. p.160)

The One is the source of the many, the source of the multitudinous forms, shapes and colours of this universe. But He is the One truth; all else is illusion!

The numeral 1 also symbolises that God is immeasurable, beyond the limitations of counting or numbering. He is what the Sufi saints call, “The One without a second”.

Eko also stands for the indivisible, the complete, unique and absolute oneness or unity that is God. In this sense, the numeral is not just a number, but a power, a force, and an energy. You cannot take away or subtract anything from Him, nor can you add, divide or multiply.

‘Om’ is not just a sound or a letter, it is pure vibration. It is an inner feeling. It existed at the time of creation and is therefore called the primal sound. It is the pure vibration of existence.

It is a resonance of life, whose source is in the Creator. And thus, we have the words of the Gurbani:

Naanak nirmal naad sabad dhun sach raamai naam samaa- idaa

O Nanak, the immaculate sound current of the naad, and the music of the Shabad resound; one merges into the True Name of the Lord. (S.G.G.S. p. 1038)

What is God? What is that supreme energy, which is invisible to our eyes?

To many young people, who often came to him with this question, Sadhu Vaswani would give this answer: “God defined is God denied.”

When you define God, you are limiting Him to a verbal description. God is not limited. He cannot be contained in human language or indeed, grasped and comprehended by the very limited faculty of human reason. Our words are inadequate to describe Him. Our language is limited. He is Unlimited. Our perception of things, objects and human beings is limited. He transcends our perception. He is infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, without a beginning and without an end. He is timeless. He is self-created, self-illumined and self-sustaining. The finite human mind cannot grasp the One who is infinite.

A king once asked a great sage and seer who visited his court to describe God to him. The sage asked for a day’s time to give his explanation. The day extended to a week and still, the seer was without an answer. He went up to the king and apologised, “Sir, I have dug deep into the repository of my knowledge; I have searched for the answer far and wide, but I have drawn a blank. In no way am I able to describe God. In no way am I able to tell you who God is. This I do know; God is infinite, indefinable, illimitable. He is beyond description. I can only describe Him as the Infinite!”

For this reason, Guru Arjan, in his sacred bani, says of the Almighty, “You alone know of yourself. You are beyond knowledge.” Tumri gat mit tum hi jani Nanak das sada qurbani…!

Ik-Onkaar - God is One. He is indefinable, indescribable, invisible, but He is One. The question then arises: If God is One, then why fight in the name of religion? Why wage wars in the Name of God? God is One; religions are many. We must be convinced of this. There is but one supreme consciousness! The Divine is One! The One is eternal, timeless, radiant. Eons of years before, and eons of years from now, He was and He will be there.

How was this universe created? In the beginning there was One. Then the One became many. Many will once again merge into that One! The universe will be created and recreated. The cycle of creation will continue ad infinitum. From that One, flowed the ‘essence rhythm’ of Om, that primordial sound created the universe, so it is believed!

Sunta nahi dhun ki khabar

We do not hear the celestial note…

If you would hear the sound of that celestial vibration, you would benefit immensely. For that one word ‘Om’ vibrates and reverberates - its sacred ripples touch other divine souls and you are linked to a powerful network of cosmic consciousness.

The following lines from the Guru Granth Sahib emphasise this basic principle:

There is only the One Supreme Lord God; there is no other.

Soul and body are all Yours. Whatever pleases You shall happen.

Through the perfect Guru, one becomes perfect. O Nanak, meditate on the true One.

Satnaam…

True is His Name…

‘Sat’, in this context means several things: true, everlasting, reality, power and being.

Sat is a very precious ideal in the Sikh way of life. It means not only adhering to the truth, always living and speaking the truth, but also being faithful to the Hukam or will of God. In this sense, Sat emphasises the qualities described in the Mool Mantar: permanent, ageless, eternal, without beginning or ending.

Sat is truth as well as existence. Neither science nor art can capture Him fully; they require the alchemy of faith and firm belief! As a wise teacher once remarked, “Science and art are dualities; religion is the synthesis.”

Cynics have often quoted Voltaire out of context to mock at people’s faith in God. “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” But in no way does Guru Nanak entertain the idea that God is an ‘invention’ of the desperate human mind. On the contrary, He is the primal, powerful entity, whose will runs this cosmos. He was, is and ever will be! He is the one eternal truth.

Naam is the all-powerful Shabad (speech sound) in Sikhism. Here, it is not just a Name, a spoken word, but the power vested in the Name that stands for God’s being, His identity, His essence, which is expressed in His Name. In this sense, it is not just ‘Name of God’ as it is literally translated, but rather the being of God which permeates all that is.

“He Himself created Himself; He Himself assumed His Name,” The Guru tells us elsewhere in the Adi Granth. The power of the Name Divine brought this universe into being. With the power of this Name, He joyfully and effortlessly sustains this universe. We are able to see and feel the external manifestations of His being, but these, the physical realities of the world, are changeable and impermanent. Naam, on the other hand is unchanging, eternal and permanent. We cannot focus our mind or grasp the truth that is God: but His Name is a support and a force that we can cling to and focus on in our daily life and work.

Guru Arjan tells us:

Jin ka-o kirpaa karee sukh-daatay

Tin saadhoo charan lai ridai paraatay

Sagal naam nidhaan tin paa-i-aa anhad sabad man vaajangaa

Kirtan naam kathay tayray jihbaa

Sat naam tayraa paraa poorbalaa

Those, unto whom the Lord, the giver of peace, grants His mercy,

grasp the feet of the holy, and weave them into their hearts,

They obtain all the wealth of the Naam, the Name of the Lord; the unstruck sound current of the Shabad vibrates and resounds within their minds.

With my tongue, I chant the Names given to You.

‘Satnaam’ is Your perfect, primal Name. (S.G.G.S. p. 1083)

How may we earn the wealth of Naam? Blessed as we are with the faculty of reflection, listening and utterance, we can harness the power of the Naam by constant remembrance, reflection and recitation of the Shabad. But this can happen only through The Guru’s grace.

There is one point that we must take note of: in the sacred text of the Guru Granth Sahib, God is variously referred to by the names of Ram, Hari, Allah, and many others. The names are almost used interchangeably as synonyms. This suggests that He, whom we choose to call by different names, is in reality, the One and the only One. The names are just symbols referring to the One whose Name is truth. By using Satnaam to describe Him, Guru Nanak makes Ik-Onkaar universal.

Scholars tell us that the word ‘Naam’ appears in the Guru Granth Sahib over 2500 times! One of my favourite references is from Guru Arjan’s bani:

Jaa kai ridai basi-o har naam

Sagal manorath taa kay pooran kaam

Meet saajan sakhaa parabh ayk

Naam su-aamee kaa naanak tayk

Those who have the Lord’s Name dwelling within their hearts

have all their desires and tasks fulfilled.

The One God is my intimate, best friend and companion.

The Naam, the Name of my Lord and Master, is Nanak’s only support.

(S.G.G.S. p. 197)

Bhai Vir Singhji describes the glory of the Name in lyrical terms:

Naam is not mere repetition. Naam is repetition, recitation, remembrance and sensation. Naam is life. Naam is grace. Naam is the Divine Light meeting the light within you. Naam is love, devotion, ecstasy and rapture. Naam is when in your remembrance of the divine you feel a heavenly sensation on your tongue. Naam is when all the cells in your body get immersed in the love of the divine and the flow of blood through your veins resounds with the sensation of the divine. Every pore, every cell rejoices. At that moment, you are truly awake. You are truly alive.

Sadhu Vaswani’s Nuri Granth captures the essence of Naam beautifully:

In one word, in one single word, is encompassed,

Your message, O my Beloved Master!

And that word is ‘Name’!

And ‘Name’ alone is the miracle and support of all life!

I bow down my head at your feet,

And bowing down my head, again and again I cry out:

“Pray forgive me all my faults,

Even as I constantly chant your Name,

and my eyes shed endless tears !”

(Nuri Granth p. 586)

Kartaa Purakh…

He is the Creative Power personified…

Kartaa is the maker or creator; the doer; while Purakh means being. God is the prime creative force behind all that is. He is the One who causes everything to begin, to move, to grow and evolve. He is the prime mover, the origin and source of all life.

Scholars point out that Purakh, as it is used here, is close to the Sanskrit term Purusha or Supreme Being. What the Guru emphasises is that God is the One Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe, as well as One who is immanent in all His creation. Unlike the sculptor and the sculpture, Creator and creation are at one, much like the dancer and her dance. He is One. He is the Truth. He is the Creator.

Two distinguished scientists met one another for a discussion. One was an agnostic and the other, a believer. The agnostic scientist argued forcefully that the universe came into existence on its own; that there was no ‘Being’ who created and ordered the functioning of the universe and that it was sheer ignorance which made people believe in a nonexistent Maker or Creator. The scientist, who believed in a Supreme Being, the Creator, defended his belief by pointing out that nothing comes from nothing, for how can anything be created by itself? There has to be a force, an energy, which created the cosmos - the physical, the tangible as well as the invisible, intangible cosmos.

The agnostic scientist would hear nothing of all this. He went on arguing, denying God. When he found that his arguments fell on deaf ears he said to the believer, “Well, let’s agree to differ on this point.” He got up from his chair, and decided to go out for a breath of fresh air. He crossed the hall which led to the open foyer. In the hall, he noticed a beautiful globe, which was an exquisite object of art, as it was encrusted with precious gems. He asked his scientist friend, “Who made this beautiful globe?” His fellow scientist shrugged his shoulders and replied with an enigmatic smile, “No one.”

“No one? That’s not possible! Was he a jeweller, a craftsman in metal or a sculptor? Someone must have made this beautiful object, and I salute his artistry!”

“No one made it! How can anyone make it? It is made by itself,” the believer replied, tongue firmly in cheek.

The agnostic scientist was puzzled. He failed to see that the joke was on himself! “This is impossible!” he repeated. “It cannot have created itself! Someone must have surely made it!’

“If indeed it takes someone to create this small object, then sure enough, you cannot take it that this world, this vast universe, created itself. There has to be someone, a Higher Being, the Supreme Power, who created this vast universe, the sun, the moon, the stars. For want of a better word, we call that power, God.”

An Englishman was travelling through the Arabian Desert. Outside his tent, he saw a Muslim cry out, “Allah! Allah!” The Englishman stopped and asked him, “Why are you calling out Allah, Allah! Have you seen Allah? If not then why are you calling out to Him?” The man replied, “Yes, I can see Allah.” He pointed to the camel footprints on the sand. “Can you see those camel footprints?” he asked the Englishman.

“Yes, I can see the camel footprints,” replied the Englishman.

“Because the camel footprints are there on the sand, I know that an animal called a camel exists. These footprints are the proof that a camel passed this way. Do you agree?”

“Very true,” replied the Englishman.

“In the same way, I have not seen Allah, but I have seen his footprints all over the world. I have seen his imprints in the universe. They are the proofs of Allah’s existence.”

“What imprints of Allah?” asked the Englishman astonished.

The Arab replied, “The sun, the moon, the galaxy of stars, the celestial bodies, the rivers, the cascades, the mountains, these are God’s imprints. He is there in all that we see around us, and He is the Creator!”

Sadhu Vaswani in one of his discourses on the sacred Japji Sahib said, “Purakh, also means ‘pati’ i.e. husband, the protector of woman. The devotees therefore refer to God as ‘Jagat Pati’, the Protector of creation.”

Nirbha-o nirvair

He is without fear; without enmity…

God is beyond all fear, hostility and enmity, for He is the One without a second. Negative emotions always involve the ‘other’. Fear and enmity are born of ignorance. But God is the source of all wisdom and truth. Being absolute, complete and unchanging, immanent in the entire created world, who or what is there that he has to be afraid of? The corollary to this is of course that God is all Bliss and Love!

God is fearless, but he is not unjust. Man, with his little power, likes to trample upon those who are weak, or who are working under him, or those who criticise him. Man’s weakness is vendetta - he is revengeful, hateful. That is not being fearless! That is being unjust and unkind, which is antithesis of God, the fearless, who is all kindness, just and fair.

Akaal moorat

Akaal is timeless, beyond death, therefore, timeless. Moorat is image or form. This line signifies that though God created kaal (time or death) He Himself is beyond both; He is permanent, unchanging and eternal.

And so the Guru tells Him:

Too akaal purakh naahee sir kaalaa

You are the deathless Primal Being. Death does not hover over your head. (S.G.G.S. p. 1038)

The Gurbani tells us in Sant Kabir’s words:

Kaal akaal khasam kaa keenhaa ih parpanch badhaavan

Death, and deathlessness are the creations of our Lord and Master; this show, this expanse, is only an entanglement. (S.G.G.S. p. 1104)

Guru Arjan tells us:

Nirbha-o bha-ay gur charnee laagay ik raam naam aadhaaraa Safal darsan akaal mooratparabh hai bhee hovanhaaraa

I have become fearless, attached to the Guru’s feet; I take the support of the Name of the One Lord. Fruitful is the blessed vision of His darshan; the form of God is deathless; He is and shall always be. (S.G.G.S. p. 609)

As we can see, this links both the ideas from the Mool Mantar: he who worships the undying formless One, himself becomes free from fear and enmity. And all of us can access His divine grace if we so wish:

Akaal moorathaisaadh santan kee thaahar neekee dhi-aan ka-o

The being of Immortal Manifestation is found in the saadh sangat, the company of the holy. Meditate on Him in that most sublime place. (S.G.G.S. p. 1208)

Akaal is also beyond time; time means growth, change, decay. We grow old with time; we lose our faculties with time; we are subject to decrepitude, illness and affliction; eventually we face death. The river of time flows and ever flows; and change is constant in this material life.

He who created the sun, moon, stars, day, night and the seasons, transcends time. He is not subject to change; He is perpetual, unchanging and immortal. He is now; He will be in times to come: He is forever.

Ajoonee saibhan

He is unborn, self-existent, self-illumined and self-sustaining

Ajoonee translates as without beginning, without a source or cause; one born without conception in the womb. Mortals are subject to garbhavaas, or life in the womb, which is akin to a prison, as it traps us in the cycle of birth-death-rebirth. The universe itself is subject to decay, destruction and annihilation. But not God, who created us and this universe, for He transcends birth and death. We are matter and energy: He is pure essence.

Saibhan, pronounced Saibhang means “Self-Illumined” or “Self-Existent”. God is the true and eternal essence flowing through all life. As such, He is Self-Existent and entirely SelfIllumined. Thus, in the Sikh way of life, our words are not meant to glorify the Lord in prayer, for He is beyond glorification. As the Self-Illumined One, our prayer to Him can only be an appeal to destroy the negativities in us. This is what the Ardaas (prayer) asks for: to be rid of ego and completely absorbed into Waheguru.

Some scholars think that Saibhan is closely related to the Sanskrit term, swayambhu, meaning self-manifested or created of its own accord. He was not ‘born’ of any source; He needs no support to exist. He is self-begotten. He simply is.

The Gurbani tells us:

Jag tis kee chhaa-i-aa jis baap na maa-i-aa

Naa tis bhain na bharaa-o kamaa-i-aa

The world is a reflection of Him; He has no father or mother.

He has not acquired any sister or brother. (S.G.G.S. p. 1038)

Gurparsaad

He is realised through the Guru’s divine grace…

The Lord is realised only through the Guru’s divine merciful grace. The grace of God is expressed through the grace of the living satguru: when you have found a Guru, you have found your way to God. And so the Gurbani tells us:

Har kay jan satgur satpurkhaa bina-o kara-o gur paas.

Ham keeray kiram satgur sarnaa-ee kar da-i-aa naam pargaas Mayray meet gurdayv mo ka-o raam naam pargaas

O humble servant of the Lord, O True Guru, O True Primal Being: I offer my humble prayer to You, O Guru.

I am a mere insect, a worm. O True Guru, I seek your sanctuary. Please be merciful, and bless me with the Light of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. O my Best Friend, O divine Guru, please enlighten me with the Name of the Lord. (S.G.G.S. p. 10)

And again:

Gur parsaad param pad paa-i-aa sookay kaasat hari-aa

By Guru’s grace, the supreme status is obtained, and the dry wood blossoms forth again in lush greenery. (S.G.G.S. p. 10)

Gur parsaadee man vasai ha-umai door karay-i

By Guru’s grace, He abides in the mind and egotism is driven out. (S.G.G.S. p. 30)

The Guru tells us:

Bikh bohithaa laadi-aa dee-aa samund manjhaar

Kandhee dis na aavee naa urvaar na paar

Vanjhee haath na khayvtoo jal saagar asraal

Baabaa jag faathaa mahaa jaal

Gur parsaadee ubray sachaa naam samaal

Satguroo hai bohithaa sabad langhaavanhaar

The boat is loaded with sin and corruption, and launched into the sea.

The shore cannot be seen on this side, nor on the shore beyond.

There are no oars, nor any boatmen, to cross over the terrifying world-ocean.

O Baba, the world is caught in the great noose.

By Guru’s grace, we are saved, contemplating the true Name.

The true Guru is the boat; the word of the Shabad will carry us across.

(S.G.G.S. p. 1009)

Gurparsaad is the blessing, the grace, the favour we obtain from the Guru. From the Guru we obtain the gift of true wisdom, Satnaam, that is awareness of God. Many devout Sikhs believe that the Guru is the living, moving image of God, the Aakaar (visible form) Roop of Him, who is Nirankaar.

Sant Kabir tells us in a memorable doha:

Gurugovind toh ekhain, doojayahu akar

Aapa matejeevatmare, toh pave kartar

Both Guru and Gobind (God) are One. The second is this form (body). Annihilating the ego, “I” dies (one awakens) and then one realises God.

Placing the true Guru, the preceptor, on par with God, Kabir tells us that as long as we identify with the physical body, we experience the conflicts of dvanda or duality. When body consciousness, or ego is eliminated, true awakening happens within us. Therefore, Guru Gobind Singh tells us in his Shabad:

Aad, ant eke avtara

Soyee guru samjhiyo hamara

From beginning to end, there is only One. Understand that to be the Guru.

Jap

Aad sach jugaad sach

Hai bhee sach naanak hosee bhee sach

Recite, reflect and meditate.

He was true in the primal beginning before the ages began. True through all the ages; He is still the truth here and now; and O Nanak, true shall He ever remain.

Many scholars and devotees regard the above as the sloka following the Mool Mantar. In this context, they take Jap to be the title of the rest of the Japji, a noun, meaning meditation. This opening sloka is followed by 38 pauris and another closing sloka which constitute the Japji Sahib, as we call it.

What is ‘jap’? Jap is a gentle utterance. The person who utters the ‘jap’ silently, (in one’s mind) is the one doing it correctly.

There are two kinds of jap and we should understand both of them. Invoke the Guru’s grace and recite the holy Name ‘Satnaam’.

1. The first way of jap is to utter the Name in words, orally.

2. We need to do jap silently but it is not sufficient. There is the second way too. It is absolutely necessary that jap be done with deep feeling in our hearts. This is called ‘mansik jap’: Jap done in the mind.

So both these methods of jap are essential. The holy Name must be uttered not only with our lips, but should be sung with deep love in the heart and concentration of the mind.

Closing Comments:

A Sikh brother once remarked to me, “Ik-Onkaar is the seed of Sikh faith. Mool Mantar is its root. And Japji Sahib is the trunk of Sikh faith. The rest of the Guru Granth Sahib are the branches and leaves and flowers.”

I have often heard people say that Ik-Onkaar Satnaam is the essence of Sikh faith and belief. Guru Nanak in his great compassion and wisdom, realised that it may be too abstract a concept for many of us to grasp, and thus the rest of the Japji is an expansion, an exposition of the complex truth enshrined in those three powerful words, a mantra in itself.

What are these complex truths?

1. God is; God is real, the Truth of Truths. He is not an abstract idea or a concept to be grasped by the intellect. He is the Supreme Being. He exists; He created the universe, the cosmos; He controls and orders the universe and everything in it.

2. He is birthless, deathless, everlasting and eternal. Time and space cannot limit Him.

3. If we wish to realise Him, we need the grace and compassion of the Guru, who alone can lead us to Him.

There is no religion higher than Truth, said a wise sage. The highest religion of all is that of Truth but we have forgotten it. The Guru came to this earth to bear witness to this ideal of Truth.

Aadsachjugaadsach

Hai bhe sach naanak hosee bhe sach

Who is God? God is Truth. He was true before the ages began and true He shall ever be! But nobody accepts this doctrine; there are millions who deny this fact. When you ask materialistic people “What was in the beginning of existence?” They say, “There was nothing. There was chaos, emptiness.” But the Guru asserts that in the beginning there was “Truth”. And this Truth shall ever prevail!

Let us therefore resolve: to seek the Truth of all truths, which is God. Always speak the truth, worship the truth and bear witness to truth in deeds of daily living.

STANZA ONE

Sochai soch na hova-ee jay sochee lakh vaar

Chupai chup na hova-ee jay laa-ay rahaa liv taar

Bhukhi-aa bhukh na utree jay bannaa puree-aa bhaar

Sahas si-aanpaa lakh hohi ta ik na chalai naal

Kiv sachi-aaraa ho-ee-ai kiv koorhai tutai paal

Hukam rajaa-ee chalnaa naanak likhi-aa naal

Walk the Way of His Will

1. Sochai soch na hova-ee jay sochee lakh vaar

External cleansing does not really purify us even if we try to do it a hundred thousand times.

The word ‘sochai’ is interpreted in two ways by scholars: first soch, as in thinking. The most profound intellectual thinking cannot lead us to the realisation of God. Secondly, ‘sochai’ is also interpreted as the Sanskrit term ‘shaucha’, meaning cleansing or purification. Hundreds of thousands of ritual baths and holy dips may cleanse the physical body that we wear, but God-realisation is not possible if the mind and heart are not pure.

Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani tells us that he once attended the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, and attempted to take a ritual dip in the holy waters of the Ganga. Before he could enter the sacred river, he was encircled by a crowd of pandits, who demanded money from him. Deeply distressed, he begged them to let him move forward. “Give us money! Give us dakshina!” they chanted incessantly. Deeply saddened, Gurudev saw that standing in the sacred waters, their minds were far from pure and holy; they were still in the thraldom of greed and desire, tightly in the grip of worldly maya. Eventually, they let him move forward and take his sacred dip. But others started a chorus, “Speak a few words to us before you go!” Little did they realise that the occasion was not meant for discourses or lectures, but for deep spiritual contemplation and focus on God, for while the physical form was being cleansed in the pure waters of the Ganga, the mind also had to have its purification through silent concentration on the atman and the divine that dwells within. Gurudev had his ritual bath that day, but he decided that henceforth he would not go out on pilgrimages.

There was a time, he mused, when pilgrimages were indeed sacred; what made them worthwhile and holy was the attitude of the devotees, the true intent with which they undertook suchyatras. The great ancient pilgrimage centres like Badrinath and Naimisharanya, Gaya and Kashi had been sanctified by the visits of the great rishis who lived and meditated and taught their disciples in those sacred spots. People who went there in later times upheld this sanctity. They braved dangers, difficulties and trekked hundreds of miles to reach the great centres and offer their devotion to God. Their intention was pure, their effort steadfast, they were truly pious and they attained the purity of body, mind and soul.

I had the privilege of going to Banaras with my Gurudev. This joy and excitement was doubled by the thought of being able to take a dip in the waters of the holy Ganga. The few days that we were there, sped by swiftly, with nary a moment to spare.

On the last day, before it was time to board the train, I grabbed my towel to proceed towards the holy waters, when I heard Gurudev’s sweet voice calling out my name. I put aside the towel and went to do his bidding. While in the train on the return journey, filled with disappointment, I dozed off. In the ensuing dream, I saw Lord Shiva, but the Ganga was missing from the crown of His head. In astonishment, when I asked Him about her whereabouts, He smiled and replied, “She flows at the feet of the Guru!”

I woke up with a start and rushed to be near my Guru. I had already been sanctified by the ‘holy waters’.

But what Sadhu Vaswani saw before him was saddening. The pandits lived and moved on the banks of the sacred river, they took their ritual baths in the holy waters day after day, but they could not free themselves from the greed of gold! Of what use was the ritual dip in the Ganga?

Therefore, the Guru tells us: Empty rituals and hollow practices are of no avail when your aim is to attain God- realisation. Of course, this body, the temple of the atman must be kept clean and pure, but the temple of the heart and mind must be pure, so that the Lord may dwell therein.

Once a man came to me filled with pride and joy, having accomplished the mammoth task of visiting sixty-six places of pilgrimage. Now, the final one, Pandharpur, was left which he wished to visit along with me. I could see that for him, visiting each of these places was more of an accomplishment.

With a smile, I commended his endeavour and then said, “When you decide to go to Andarpur, then I will surely accompany you.” Yes, a true pilgrimage is one when we enter within.

2. Chupai chup na hova-ee jay laa-ay rahaa liv taar.

Observing outer silence does not pacify the mind even when it is done with focused concentration, and one-pointedness.

Many people practise maun vrat, which is indeed a good practice. But as Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani tells us, of what use is silent ‘meditation’ when the mind wanders endlessly from one worldly concern to another. Guru Nanak tells us in these lines, “When you do not open your lips to speak, you observe outer silence, but that does not mean you are silent, calm and peaceful within!” You may keep silent outwardly, but where is the inner silence, tranquillity and peace?

There were many seekers in those days, who moved away from worldly life and sought the silence and isolation of mountain caves or forests to be able to concentrate on the atman within. There are still many of them to be found even today. Silence and withdrawal from the world are good too, but what if the mind keeps on wandering? Does it serve any purpose to live a life of seclusion and maintain silence outwardly? No! The mind wanders ceaselessly, and there is no inner peace. The wandering mind keeps moving in all directions. So, Guru Nanak tells us that just by observing external silence, one will not attain God even though one may remain in constant meditation.

A seeker on the spiritual path desired to attain a state of peace and calm. But he felt he was being hindered in this by being in the midst of people, who made him get irritated easily. He attributed the cause of this irritation to external situations. He decided to leave the world and move to the forest; where unperturbed he would attain peace.

He took with himself his kamandal filled with water, climbed a small hill and proceeded to sit under the shade of the trees. He turned to place his kamandal beside him, but did not notice that he had placed it on a rock. The kamandal tilted over and the water spilt on the ground. Seeing this, his rage was so intense that he smashed the rock. It is not the outer solitude that brings us peace, but the inner silence which pervades our entire being.

Therefore does the Guru urge us to enter the inner silence.

When the mind is dragged down by ego or trapped by desires of the senses, silence is of no avail. The tapasya of the tongue (maun or silence) must go hand in hand with the tapasya of the mind and heart (tyag or renunciation) if we are to obtain God-realisation.

3. Bhukhi-aa bhukh na utree jay bannaa puree-aa bhaar.

The hunger of some cannot be satisfied even when they have amassed all the wealth of this world.

We can interpret this at two levels: the greed and endless desire of some people can never fully be appeased even if they attain all the wealth of this world. As Guru Arjan tells us, the thirst and yearning of the soul cannot be satisfied by all the wealth of this world. “Acquiring hundreds of thousands and millions, your desires shall not be contained,” the Sukhmani Sahib tells us. “By the countless pleasures of maya, your thirst shall not be quenched.”

Har kaa naam japat aaghaavai.

Chanting the Name of the Lord, you shall be satisfied.

And again:

Har jan kai har naam nidhaan.

The Lord’s Name is the treasure of the Lord’s servant.

Guru Angad too, speaks to us of the intense desire of the greedy men to accumulate worldly wealth. He tells us in his bani:

“They know that they will have to depart, so why do they make such ostentatious displays? Those who do not know that they will have to depart, continue to arrange their affairs. He accumulates wealth during the night of his life, but in the morning, he must depart. O Nanak, it shall not go along with him, and so he regrets.”

Guru Nanak was visiting a town, when he passed by a most inspiring mansion which had several flags flying from its rooftop. On inquiring, Guru Nanak found out that it belonged to a very wealthy man named Dhunichand.

When Dhunichand became aware of Guru Nanak’s presence, he rushed to get his blessings. With pride, he informed the Guru that each of the flags on top of his house represented a lakh of rupees, which he had accumulated. With a smile, Guru Nanak asked him for a small favour, which Dhunichand was eager to comply.

The Guru gave him a needle and asked him to keep it safe and return it to him in the next world. Willingly, Dhunichand gave the needle to his wife, as instructed by Guru Nanak. His wife was astounded. “Don’t you know,” she said, “that we cannot take anything with ourselves to the other world. Not even a needle!”

These words struck Dhunichand’s heart. He rushed to Guru Nanak and pleaded with him to extricate him from the quicksand of wealth.

And again, the Second Guru tells us: “The mouth is not satisfied by speaking, and the ears are not satisfied by hearing. The eyes are not satisfied by seeing — each organ seeks out one sensory quality. The hunger of the hungry is not appeased; by mere words, hunger is not relieved. O Nanak, hunger is relieved only when one utters the glorious praises of the praiseworthy Lord.”

4. Sahas si-aanpaa lakh hohi ta ikna chalai naal

Hundreds of thousands of all our clever tricks, not even one can go with us beyond the hereafter.

The power of the human intellect, the magical siddhis acquired by intense study and effort, are of no avail when it comes to realising God. Nahi nahi rakshati dukring karane sang Adi Shankara. Barren intellect and soulless knowledge is futile! As Guru Angad says, physical austerity is not necessary and spiritual development is not dependent on ritual and external wanderings. “Austerity and everything come through immersing oneself in the meditation of the Lord’s Name. All other actions are useless. O Nanak, believe in the One who is worth believing in. By Guru’s grace, he is realised.”

The Gurbani tells us:

Manmukh andh karay chaturaa-ee,

Bhaanaa na mannay bahut dukh paa-ee

In other words, the blind, self-willed manmukhs practise cleverness. But, alas, they do not surrender to the Lord’s Will, and suffer terrible pain. “Deluded by doubt, they come and go in reincarnation; they never find the mansion of the Lord’s presence.” (S.G.G.S. p. 1064)

5. Kiv sachi-aaraa ho-ee-ai kiv koorhai tutai paal

How then can you become true? How can you rent asunder the veil of falsehood and illusion?

As we have seen in the Mool Mantar, God is Truth. He is eternal, immutable, self-created; He ever was, ever is and ever will be! How can we comprehend this truth that He alone is true, eternal and unchanging, and all the rest is passing, transient, maya, illusion, falsehood?

The Guru tells us in his Asa di Vaar:

False is the king, false are the subjects; false is the whole world.

False is the mansion, false are the tall buildings; false are those who live in them.

False is gold, and false is silver; false are those who wear them.

False is the body, false are the clothes; false is incomparable beauty…

The false ones love falsehood, and forget their Creator…

Nanak speaks this prayer: without You, Lord, everything is totally false…

One knows the Truth only when the Truth is in his heart.

One knows the Truth only when he bears love to the True Lord.

6. Hukam rajaa-ee chalnaa naanak likhi-aa naal

Obey His Will, O Nanak; walk in the way of His Will, even as it is writ in your destiny.

The term Hukam is very special. It is used in the Gurbani to mean Divine Will, Divine Command, the eternal all-pervading law of the universe.

Hukmai andar sabh ko baahar hukam na ko-ay

Naanak hukmai jay bujhai ta ha-umai kahai na ko-ay

Everyone is subject to Hukam, no one is beyond (exempt or outside of) Hukam. O Nanak, one who understands Hukam, does not speak in ego.

Walking in the way of His Will implies acceptance of Divine Will. Elsewhere in his bani, Guru Nanak says:

Ayko naam hukam hai naanak satgur dee-aa bujhaa-ay jee-o