Mann Mohe N Bujhe Thrishna Kal Grus Sansar | ਮਾਨ ਮੋਹੁ ਨ ਬੁਝਤ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਕਾਲ ਗ੍ਰਸ ਸੰਸਾਰ

ਭ੍ਰਮੰਤ

This one is the present participle for to wander, to become lost (in), or to lose oneself (psycholgically), as in 'obsessed'

The final decision has to rest with the context of the entire verse, which has a far-fetched translation at srigranth. My criticism of course only applies if one likes to stay close to the words themselves

wandering about in ....................; or if one prefers, setting oneself adrift in hellish thoughts of ....., getting lost in the mental hell of (terror of) .....

ਨਰਕ ਉਦਰਿ ਭ੍ਰਮੰਤ ਜਲਤੋ ਜਮਹਿ ਕੀਨੀ ਸਾਰ ॥੧॥Narak Oudhar Bhramanth Jalatho Jamehi Keenee Saar ||1||
Born from the womb, the mortal goes adrift in hell. Chafing, burning, in misery the mortal seeks refuge, yet remains stuck in his useless life.

Another way to read this because narak (hell) and oudhar (womb) are deliberately placed together, as are Jalatho (born) and Jamehi (stuck)

Born from the womb, yet stuck in hell. chafing, burning, in misery, the mortal seeks refuge but is lost in his useless life.

My understanding.

No sooner than he is born, the mortal (all of us) goes adrift in a hellish existence (in this life on earth). Chafing, burning, in misery, the mortal (all of us) seeks refuge (sar). Yet the mortal (all of us) remains stuck in a useless life (we are trapped, spiritually immobilized, because we are prisoners of our useless lives - see previous verse).

This transitions to the next verse where a mortal tries to take refuge (is invested) in fraud, cruelty and slander, and walk away as if nothing is wrong, washing his hands as if he had no responsibility for immoral actions.

The mood of the shabad conveys the intensity of the attachments, obsession with self, that lead to a hellish life that ends in death.

I mostly focused on the one verse but the shabad in my opinion describes what hell is, what hell there is on earth.

I decided to avoid all responsibility this evening and ponder the shabad. This is my understanding for now, but may go back to tune-up some words and some grammar.


In working out the translation, I tried to stay as close as possible to the given vocabulary. Sometimes it was not possible and I substituted language that seemed closer to the core of the spirit of the bani. In other places, I simply did not agree with a word meaning: for example, Gobind cannot be "detached" from what Gobind created. Another sense of separateness seemed better.

ਹਰਿ ਭਜਿ ਆਨ ਕਰਮ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥
Har bẖaj ān karam bikār.

To flee from Har, the most precious jewel of the Universe, is to flee from grace; it brings one to corruption.

ਮਾਨ ਮੋਹੁ ਨ ਬੁਝਤ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਕਾਲ ਗ੍ਰਸ ਸੰਸਾਰ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Mān moh na bujẖaṯ ṯarisnā kāl garas sansār. ||1|| rahā▫o.

Egotism, attachment and desire are not satisfied; instead the world is caught in the noose of time (death). Pause and think about it.

ਖਾਤ ਪੀਵਤ ਹਸਤ ਸੋਵਤ ਅਉਧ ਬਿਤੀ ਅਸਾਰ ॥
Kẖāṯ pīvaṯ hasaṯ sovaṯ a▫oḏẖ biṯī asār.

Eating, drinking, laughing, sleeping, a lifetime is wasted, passing on aimlessly without any worth (purpose).

ਨਰਕ ਉਦਰਿ ਭ੍ਰਮੰਤ ਜਲਤੋ ਜਮਹਿ ਕੀਨੀ ਸਾਰ ॥੧॥
Narak uḏar bẖarmanṯ jalṯo jamėh kīnī sār. ||1||

Leaving the womb, yet stuck in hell. chafing, burning, in misery, the mortal seeks refuge but is lost in his useless life.


ਪਰ ਦ੍ਰੋਹ ਕਰਤ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਪਾਪ ਰਤ ਕਰ ਝਾਰ ॥
Par ḏaroh karaṯ bikār ninḏā pāp raṯ kar jẖār.

He cheats and slanders others, and is completely deformed by his corruption; (but) wipes his hands of sin and blood.

ਬਿਨਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਬੂਝ ਨਾਹੀ ਤਮ ਮੋਹ ਮਹਾਂ ਅੰਧਾਰ ॥੨॥
Binā saṯgur būjẖ nāhī ṯam moh mahāʼn anḏẖār. ||2||

Without the True Guru, there is no spiritual awareness; so vast is the darkness of (so much) anger and attachment.

ਬਿਖੁ ਠਗਉਰੀ ਖਾਇ ਮੂਠੋ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਸਿਰਜਨਹਾਰ ॥
Bikẖ ṯẖag▫urī kẖā▫e mūṯẖo cẖiṯ na sirjanhār.

The heart (of the mortal) feeds on the poison of temptation and of remorse, his heart knows nothing of the Creator (has no awareness of the Creator)


ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਗੁਪਤ ਹੋਇ ਰਹਿਓ ਨਿਆਰੋ ਮਾਤੰਗ ਮਤਿ ਅਹੰਕਾਰ ॥੩॥
Gobinḏ gupaṯ ho▫e rahi▫o ni▫āro māṯang maṯ ahaʼnkār. ||3||

Gobind, the seed of all Creation, waits hidden (waits to be discovered) and stands apart (is not part of this madness). The mind of the mortal drugged by cleverness and egotism runs wild like a drunken elephant

ਕਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸੰਤ ਰਾਖੇ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲ ਅਧਾਰ ॥
Kar kirpā parabẖ sanṯ rākẖe cẖaran kamal aḏẖār.

By his mercy the One who embraces all creation upholds those who know him (his sants). They are supported by his lotus feet. (The image of lotus feet needs further explanation.)

ਕਰ ਜੋਰਿ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਸਰਨਿ ਆਇਓ ਗਪਾਲ ਪੁਰਖ ਅਪਾਰ ॥੪॥੧॥੧੨੯॥
Kar jor Nānak saran ā▫i▫o gopāl purakẖ apār. ||4||1||129||

With folded hands (in prayer) Nanak takes sanctuary only with Gopal (the primal protector), so Infinite is the Creator.

If I were to have tackled this as a free translation I would been even more emphatic. Guru Arjan Dev is being frank about 2 roads that lie before us. We can open up to the grace of the Sat, or live in the misery of separation from the Sat. One is the way to awareness of Ik Oankaar, within us and all of creation. The other is the way of moral corruption. Guru Arjan Dev can almost be heard saying, Make no mistake about it! From birth we are transported into a world that leads us to the temptations of earthly pleasure and selfish greed and egotistical attachment. The consequences are cruelty, back-biting and slander, and a lifestyle based on defrauding others because we delude ourselves. There is also a greater loss. We may never discover the other Self that we are. We drift and find no solace. We loose ourselves in a vicious cycle between ever increasing addiction to self-delusion, followed by worry and anxiety. Guru ji is not saying this with a tone of condemnation, but with concern that we may become deformed should we never discover the experience of timeless goodness. We may never find sanctuary from a hellish existence. We may never free ourselves from the choke-hold of the noose of time. Life ends and, if we have lived, maddened like intoxicated elephants, and have washed our hands of our moral accountability for our actions, then our lives will have been without merit or purpose. Guru Arjan tells us: Seek to discover Gobind, who is hidden within his creation (not hidden from it), and who stands apart from our mortal madness. What I find remarkable in this shabad are the many ways in which Ik Oan Kaar is named. He is Har, Gobind, Purakhu, Srijanhar, and Gopal. Each of these images gives a glimpse into the power of the shabad to transform us by telling us what we can find within ourselves. We are placed in touch with Har, the indestructible and perfect jewel, Gobind who is creation, Srijanhar who is the lord of life, Gopal who is the primal protector. Finding timeless and endless goodness within us and in others, we find safe harbour .

After such a beautiful post by spnadmin ji, my attempt seems very paltry but here goes!
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ਸਾਰੰਗ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਘਰੁ ੫[/FONT]Saarang Mehalaa 5 Choupadhae Ghar 5

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥[/FONT]Ik Oankaar Sathigur Prasaadh ||
See The Mool Mantar: Sikhi's Blueprint and Roadmap

ਹਰਿ ਭਜਿ ਆਨ ਕਰਮ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥[/FONT]Har Bhaj Aan Karam Bikaar ||

Remember Ik Oankaar constantly, all other actions are useless. This is not an invitation to give up life but incorporate remembrance into every task, every minute.

ਮਾਨ ਮੋਹੁ ਨ ਬੁਝਤ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਕਾਲ ਗ੍ਰਸ ਸੰਸਾਰ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥[/FONT]Maan Mohu N Bujhath Thrisanaa Kaal Gras Sansaar ||1|| Rehaao ||

Pride & attachment are increased (when not remembering Ik Oankaar) and desire is never quenched. The world remains in the grip of spiritual death. ||1||Pause||

ਖਾਤ ਪੀਵਤ ਹਸਤ ਸੋਵਤ ਅਉਧ ਬਿਤੀ ਅਸਾਰ ॥[/FONT]Khaath Peevath Hasath Sovath Aoudhh Bithee Asaar ||

Life passes in complete ignorance, attaching meaning to eating, drinking, sleeping and laughing.

ਨਰਕ ਉਦਰਿ ਭ੍ਰਮੰਤ ਜਲਤੋ ਜਮਹਿ ਕੀਨੀ ਸਾਰ ॥੧॥[/FONT]Narak Oudhar Bhramanth Jalatho Jamehi Keenee Saar ||1||

Each person wanders aimlessly, stuck in a type of hell. Just like hell is being used metaphorically, the womb is also being used metaphorically to represent the pain of reinventing yourself and changing your spirtitual mindset back and forth. So burning in the womb is the pain of spiritual death (not real death as this shabad is all about the spiritual mindset). ||1||

ਪਰ ਦ੍ਰੋਹ ਕਰਤ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਪਾਪ ਰਤ ਕਰ ਝਾਰ ॥[/FONT]Par Dhroh Karath Bikaar Nindhaa Paap Rath Kar Jhaar ||

The manmukh cheats other people, they commit slander and vice. Without any cares, they are totally absorbed in such behaviours (and wash their hands of morality).

ਬਿਨਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਬੂਝ ਨਾਹੀ ਤਮ ਮੋਹ ਮਹਾਂ ਅੰਧਾਰ ॥੨॥[/FONT]Binaa Sathigur Boojh Naahee Tham Moh Mehaan Andhhaar ||2||

Without the blessing and help of the True Guru, a person cannot understand the truth about the guidance of the soul. They are lost in the pitch black world created by attachment. ||2||

ਬਿਖੁ ਠਗਉਰੀ ਖਾਇ ਮੂਠੋ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਸਿਰਜਨਹਾਰ ॥[/FONT]Bikh Thagouree Khaae Mootho Chith N Sirajanehaar ||

The cause of spiritual death (attachment and enticement of cheating/vice) is a bitter pill. It possesses your soul and rips it of all its wealth, leaving no space for the remembrance of Ik Oankaar.

ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਗੁਪਤ ਹੋਇ ਰਹਿਓ ਨਿਆਰੋ ਮਾਤੰਗ ਮਤਿ ਅਹੰਕਾਰ ॥੩॥[/FONT]Gobindh Gupath Hoe Rehiou Niaaro Maathang Math Ahankaar ||3||

Due to ego, the mind remains inflated like an elephant. Inside Ik Oankaar remains undiscovered but the person perceives a separation from Waheguru (when there is none). ||3||

ਕਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸੰਤ ਰਾਖੇ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲ ਅਧਾਰ ॥[/FONT]Kar Kirapaa Prabh Santh Raakhae Charan Kamal Adhhaar ||

The people who are saved from such a fate are the ones who seek Ik Oankaar’s mercy, and support (Lotus Feet represents devotion and the idea of serving Ik Oankaar). You can make yourself saintly by following the truth.
ਕਰ ਜੋਰਿ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਸਰਨਿ ਆਇਓ ਗ[/FONT]+ਪਾਲ ਪੁਰਖ ਅਪਾਰ ॥੪॥੧॥੧੨੯॥[/FONT]Kar Jor Naanak Saran Aaeiou Guopaal Purakh Apaar ||4||1||129||

With his palms pressed together, Nanak has come to seek the support of the limitless Creator, present within creation. ||4||1||129||
Palms pressed together is a sign of greeting, respect, humility and surrender.


This shabad is very relevant to a few of the threads that have been active this week. We either make our life a living hell or we accept the world but keep our minds pure and be the best we can be to make it a better place. Ranting and raving achieves nothing, only good actions/thoughts and surrender to the omnipresent limitless force of Waheguru can help us. Everything else is destructive distraction.

Feedback please smiley not working!

findingmyway ji

Indeed, you are right when you say that this shabad is relevant to several threads this week. It makes clear that moral choices are open to us, and the consequences can be "dire." I am struck that this shabad clearly lays out the ethical philosophy of Guru Nanak. It takes us so far beyond ethics grounded in fear of heaven or hell, legal responsibility for our actions, and especially reincarnation as a way to achieve ultimate moral perfection.

It is a "wake up and smell the coffee" message.

spnadmin said:

findingmyway ji

Indeed, you are right when you say that this shabad is relevant to several threads this week. It makes clear that moral choices are open to us, and the consequences can be "dire." I am struck that this shabad clearly lays out the ethical philosophy of Guru Nanak. It takes us so far beyond ethics grounded in fear of heaven or hell, legal responsibility for our actions, and especially reincarnation as a way to achieve ultimate moral perfection.

It is a "wake up and smell the coffee" message.

Click to expand...

ਨਰਕ ਉਦਰਿ ਭ੍ਰਮੰਤ ਜਲਤੋ ਜਮਹਿ ਕੀਨੀ ਸਾਰ ॥੧॥

ਨਰਕ Negative Aspect
ਉਦਰਿ Metaphor to symbolize as the new physical birth originates in womb, new thought positive or negative originates from memory. It is garbh or udar for thought.
ਭ੍ਰਮੰਤ Disillusioned
ਜਲਤੋ Agonise
ਜਮਹਿ Negative thoughts appearing again and again as contained in Memory Store by own self.
ਕੀਨੀ how many
ਸਾਰ times॥੧॥


ਕਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸੰਤ
ਰਾਖੇ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲ ਅਧਾਰ ॥

ਕਰਿ Do
ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ Blessing
ਪ੍ਰਭ Creator
ਸੰਤ Everlasting Truth
ਰਾਖੇ Sustained
ਚਰਨ Walking on footsteps of TRUTH
ਕਮਲ Metaphor for Purification of thoughts by awareness of everlasting TRUTH while walking on way of Panth ie footsteps given by Gurus bani.

ਅਧਾਰ That is support or foundation or initiation of life॥

There was a stance that Gurusbani translations was found contradictory, it is requested to bring change in thought to make learning as a process to be learned.

Please comment contradict and improve.
Else Gurus Bani is everlasting TRUTH.
Follow with love.