The inner battle - To be fought by all to achieve him :)

Waheguru ji ka khalsa Waheguru ji ke fateh

In this beautiful shabad, BHAGAT KABEER JEE tells us about how are we clinged to maya always & how to defeat the same too !!! When I first enjoyed this shabad, I was in tears & was awwed & thus by the apaar kirpaa of guru maharaj, a paapee is sharing the shabad with u all chardikala valey gurmukhs.


Ang # 1161
Line # 14
of saheb SRI GURU GRANTH SAHEB JEE

|| kyo leejai gadh bankaa bhaa-ee ||


kyo = how to ?
leejai = take over
gadh bankaa = Huge & beautiful fort (as in "forts" in the olden days)
bhaa-ee = Kabeer ji is asking humbly to all


How can i take over this beautiful looking fort, how can i conquer it, how do I defeat it ? Here kabeer is taking about the inner spiritual fort of maya which all has (Its the biggest in me). Now why do kabeer ji wants to take over this fort ? Coz this is the only way to achieve union with AKAL PURAKH WAHEGURU JEE. There are no short cuts to it.





|| dovar kot ar tayvar khaa-ee ||


dovar = twice (the strength)
kot = walls
ar = and
tayvar = triple (the depth)
khaa-ee = (deep) pit


In this line, kabeer jee further explains the outer details of the fort. He says that this (spiritual) fort is having walls - double the strength of walls & triple the depth of the pit surrounding it. (Those who have seen a fort, for them it would be easy to visualise this scenario). Now, the walls are the doubts a person has about what ever GURU JEE says. The bigger the doubt, the stronger the wall. Then what happens ? When the doubt is big & walls are strong, we fall into the deep pit - tayvar khaa-ee. The spiritual journey of any one starts from here only. Firstly, all doubts, proof of existence, contraversies, etc needs to be shed, if not; then this is what will happen.





|| paaNch pachees moh mad matsar aadee parbal maaya ||


Panch = 5 evils (Kaam, krodh, lobh, moh, anhankaar - Lust, anger, greed, emotional attachement, ego)
Pachees = 25 Categories of 5 evils (This is what I have heard, if its something else, pls let me know)
moh = Emotional Attachement
mad = Being proud of achieving something what others normally dont get
matsar = "mat" means "the mind" & "matsar" as a collective term means the "mat" (mind) feeling jelous of others achievements.
aadee = too much
parbal = strong
maaya = (Come on, u all knw what it is) :)



Here, kabeer je gives more indept of the fortress. He speaks about the warriors (enemies) of the fort (against which we have to fight). There are all sorts of mental evils & on top of that, is the MAHA Powerful maya in this fortress. This is a very vital line to understand how strong the enemy is.




|| jan gareeb ko jor na pahuchai kahaa kara-o raghuraaya ||


jan = Human (Kabeer ji referring to himself being humble)
gareeb = poor / begger (not of wealth, but of strength to fight against these above mentioned evils)
ko = to
jor = strength
na pahunchai = dont have
kahaa = what ?
kara-o = to do ?
raghuraaya = (one more name of) lord


Here, kabeer ji says that there are so so so very much strong forces, the 5 evils & the maya, & then he comares himself with them & concludes that I am nothing, just a begger. I dont have the strength to fight back against them. So, he turns to lord & humbly asks him, what should I do ? This is a highly appreciated action of kabeer ji which we should learn in our lives. Normally, when we come across any difficulties, some get tensed, some sucide, some take drugs, etc. But how much of us are those that in these (testing) times turn our full faith to lord & seek his scantuary saying "waheguru ji, what ever you do, I m happy with that. Tera keeya meethaa laagey" ? We just PRETEND to b okey in front of the whole world & say that, "waheguru ji jo vi karangey, it will b okey for me" but deep in our hearts, we cry & fear. My pita ji, DHAN DHAN SAHEB SRI GURU GOBIND SINGH ji too did the same. When his family was shattered, when his 4 sons attained matardom, when his mother & father too left & all his fauz was not there, in short when he was alone, this is the same thing he did. He turned to lord for strength & then composed a beautiful poem - Chaupai saheb ji.






|| kaam kivaaree dukh sukh darvaanee paap punn darvaajaa ||


kaam = lust / sexual desires
kivaaree = windows (here it means the window of this fortress)
dukh sukh = sorrow & happiness (central meaning - bad & gud times in our life)
darvaanee = door keepers / guards (of the fortress)
punn = virtue (good deeds)
paap = sin (bad deeds)
darvaajaa = door (of the fortress)


Over here, kabeer ji further give the elements of the fortress. Adding to it, he says that "lust" is the window of this fortress. Reason ? Coz normally a person peeks from the window only. It keeps an eye on others property / wealth / beauty inside his home via the window only. Synonymising it with this line, the sexual feelings which arises in ones mind are not revealed openly & are done secretely.

Dukh & sukh are the door keepers of this fortress. Coz its both of these feelings which makes us wander without any reason. If we want to enter a place where we are not allowed to, we are stopped by the gate keepers. Here too, if we wanna enter the fortress to conquer it, we are stopped by the emotions of dukh & sukh. One may ask here, that why 'sukh' too ? Its coz while being happy OR doing a good deed, it may give birth to 'ego'. No wonder guru jee in REHRAAS SAHEB JI says that "DUKH DAAROO SUKH ROG BHA-YEA JA SUKH TAAM NAA HOYEE" (Dukh / suffering is the medicine & sukh / happiness is the disease coz where there is always sukh, there is no longing for lord)

Finally in this line, kabeer ji says that paap & punn (sins & virtues) are the doors. There is either paap OR punn committed by us. But a gurmukh rises above them both. To break this cycle of paap & punn too, we are required to attack these doors (to get in the fortress) by first defeating the door keepers (dukh & sukh), as the door keepers are always outside, defending it.





|| kroDh parDhaan mahaa bad dundar tah man maavaasee raajaa. ||


krodh = anger
pardhaan = main chief officer
mahaa = too much
bad = big / huge
duntar = demon (filled with arguments)
tah = over there
man maavaasee = the mind who always does what it likes - WITH FORCE. Means, zabardasti it is ruling.
raajaa = king



I just love kabeer ji, he keeps on adding the details of the fortress :) Here he says that krodh (anger) is the main, big chief officer. "Pardhaan" term is used coz in the army, we have the main supritendants & commanders. Similarly, in the army of these evils, anger is the one. Reason ? Simple. No matter how much one have tried to conquer all the evils, once anger is out, it alone is so powerful that it will make u mad & blind & thus all the evils return. Adding to the quality of the "anger", kabeer ji says that it will full of arguments & strives & once it gains control over you, it blinds u. Remember the time, when u got angry last time & u didnt saw that she is ur mother OR he is ur father (or any other relation) & how you spoke in front of them. Thanks to the pardhaan ji - Anger.

Further kabeer ji adds, In this fortress with so many enemies, the "man" / mind is the main king. He is the main entity whom we aim to conquer. Even if the whole of the enemy is defeated, the king (man) is so strong, that it alone can bring back all the evils & is next to impossible to conquer it. "Last night, I was so tired, so I didnt got up to do my NITNEM" OR "Today, I didnt feel like doing my paath, man nai man rea si", etc ... are what can b heard if mind / man takes over.

PS. Still more enemy (types) to come (in this shabad) :)





|| savaad sanaah top mamtaa ko kubuDh kamaan chadhaa-ee ||


savaad = taste
sanaah = armor (as in defence to the inner army of the fort)
top = helmet (An armor plate that protects the head)
mamtaa = worldly attachment
ko = to
kubudh = evil thoughts / corrupt intellect
kamaan = bow (as in bow & arrow)
chadhaa-ee = take aim & fire


Here kabeer ji says that even if some spiritual warrior is able to defeat the 5 evils including the CHIEF COMMANDER - KRODH / ANGER, still the mind in itself is very strong & has its own tricks & ways to defend itself. Kabeer ji says that its armor (to defend itself) is the worldly tasty pleasures (like the pleasure of tatsy food, pleasure of beautiful woman, etc). These desires of a person acts as the armor for the mind. Further to this armor is the "emotional attachement" which acts as helmet. Like helmet protects the head while driving, here emotional attachement (acting as helmet) protects the mind, thus further adding to its defence.

There is now one strong attack after 2 defences. An attack of arrows fired from the bow in the form of evil thoughts. Once this attack happens, person advances to committ sins.

Noticable fact here is that why some things are termed as defence & some as attacks. When you say something evil / bad to some one, u are hurting that person - that is an attack; but when you get engrossed in the pleasures, no 1 is getting hurt, thus are called defence.





|| tisnaa teer rahay ghat bheetar i-o gadh lee-o na jaa-ee. ||


tisna = greed
teer = arrow
rahey = to stay
ghat = deep
bheetar = inside
i-o = this way
gadh = body fortress
lee-o na jaa-ee = cannot take over (the fortress)


Here kabeer ji finally tells that, my heart is now filled with the arrows of greed (I want this & I want that) & thus I cannot take over this fortress. (No wonder guru jee says "Jeevat maro", then one would not have desires, greed, attachement, etc. But there is a huge difference on hearing & doing)

Noticable fact is that, kabeer ji is not giving up here, coz he just explains how does a normal human gets defeated in this battle. He has the lord himself with him & like the shabad goes - "Jaa too marey val hai, ta kya mauchandaa" :) Further kabeer ji explains how he defeated this fortress, which we all (specially paapis like me) should learn.




|| paraym paleetaa surat havaa-ee golaa gi-aan chalaa-i-aa ||


paraym = love (of lord)
paleetaa = fuse (to light up the cannon to fire)
surat = meditation (ek man ek chit)
havaa-ee = cannon
golaa = the cannon bomb (to fire)
gi-aan = (spiritual) wisdom
chalaa-i-aa = launched



Here bhagat kaber ji says how he defeated the fortress. He said that he made the fuse of the cannon (which which he aim to attack the fortress) as his paraym, his undying love for lord. Then, he made the 'ek man ek chit' type of meditation (surat) as his cannon to fire. After this, when he received the state of 'bhramgayaan', he fired the cannon ball of his "spiritual wisdom"




|| barahm agan sehjay parjaalee aykeh chot sijhaa-i-aa ||


bhrahm = lord
agan = fire
sehjay = 4th stage of sehaj (First 3 bein rajo, tamo & sato which gurbani speaks of)
parjaalee = lit up
aykeh chot = single shot
sijhaa-i-aa = taken over


Here kabeer ji tells that, when I reached the 4th stage of "sehaj", when I became bhramgayaani, when my dasam dwaar opened, then the fire of lord's love lit up. The term 'agan' is used coz without fire, you cannot lit up the fuse of cannon to fire, but this fire was of the love of lord. Also, we know that fire is very strong & powerful & it burn away things, similarly lords love is very strong & it burns away evil in us. Just imagine the level of kabeer ji :)

Then he says that with just one shot of the cannon, the fortress was taken over. Now, why just one shot ? Coz that shot is so powerful, that one is enough. Like in chaupai saheb ji, we have " ... EK baar jin tumhey sambhaara, kaal faas te tahe ubhaara ... " & in akal ustat, we have " ... EK chit je EK chin dhaayao, kaal faas ke beech na aayo ..." We do not need to keep on repeating his name & meditating, only one time is enough ... BUT BUT BUT ... that one has to b with the level of 'ek man ek chit'. So to attain that level (like how maskeen ji says) we keep on reciting his name. One recite for the sake of just doing it, another a bit higher - for the sake of having that 'ek man ek chit' state & another, the top stage - those who have attained that stage - keeps on reciting his name & all time is ek man ek chit. That is done in love, undying payaar, jaan toh vi jaada payaara preetam.



|| sat santokh lai larnay laagaa toray du-ay darvaajaa


sat = truth
santokh = contentement
lai = taking them
larnay laagaa = started to fight
today = distroyed
du-ay = both
darvaajaa = doors


Here kabeer ji further explains his part in the battle. He says that developing the two most powerful virtues of truth & contentement, I started fighting & took over both the gates. You remember what the gates are ? Previous line of this shabad : '...paap punn darvaajaa". So, he overtook paap & punn (good & bad deeds). Again to notice that good is also termed here coz this is the good done in pride, which ultimately is bad.

The virtues which kabeer ji is talking about is very difficult to achieve. Like how guru nanak dev ji says "truth is higher, but still higher is truthful living". Thus, 'sat' (truth) is vital. Also, when you also have contentement / satisfaction in you, there wont be a base for greed / desires to grow on.



|| saaDhsangat ar gur kee kirpaa tay pakri-o gadh ko raajaa ||


saadhsangat = the company of the holy people / true gurmukhs
ar = and
gur kee = guru jee's
kirpaa = blessing / grace
palri-o = I took hold of
gadh = fort
ko = of
raajaa = the king (mind / man)


Here kabeer ji says that after defeating the army of the fort, I went inside. Being in the saadhsangat & by guru ji's kirpaa (as in, things which helped kabeer ji to overtake the evil enemy). I got hold of the king - the 'mind'. He too gives the importance of saadhsangat.

So, since the king of the enemy is taken over & the battle is won, is the story over ? A big NOOOOooo. This is just one part, kabeer ji further explains where there is another battle is yet to be fought :)




|| bhagvat bheer sakat simran kee katee kaal bhai faasee ||


bhagvat = true devotees of lord (which is the position kabeer ji attained after winning this battle)
bheer = army (here, it means of 'bhagvats')
sakat = power
simran = meditation (ek man ek chit)
kaatee = cut away
kaal = death (of mortal)
bhai = fear
faasee = noose


This is the another battle which kabeer ji talks of. He says that once I have conquered the mind, I still have to get to death !!! So, he is now taking the army of bhagats with him & their power is the 'ek man ek chit' simran / meditation on lords name. Using them, he is able to catch hold the fear of death by his neck & 'kaatee' - killed him. This dosent mean he actually killed the 'death', (as in its not a materialistic thing to die); he removed the fear of death. Attaining such avastha (state) was he able to sing this shabad - " .. kabeer jis marney tay jag darey, marey man anand" coz he came to know that "marney he te paaiyea, pooran parmanand"




|| daas kameer charhi-o garh oopar raaj lee-o abhinaasee ||


daas = slave
kameer = kabeer ji (its pronounced as kaMeer, but is actually means kabeer ji himself)
charh-io = to climb
garh = fort
oopar = above
raaj = to rule
lee-o = to take
abhinaasee = which does not get 'naash' (destroyed) or perished / imperishable


Finally, in the end kabeer ji celebrates his victory. He says that slave kabeer (out of humbleness) have climed on top of the fortress (after conquering it). Like how after winning the battle, does the winning side get on top of hill & then sway their flag of victory. Then what happens ? Kabeer ji has reached the lord. Like he, which dosent have a beginning, nor an end, so does kabeer ji, he wont have an end - 'abhinaasee', forever in the charan of waheguru ji. Like ... 'raaj na chaahu, mukat na chaahu, man preet charan kamlaarey ' ... :)







With this, this shabad concludes & this article ends. I know there are millions of mistakes in this (khin khin bhulanhaar) coz of my mat-buddhi. I seek forgiveness from MY preetam. May he does so. Also, from you gurmukhs, if es paapee di koi galti dikhdi hai, pls intimate me on that.


With that note,

VAHEGUROO JEE KA KHALSA VAHEGUROO JEE KE FATEH