Essence of japji - Mul Mantra

Ek Ong Kaar

(One Universal Creator God)

Satnaam

(True is his name)

Karta-Purakh

(Creative Being Personified)

Nirbhao

(No Fear)

Nirvair

(No Hatred)

Akal-Murath

(Image Of the Undying)

Ajoonee

(Beyond Birth)

Saibhan

(Self-Existent)

Gur-Prasad

(By Guru’s Grace)

Jap

(Keep repeating his name)

Aad Sach Jugad Saach Hai Bhi Sach Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach

(True In The Primal Beginning. True Throughout The Ages. True Here And Now. O Nanak, Forever And Ever True. )

This is the only definition of Mul-Mantra which almost all are familiar with. But, there is more to it. Much much more to it, which this topic tries to cover.

The Mul-mantra enunciates Guru Nanak Ji’s concept of God. It is a positive affirmation of the unity of God – an external Lord who is transcendent as well as immanent.

We can say that the Mul-Mantra is the initial seed sown by Guru Nanak Ji, Japji saheb ji is the plant born of that seed & the whole guru granth saheb ji is the leaves & branches of that tree. It gives in-depth of what there is in the mul-mantra & in the Japji.

Let’s start the Mul-Mantra tour.

EK-ONG-KAAR:

Ek-Ong-Kaar is the combination of 3 words, ‘Ek’ + ‘Ong’ + ‘Kaar’. Many places in the Guru Granth saheb ji it is stated that everything is nothing but atomically a sound, a vibration. There is power force (Which we call the Almighty one) that runs the entire universe, & all the creation (all which is known to the humans & that too which is not known) & which is the source of that sound – ‘Ek’. From that one sound, comes vibrations of different frequencies – ‘Ong’ which takes the physical form – ‘Kaar’. But even we all are his creations. So, are we different from him??? Not at all. We are a part of that supreme 1. Thus the creator is not something outside, not somewhere far or somewhere unreachable. He is within u & all. Just that you have to experience it, ignite that spirit.

The first word in the Mul-Mantra is the digit 1 (Not in words). Guru Nanak Ji himself pronounced it as Ek-Ong-Kaar (Or Ek-Ang-Kaar)

Guru Nanak Ji purposely placed integral ‘1’ before Ong-kaar. He could have expressed the unity of God by a verbal expression, but did not choose to do so. The integral ‘1’ is unique in that all other numbers are nothing but an expansion of a sum of it, or ‘1’ is multiplied by that number. Secondly, this number is such that the antithesis of odd or even does not exist in it. The Symbol ‘Ek’ is thus an unmistakable sign to conclusively indicate unity. Thirdly, (Guru Nanak Ji used the digit 1& not the word) as he wanted to emphasize that the universe had emanated from one God & not from void or zero, the state of dispassion or lifeless, unconscious matter. Guru Nanak Ji has, in Rag Maru (In Guru Granth Saheb Ji, Pages 1023 – 1038) eluded that before the beginning of the creation, there was nothing but chaos & chaos for millions of years, but even that time the One Lord was there, & he was wrapt in himself in his eternity, in absolute transe, was alone & detached, had no rival, & sat in judgment over himself. Only his order (Hukum), prevailed, & he created Universe out of himself.

He is one only; there is no other to equal him. (Words may change their meanings & concepts in course of time, but the connotation of a numeral is always the same & unchangeable). It emphasizes the unity of God in unmistakable terms. Guru Nanak Ji’s emphasis on 1 was because the populace had forgotten the One God, & was running after the minor gods & goddesses who were nothing but his creation only.

SAT-NAAM:

It’s composed of ‘Sat’ & ‘Naam’.

The literal meaning of ‘Sat’ is Truth. But in context of the sum total of Guru Nanak Ji’s testaments, it would be apt to translate it as ‘Eternal’. It is only God who has no beginning, no end, is not subject to change. He was, is & shall forever be alike. (Just our vision of seeing him changes)

The literal meaning of ‘Naam’ is The Name, rather than the Divine Name. In Guru Granth Saheb ji, ‘Naam’ for all practical purposes is synonymous with shabad (Word). Divine name is not something distinct from the almighty. It instead is revelation of, & coextensive with, the infinite one. It is expression of the nature & being of God in terms comprehensible to human understanding. According to Guru Nanak Ji, before creation of the universe, there was the infinite one engrossed in himself, in trance, in his true name, his true glory & his true throne. When he created the universe, he breathed his own light in his creation. In Japji Saheb Ji (Pauri – 19), Guru Nanak Ji says: “Whatever he created was (Manifest of) his name; There is no place where his name does not pervade.”

‘Naam’ Therefore is the universal light or spirit which is all-pervading & immanent in all his creation. Besides, ‘Naam’ is object of meditation. The contemplation of the divine name helps in realization of the lord in self. The ‘Naam’ kindles the inner light & helps in its mingling with the Supreme light.

The name of God & names of God are quite distinct & are not to be confused. The Guru Granth Saheb ji uses various names of Gods prevalent at the time, such as ‘Bhagvan’, ‘Gobind’, ‘Gopal’, ‘Ishwar’, ‘Ram’, ‘Allah’, ‘Rabb’, ‘Rahim’, ‘Khuda’, but these are not essential. ‘Naam’ is the total expression of God, manifest & un-manifest. It is expression of his light or spirit which is immanent in his creation.

Now summing up all the discussions on ‘Sat-Naam’, its very easy to understand that even you are his creation. You are him & he is within you & all. Realize that ‘ONE’ within you, that ‘Name’, that ‘True-Name’, ‘Sat-Naam’.

KARTA-PURAKH

‘Karta’ means the creator. God is the creator. He created the universe. Before the creation of the universe, the power of creation lay in the Supreme Being. Guru Nanak Ji has dwelt upon the attributes of his supreme being, who is also the creator & spread his light in his creation. The creator is indistinct from God. There is no parallel to him. He is omnipotent. Through his power are winds, water & fire; and the earth is created out of dust. All is through his power, for he is the creator lord. His name is the holiest of the holy.

‘Purakh’ simply means All-Pervading; who pervades in each & every particle. In context of human body, the word ‘Purakh’ gives the meaning of soul, & in context of the universe, it means God. Its literal meaning is Person. In Guru Granth Saheb ji, the word ‘Purakh’ has been used in various contexts meanings person, man, great man, God, Soul, All-Pervading, etc.

Guru Nanak Ji has used adjectives to illustrate to illustrate the attributes of the ‘Purakha’ who is the only Eternal entity, distinct from other persons. He is from the very beginning (adi Purakh), All-pervading & eternal (Sat Purakh), Creator (Karta Purakh), Immortal (Akal Purakh) & without the duality of maya (Niranjan Purakh)

‘Purakh’ is such, is the Universal Mind or Soul (Parmatama) which is omnipresent & omniscient. The human mind or soul (Atma) formed part of the universal mind or soul before it was parted, & eager for communication. Guru Nanak Ji used this imile to delineate God as the supreme bridegroom & his creation as the bride eager to meet him. ‘Purakh’ is therefore that being, mind or soul which is All-Pervading.

Nirbhao

Literal meaning is without fear. The word is to be interpreted in sum total of Guru Nanak’s testament. In Asa-De-Vaar pauri 4, its written that:

bhai vich pavan vahai sadvaa-o.

(In the Fear of God, the wind and breezes ever blow.)

bhai vich chaleh lakh daree-aa-o.

(In the Fear of God, thousands of rivers flow.)

bhai vich agan kadhai vaygaar.

(In the Fear of God, fire is forced to labor.)

bhai vich Dhartee dabee bhaar.

(In the Fear of God, the earth is crushed under its burden.)

bhai vich ind firai sir bhaar.

(In the Fear of God, the clouds move across the sky.)

bhai vich raajaa Dharam du-aar.

(In the Fear of God, the Righteous Judge of Dharma stands at His Door.)

bhai vich sooraj bhai vich chand.

(In the Fear of God, the sun shines, and in the Fear of God, the moon reflects.)

koh karorhee chalat na ant.

(They travel millions of miles, endlessly.)

bhai vich siDh buDh sur naath.

(In the Fear of God, the Siddhas exist, as do the Buddhas, the demi-gods and Yogis.)

bhai vich aadaanay aakaas.

(In the Fear of God, the Akaashic ethers are stretched across the sky.)

bhai vich joDh mahaabal soor.

(In the Fear of God, the warriors and the most powerful heroes exist.)

bhai vich aavahi jaaveh poor.

(In the Fear of God, multitudes come and go.)

sagli-aa bha-o likhi-aa sir laykh.

(God has inscribed the Inscription of His Fear upon the heads of all.)

naanak nirbha-o nirankaar sach ayk.

(O Nanak, the Fearless Lord, the Formless Lord, the True Lord, is One)

In short, “In his fear, nay DISCIPLINE, is the universe, the wing, rivers, fire, earth, sun, moon, stars, divine heroes, demigods. The writ of Lord’s discipline is over the heads of all. The formless one, eternal, is alone without fear or discipline of any other. He alone is ‘fearless’, all other incarnated gods, demigods, are dust before him”

‘NirBhau’ therefore means sovereign. He alone is the sovereign & the whole universe, the globe, the galaxies & nether regions, move within his discipline, as ordained by him.

Each & everywhere it is emphasized that the divine is present in you too. So the ‘NirBhau’ has to be within you, & it is. Just realize that & you will become fearless. But how to do that ? Very simple, just shed your ego. Don’t hide behind the so called fact that it’s you who have done & created things. Its not you, it’s him; he is making you perform & do everything. Accept this fact, you will be fearless.

(There is a whole article posted here regarding ego, do take time to read it)

NIRVAIR

Literally means without enmity, but the translation does not seem to apt in context of Guru Nanak Ji’s hymns. The infinite lord is the Supreme Being, without parallel. He is sovereign & the universe is in his discipline. There is no equal to him. Therefore, there is no question of his having an enemy to challenge him. ‘Nirvair’, in this context means that he is without inner contradictions, or inconsistencies which pull him apart. ‘Nirvair’ therefore, means harmonious.

AKAL-MURATH

‘Akal’ literally it means timeless. He who has a beginning, has an end. The almighty is without beginning & has no end. He is not subject to birth or death. He is not encompassed within the limits of Time. ‘Akal’ therefore means Immortal.

Being immortal, the Supreme Being is not without form. He is both ‘Nirgun’, un-manifest & ‘Sargun’, manifest. It is in the latter form that he can be expressed in definite shape.

In Guru Granth Saheb ji, ‘Akal’ & ‘Murath’ have come together at a number of places to give the meaning, the being who is Immortal. He is embodied, but it is his spirit that lies in his products. The Almighty embodies in finite forms but is himself infinite. ‘Murth’, therefore, means Embodiment.

AJUNI

The Almighty is beyond the pale of birth & death. There is no cause of his coming into being. “He has neither father, nor mother, nor sons, nor kins, nor wife”. Guru Nanak Ji rejects the Hindu doctrine on incarnation of God In human form. “He works through all ages; He is always Harmonious, He is not involved in strife, nor comes nor goes”. ‘Ajuni’ therefore, means non-incarnated.

SAIBHANG

Self-existent. There is no cause for his existence. He is not produced from other being. He is himself cause & effect of his existence. He is produced from the self.

GUR-PARSAD

Who was Guru Nanak Ji’s Guru? There is no other answer than God himself. Here, Guru Nanak described him as ‘Gur’, the teacher, preceptor, enlightener. Guru Nanak Ji has used the word ‘Gur’ for the Infinite one.

‘Parsad’ refers to bountiful. Guru Nanak Ji here describes the element of Grace in God. It is from this aspect of His personality, that Guru Nanak develops his doctrine of Grace. Other equivalents used are ‘kripa’, ‘nadar’, ‘mehar’, ‘karam’, ‘bakshish’, ‘bhana’, ‘taras’. All these have some degree of difference in interpretation. ‘Parsad’ is a positive form of his attribute, that he is the giver. “His many bounties cannot be recorded. He is great giver & has no particle of covetousness”

There are 10 gurus, and their light of the first Guru permeated the following ones, and that light now vests in Guru Granth Saheb Ji. As such, ‘Gur-Parsad’ is interpreted as, “By Grace Of Guru’s Word”, which is contained in Guru Granth Saheb Ji.

JAP

As lots & lots of his virtues are discussed above, there don’t arise any further explanation or reason to again emphasize on the fact as to why to always remember him. This ‘Jap’ simply says that only. Keep repeating his name (Let is be ‘Waheguru – Waheguru’, ‘Ram-Ram’, ‘Allah – Allah’, etc as long as its taken in his love rather than some worldly demands)

Imagine you are in love (with the opposite sex of course), and when I say in love, I really mean madly in love with that person. It’s obvious that you will continually remember & repeat his / her name in your mind.

Similarly, this is the love what Guru Nanak Ji speaks of. Love lord like this. Believe me; you will really love this love.

In Japji Saheb Ji too, there are these lines:

ik doo jeebhou lakh hohi lakh hoveh lakh vees.

(If I had 100,000 tongues, and these were then multiplied twenty times more, with each tongue)

lakh lakh gayrhaa aakhee-ahi ayk naam jagdees.

(I would repeat, hundreds of thousands of times, the Name of the One, the Lord of the Universe.)

Aad Sach Jugad Saach Hai Bhi Sach Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach

Normally, this line is defined as:

True In The Beginning.

True Throughout The Ages.

True Here And Now.

O Nanak, Forever And Ever True.

But a very important thing missed out there is that, when we say ‘Aad Sach’, normally it means that the God is true from the beginning of time. So here we are restriction him in the domain of time. As he himself created the time too, he was true not from the beginning of time, but even before it.

PS. This was the interpretation of the Mul-Mantra by daas. I am very well aware of the fact that already this has been decoded, but this gives a bit different taste. I am not telling that others are wrong, just that different people have different perspective of seeing the same thing & this is mine after long research & personal experiences.

Next post onwards, the main Pauris of Japji will start. Although posting them will be delayed by 15^th may as I have my final exams. I know that there has to be no excuse to this kind of cause, so I will try to write & post the same as & when I get time before that.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh.

Brief Summary of the course

(Links are present for the topics covered)

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Introduction (Posted)

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- Who Am I???

- Why another Japji Translation???

- What inspired me do this seva?

- Any hesitation in this seva & how it was overcome?

- What are the Sources & Authenticity of this whole course?

- Any future plans, after the completion of this course?

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Origins of Japji (Posted)

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- Story of How Guru Nanak Dev Ji Came up with - Japji

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Theme of Japji (Posted)

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- Man's Quest & aim

- The 5 realms / Paths

- Formalities in religions & Religious practices

- The divine order / will (Hukam)

- Meditation of name

- The divine grace

- Cosmological truths

- Dignity of human life

- Conclusion of the theme & Japji

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Concept of God (Posted)

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- God is supreme

- God is unspeakable happiness

- His creation is infinite

- God is all pervading

- God is Great & Bountiful

- Meditation on his 'naam'

- Guru's Role

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Elaborating on: “Mul – Mantra” (Posted)

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- Experiencing the True Essence of Japji

- The initial seed sowed by the Master himself

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Full Japji - Decoded (Pauris / stanza wise)

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Concept of GOD - The Japji Way

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God is supreme

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Guru Nanak Dev Ji makes specific mention of a number of gods, goddesses, other socio-religious leaders & objects of worship in various stanzas of Japji. These broadly are:

1) Brahma (&its consort – Sarasvati), Vishnu(&its consort – Laxmi), Shiva (&its consort – Parvati)

2) Indra (god of gods), his kingdom & enchanting beauties of his court.

3) Krishna & his consorts (Gopis)

4) Yogis, Naths, Sidhhas, Buddhas

5) Pirs, Sheiks (Muslim Divines), learned seers, saints, sages

6) Vedas, Puranas, Semitic texts – Torah, Zabur (psalms), Injil (Gospel) & Quran

7) Gods, Goddesses & demons

8) Celibates, zealots, warriors, brave & peaceful ones

9) Earth, Sun, Moon, Underworlds, Heavens, Spheres (Other cosmos)

10)68 places of pilgrimages, jewels, kings, king of kings.

All these in unison are shown in obedience to one God who is the creator of all & its supreme.

For instance, in pauri / stanza 26, many of these gods, goddesses & socio-religious leaders are mentioned concentrating on God & describing him according to their light & understanding.

so dar kayhaa so ghar kayhaa jit bahi sarab samaalay.

(Where is that Gate, and where is that Dwelling, in which You sit and take care of all?)

vaajay naad anayk asankhaa kaytay vaavanhaaray.

(The Sound-current of the Naad vibrates there, and countless musicians play on all sorts of instruments there.)

kaytay raag paree si-o kahee-an kaytay gaavanhaaray.

(So many Ragas, so many musicians singing there.)

gaavahi tuhno pa-un paanee baisantar gaavai raajaa Dharam du-aaray.

(The praanic wind, water and fire sing; the Righteous Judge of Dharma sings at Your Door.)

gaavahi chit gupat likh jaaneh likh likh Dharam veechaaray.

Chitr and Gupt, the angels of the conscious and the subconscious who record actions, and the (Righteous Judge of Dharma who judges this record sing.)

gaavahi eesar barmaa dayvee sohan sadaa savaaray.

(Shiva, Brahma and the Goddess of Beauty, ever adorned, sing.)

gaavahi ind idaasan baithay dayviti-aa dar naalay.

(Indra, seated upon His Throne, sings with the deities at Your Door.)

gaavahi siDh samaaDhee andar gaavan saaDh vichaaray.

(The Siddhas in Samaadhi sing; the Saadhus sing in contemplation.)

gaavan jatee satee santokhee gaavahi veer karaaray.

(The celibates, the fanatics, the peacefully accepting and the fearless warriors sing.)

gaavan pandit parhan rakheesar jug jug vaydaa naalay.

(The Pandits, the religious scholars who recite the Vedas, with the supreme sages of all the ages, sing.)

gaavahi mohnee-aa man mohan surgaa machh pa-i-aalay.

(The Mohinis, the enchanting heavenly beauties who entice hearts in this world, in paradise, and in the underworld of the subconscious sing.)

gaavan ratan upaa-ay tayray athsath tirath naalay.

(The celestial jewels created by You, and the sixty-eight holy places of pilgrimage sing.)

gaavahi joDh mahaabal sooraa gaavahi khaanee chaaray.

(The brave and mighty warriors sing; the spiritual heroes and the four sources of creation sing.)

gaavahi khand mandal varbhandaa kar kar rakhay Dhaaray.

(The planets, solar systems and galaxies, created and arranged by Your Hand, sing.)

say-ee tuDhuno gaavahi jo tuDh bhaavan ratay tayray bhagat rasaalay.

(They alone sing, who are pleasing to Your Will. Your devotees are imbued with the Nectar of Your Essence.)

hor kaytay gaavan say mai chit na aavan naanak ki-aa veechaaray.

(So many others sing, they do not come to mind. O Nanak, how can I consider them all?)

so-ee so-ee sadaa sach saahib saachaa saachee naa-ee.

(That True Lord is True, Forever True, and True is His Name.)

hai bhee hosee jaa-ay na jaasee rachnaa jin rachaa-ee.

(He is, and shall always be. He shall not depart, even when this Universe which He has created departs.)

rangee rangee bhaatee kar kar jinsee maa-i-aa jin upaa-ee.

(He created the world, with its various colors, species of beings, and the variety of Maya.)

kar kar vaykhai keetaa aapnaa jiv tis dee vadi-aa-ee.

(Having created the creation, He watches over it Himself, by His Greatness.)

jo tis bhaavai so-ee karsee hukam na karnaa jaa-ee.

(He does whatever He pleases. No order can be issued to Him.)

so paatisaahu saahaa paatisaahib naanak rahan rajaa-ee.

(He is the King, the King of kings, the Supreme Lord and Master of kings. Nanak remains subject to His Will.)

As a matter of fact, Guru Nanak Ji refers to them symbolically to highlight the supremacy of one lord. This sort of knowledge forms an essential part in man’s mind for a proper perspective & appreciation of God.

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God is Ineffable, Unspeakable happiness, indescribable, beyond words ...

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According to Guru Nanak Ji, God is Ineffable & far exceeds the most exalted conception which the mind of a man can perceive. One who is exalted & achieves communication with God is like a drop in the ocean, & is not in a position to describe its extent. It is because he lacks the knowledge, words & expression to describe him. It is beyond his capacity. Indeed, myriads of men have given myriads of descriptions, but there is no end to that. They have failed to describe him. His limits cannot be ascertained.

The more one says, the more he has yet to say to describe him.

bahutaa kahee-ai bahutaa ho-ay.

(The more you say about them, the more there still remains to be said.)

&

jay ko kahai karai veechaar.

(No matter how much anyone tries to explain and describe them,)

kartay kai karnai naahee sumaar.

(the actions of the Creator cannot be counted.)

God is great, & one could describe him only if he is as great.

vadaa saahib oochaa thaa-o.

(Great is the Master, High is His Heavenly Home.)

oochay upar oochaa naa-o.

(Highest of the High, above all is His Name.)

ayvad oochaa hovai ko-ay.

(Only one as Great and as High as God)

tis oochay ka-o jaanai so-ay.

(can know His Lofty and Exalted State.)

But, God can be as great as he pleases, i.e. he can surpass the greatness achieved by any one else. He cannot be sized. As such, he is unfathomable. Only God knows how great he is. It would be a wickedness / stupidity of a person who contend that he has such knowledge.

jay ko aakhai boluvigaarh.

(If anyone presumes to describe God,)

taa likee-ai sir gaavaaraa gaavaar.

(he shall be known as the greatest fool of fools!)

He is primal being, infinite, without beginning, & without end & ever alike.

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His Creation is infinite

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As in God ineffable, so is his creation. His creation is legion & his works are countless. If one were to sit & write the account of his creation, how staggering it would be! It would be beyond one’s capacity & power to do so. His creations are beyond comprehension.

For instance, when was creation started? What was the time, season, day, & month of creation? No one knows. The pundits did not know, other wise they would have written a purana on that. There is no mention of that in the Quran. Yogis do not know it. Only he who created the universe knows it.

kavan so vaylaa vakhat kavan kavan thit kavan vaar.

(What was that time, and what was that moment? What was that day, and what was that date?)

kavan se rutee maahu kavan jit ho-aa aakaar.

(What was that season, and what was that month, when the Universe was created?)

vayl na paa-ee-aa pandtee je hovai laykh puraan.

(The Pandits, the religious scholars, cannot find that time, even if it is written in the Puraanas.)

vakhat na paa-i-o kaadee-aa je likhan laykh kuraan.

(That time is not known to the Qazis, who study the Koran.)

thit vaar naa jogee jaanai rut maahu naa ko-ee.

(The day and the date are not known to the Yogis, nor is the month or the season.)

jaa kartaa sirthee ka-o saajay aapay jaanai so-ee.

(The Creator who created this creation-only He Himself knows.)

Guru Nanak Ji rejects the theory of evolution. According to him, God uttered one Word, & the whole universe throbbed into being. Myriads of rivers of life came gushing. He made various species, orders, colors, regions of earth, the universe. His creation is boundless & he keeps watch over his creation.

The universe was created through his Word, his name (Word & Name are synonyms) & it is the mainstay of the world.

Guru Nanak Ji delineates in the countless numbers of his creation on earth, in nether & upper regions, functioning in different ways.

On earth, there are countless people who worship, love, adore God, recite sacred texts, and ponder on his attributes. So is the position of men of piety & mercy; & those who perform austerities, remain detached from the world or perform acts of bravery & heroism. The number of people who are performing bad deeds is also countless, beyond number. These are fools, thieves, robbers, oppressors, murderers, sinners, liars, wretches & slanderers.

asa^Nkh jap asa^Nkh bhaa-o.

(Countless meditations, countless loves.)

asa^Nkh poojaa asa^Nkh tap taa-o.

(Countless worship services, countless austere disciplines.)

asa^Nkh garanth mukh vayd paath.

(Countless scriptures, and ritual recitations of the Vedas.)

asa^Nkh jog man rahahi udaas.

(Countless Yogis, whose minds remain detached from the world.)

asa^Nkh bhagat gun gi-aan veechaar.

(Countless devotees contemplate the Wisdom and Virtues of the Lord.)

asa^Nkh satee asa^Nkh daataar.

(Countless the holy, countless the givers.)

asa^Nkh soor muh bhakh saar.

(Countless heroic spiritual warriors, who bear the brunt of the attack in battle - who with their mouths eat steel).

asa^Nkh mon liv laa-ay taar.

(Countless silent sages, vibrating the String of His Love.)

asa^Nkh moorakh anDh ghor.

(Countless fools, blinded by ignorance.)

asa^Nkh chor haraamkhor.

(Countless thieves and embezzlers.)

asa^Nkh amar kar jaahi jor.

(Countless impose their will by force.)

asa^Nkh galvadh hati-aa kamaahi.

(Countless cut-throats and ruthless killers.)

asa^Nkh paapee paap kar jaahi.

(Countless sinners who keep on sinning.)

asa^Nkh koorhi-aar koorhay firaahi.

(Countless liars, wandering lost in their lies.)

asa^Nkh malaychh mal bhakh khaahi.

(Countless wretches, eating filth as their ration.)

asa^Nkh nindak sir karahi bhaar.

(Countless slanderers, carrying the weight of their stupid mistakes on their heads)

After giving a description of his creation on earth, Guru Nanak Ji Dwells on the nether & upper regions. His spheres are beyond count, beyond all imagination. So is the position with their names & their location. It is beyond comprehension.

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God is all Pervading

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There are hundreds of thousands of nether & upper regions & the research-weary scholars have not found the limits.

paataalaa paataal lakh aagaasaa aagaas.

(There are nether worlds beneath nether worlds, and hundreds of thousands of heavenly worlds above.)

orhak orhak bhaal thakay vayd kahan ik vaat.

(The Vedas say that you can search and search for them all, until you grow weary.)

sahas athaarah kahan kataybaa asuloo ik Dhaat.

(The scriptures say that there are 18,000 worlds, but in reality, there is only One Universe.)

His work cannot be described in writing because that is impossible

laykhaa ho-ay ta likee-ai laykhai ho-ay vinaas.

(If you try to write an account of this, you will surely finish yourself before you finish writing it.)

God alone is great in his knowledge.

naanak vadaa aakhee-ai aapay jaanai aap.

(O Nanak, call Him Great! He Himself knows Himself.)

Thousands of learned men, the eighteen Puranas, Vedas, & the Semitic texts, namely Torah, Zabur (Psalms), Injil (Gospel) & Quran tell in unison that in reality from whom emanated all things. It is only the essence which is real, everlasting.

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God is great & Bountiful

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God is great & his greatness is testified by his creation. He is true lord. So is his name, & it is uttered with endless devotion by his creation. Why? Because, he is bountiful & there is no end to his bounty. His creation prays & begs of him, & he gives & gives, but more & more. He is eternal giver. He bestows virtue on non-virtuous & gives piety to the pious. But none, in turn, can do him any good. He does not ask an iota in return.

Like him, his bounty is Ineffable & beyond description. His store house is every where, & he filled it once for all. He has no need to replenish it. His treasure is priceless & beyond expression. So are his deals, his weights & measures. Countless are his customers who make priceless purchases of devotion & absorption in him.

There are many mighty gods & goddesses who beg of him. There are many others whose number cannot be conceived at his door, who beg of him. Countless are those get but are self-indulgent; who get but are not grateful; who merely believe in eat, drink & be merry; & countless are those who live ever in distress & hunger, which is also his gift.

kayti-aa dookh bhookh sad maar.

(So many endure distress, deprivation and constant abuse.)

ayhi bhe daat tayree daataar.

(Even these are Your Gifts, O Great Giver!)

Rebirth & deliverance depends upon his bounty. No one can interfere with it. He himself knows to whom he may give & he does give, though very few acknowledge it. But he is the king of kings, on whom the lord bestows the boon to sing his praise. That is the highest form of his gift, & surely leads to communication with him. How is the ‘boon to sing his praise to be obtained?’ For that the guru provides a rigorous test.

As lot has been said about God & achieving his bliss; its very important to know how to get it. Whether you believe or not, but everything u learn, do, act & believe depends on the knowledge given by you to some one … You on your alone cannot do anything.

Lets take the example of tying shoe-lace. It’s a very simple task for you, no doubt, but you have learnt it somewhere …

In simple words, You need to have a Guru / Spiritual teacher in your life to get the knowledge & experience God. ‘Guru’ need not be always in human form, what is more important is the word – ‘GURU’, not the form.

The next sub-topic discusses on having Guru, his role in your life as Guru Nanak Dev Ji Perceived it.

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Role Of 'Guru'

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Guru Nanak Ji lays special emphasis on the need for the Guru – Divine preceptor – for the regeneration of man. In ‘Mulmantra’, placed at the head of the Japji, he asserts that God can be attained only through the grace of the Guru. And, in the concluding sloka again, he equates the Guru with ‘Air’ – which is vital for life – signifying, thereby, Guru’s indispensability in matters spiritual.

The Guru’s indispensability conceded, what is he expected to do? What should be his credentials? While the Japji lends some light in this regard, Guru Nanak Ji utterances elsewhere in the Holy Scripture are more specific. (This doesn’t mean at all that ‘Japji’ is incompetent in the same).

Here are the two, the first from ‘rag majh’ & the second from ‘sri rag’:

1) The Guru is the greatest benefactor,

Rich source of peace too.

The Guru is the lamp to enlighten earth,

Also in Heavens & nether worlds.

2) The Guru is the ladder , the yatch, the raft, the ship,

To ferry folk across the ocean of life;

Yeh, the guru is the mighty river of nectar.

The Guru thus to the true meaning, implicit in the vocable assigned to him, as the dispeller of darkness. He is the God – conscious guide, the enlightened preceptor & an essential link between Man & God. God’s gracious light rests on him & in turn & through him, the world is transmitted to all mankind.

Since the Guru is ever in tune with God, who is the Ultimate Dispeller of all darkness, whatever comes out of the Guru’s mouth, is supremely efficacious; and has the power to convert the baser self of a person into something meriting divine approval.

Guru’s word embodies in it all that is considered imperative for spiritual regeneration of Man. The Guru’s word is all pervasive, for God’s will abides therein. The Guru’s word is thus the holiest of all holies, as it imparts eternal truth to man. It is through the wisdom of the Guru that Man’s mind is attuned to the lord in a state of equipoise. In this way, the Guru through his word rids the individual soul of darkness & lends it spiritual insight. He transmits God’s Word which enables the people to adore the lord & thereby shed their feeling of phoniness.

Sikhism, however, does not subscribe to the need for a personal (human) Guru. In it, as also in the entire Sant tradition avowing impersonal or nirgun form of Bhakti, the saints or Gurus, whenever they talked of their Guru, they meant the Divine voice within them. They listened to it in their inner selves & transmitted it to the people outside for their benefit. That is why Guru’s word, i.e. ‘bani’ is considered as Guru par excellence; nay even the revelation from God himself. And, for that reason, Sikhism firmly disapproves of the idea of continuation of the line of personal gurus in any form.

Gyaan ka baddha man rahe, Guru bin gyaan na hoye

(The mind is restricted to spiritual wisdom, & without the true guru, there can be no divine knowledge - Gyaan)