Dear Khalsa Ji,
Today, I share with you my understanding of the 5th Pauri of the 1st Ashtapadee.
1. pRB kau ismrih sy DnvMqy ] parabh ka-o simrahi say Dhanvantay.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ have wealth.
My understanding:
It is important to first understand what is meant by rich or wealthy and what is meant by poor or deprived. To me, it is only one’s own perception of oneself. The difference between the two depends on the degree of hold that the virtue of contentment and vice of worldly desires have on the individual.
If a person, who has enough wealth from common standards, thinks she or he has very little or has many desires to be fulfilled, then in her or his own perception she or he is poor. On the other hand if the person, who has little by common standards and has the gift of contentment, will not aspire to accumulate more and more. What she or he has is considered enough by her or him. Such a person, in her or his own thinking, is wealthy.
In this sentence Guru Sahib tells me that the person who remembers ‘The Sat’ will always attribute all that she or he gets to ‘The Sat’. She or he will never have insatiable desires. All that she or he has will become all that she or he needs. Though she or he may work for excellence, being contended all the time she or he will never think herself or himself to be poor. Such individuals do not crave for anything. This way the person who remembers ‘The Sat’ is always wealthy. This is what Guru Sahib conveys in this sentence.
2. pRB kau ismrih sy piqvMqy ] parabh ka-o simrahi say pativantay.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ are honorable.
My understanding:
In society, in real sense, only those people get honored who, in their lives, acquires a stature of their own. Here it is important to understand the difference between the word stature and status.
In the society the status of the person depends on the power that person has over the lives of the others. Such power can entice or force others to submit to her or him in their own self interest. This power makes the other people bow in front of her or him because they want to achieve some personal objective. The source of power is external to the the individual; it is not intrinsic to her or him; it does not stem from her or his being. The source of such power does not originate from within the person; it is some thing external added on to the individual. Such power can come from the office the individual is holding; it can come from the financial power of the individual, or even from muscle power that individual is able to organize or it can come form any other form of worldly entity, which can make people surrender before her or him. Such power can come and go also; it can be conferred and taken away also - one may lose the office she or he is holding; she or he may lose the money, which was giving her or him the financial powers; the group providing the muscle power may dessert the individual etc.
Stature, on the other hand is intrinsic to the person; it stem from the very being of the person. Stature comes to the person by virtuous living; it comes from the selfless deeds of the individual. Stature is intrinsic to the individual. It does not come from what material the individual has accumulated; it come from what the person has scattered; the example of ‘Mother Teresa’ is in front of us. No one can confer any stature on the individual or take it away from the individual. People bow to such person out of respect and love, in doing so they feel elated and blessed.
The individual who remember ‘The Sat’ becomes virtuous and over a period of time acquires a stature by her or his own deeds. Such person is revered in the society. She or he is honored by the people. Even the people with Status bow to her or him.
This is what Guru Sahib tells in this sentence.
3. pRB kau ismrih sy jn prvwn ] parabh ka-o simrahi say jan parvaan.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ are accepted.
My understanding:
What Guru Sahib has said in this sentence is a corollary of what is said in the previous sentence. The individuals who remember ‘The Sat’ are accepted in the society. They are accepted both in material world as well as spiritual world.
4. pRB kau ismrih sy purK pRDwn ] parabh ka-o simrahi say purakh parDhaan.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ become the leaders.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib emphasize the obvious. As individuals who remembers ‘The Sat’ are honored and accepted. Consequently these individuals become the role model for those individuals who have an inclination to live a pure life. This way those individuals who are imbued with the remembrance of ‘The Sat’ become leaders i.e. ‘Pardhan’.
5. pRB kau ismrih is bymuhqwjy ] parabh ka-o simrahi se baymuhtaajay.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ are not dependent.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib tells that the individuals who remember ‘The Sat’, by nature they are self-sufficient. The question of depending on others does not arise for them. It is natural as they have the gift of contentment and they live within their means.
6. pRB kau ismrih is srb ky rwjy ] parabh ka-o simrahi se sarab kay raajay.
By remembering ‘The Sat’ the individual becomes king for all.
My understanding:
In this sentence the word ‘King’ is a metaphor. It means that the person who remembers ‘The Sat’ becomes so pure that she or he can do no wrong. Such persons are revered by the people. They live in the hearts of the individuals. This way by virtue of their stature they get treated by the people as a King. Such accomplished people rule the hearts of the people. Guru Sahib says that they are the Kings
7. pRB kau ismrih sy suKvwsI ] parabh ka-o simrahi say sukhvaasee.
Through remembrance of ‘The Sat’, the person lives in a perpetual state of joyful peace.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib makes it explicit that the purity of mind that descends on the individual who is remembers ‘The Sat’ gives the person a state of mind in which the individual is never perturbed or disturbed and hence lives in a perpetual state of joyful peace.
8. pRB kau ismrih sdw AibnwsI ] parabh ka-o simrahi sadaa abhinaasee.
Through remembrance of ‘The Sat’, the person becomes indestructible.
My understanding:
The person who is with remembrance of ‘The Sat’ becomes so pure that nothing can make her or him to deviate from the path he or she is treading. The person stays on her or his chosen path with absolute simplicity and humility, with calmness and joy. The being of such person stays immutable, all the time fixed on the remembrance of ‘The Sat’. This way he or she cannot be destroyed. This is what Guru Sahib has said in this sentence.
9. ismrn qy lwgy ijn Awip dieAwlw ] simran tay laagay jin aap da-i-aalaa.
Only those individuals get into the remembrance that is blessed with the kindness of ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
Here there is an element of Gurparsadi. Japji Sahib tells us that ‘The Sat’ is ‘Karta Purakh’. Guru Sahib has repeated the same in this sentence. Without the blessing from ‘The Sat’ we cannot even take our next breath. It ‘The Sat’, which makes us, remember ‘The Sat’.
10. nwnk jn kI mMgY rvwlw ]5] naanak jan kee mangai ravaalaa. ||5||
Nanak seeks the dust of their feet.
My understanding:
In all his humility Guru Sahib says that he seeks the dust of such person who is always in the remembrance of ‘The Sat’.
With this I close today’s post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
Today, I share with you my understanding of the 5th Pauri of the 1st Ashtapadee.
1. pRB kau ismrih sy DnvMqy ] parabh ka-o simrahi say Dhanvantay.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ have wealth.
My understanding:
It is important to first understand what is meant by rich or wealthy and what is meant by poor or deprived. To me, it is only one’s own perception of oneself. The difference between the two depends on the degree of hold that the virtue of contentment and vice of worldly desires have on the individual.
If a person, who has enough wealth from common standards, thinks she or he has very little or has many desires to be fulfilled, then in her or his own perception she or he is poor. On the other hand if the person, who has little by common standards and has the gift of contentment, will not aspire to accumulate more and more. What she or he has is considered enough by her or him. Such a person, in her or his own thinking, is wealthy.
In this sentence Guru Sahib tells me that the person who remembers ‘The Sat’ will always attribute all that she or he gets to ‘The Sat’. She or he will never have insatiable desires. All that she or he has will become all that she or he needs. Though she or he may work for excellence, being contended all the time she or he will never think herself or himself to be poor. Such individuals do not crave for anything. This way the person who remembers ‘The Sat’ is always wealthy. This is what Guru Sahib conveys in this sentence.
2. pRB kau ismrih sy piqvMqy ] parabh ka-o simrahi say pativantay.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ are honorable.
My understanding:
In society, in real sense, only those people get honored who, in their lives, acquires a stature of their own. Here it is important to understand the difference between the word stature and status.
In the society the status of the person depends on the power that person has over the lives of the others. Such power can entice or force others to submit to her or him in their own self interest. This power makes the other people bow in front of her or him because they want to achieve some personal objective. The source of power is external to the the individual; it is not intrinsic to her or him; it does not stem from her or his being. The source of such power does not originate from within the person; it is some thing external added on to the individual. Such power can come from the office the individual is holding; it can come from the financial power of the individual, or even from muscle power that individual is able to organize or it can come form any other form of worldly entity, which can make people surrender before her or him. Such power can come and go also; it can be conferred and taken away also - one may lose the office she or he is holding; she or he may lose the money, which was giving her or him the financial powers; the group providing the muscle power may dessert the individual etc.
Stature, on the other hand is intrinsic to the person; it stem from the very being of the person. Stature comes to the person by virtuous living; it comes from the selfless deeds of the individual. Stature is intrinsic to the individual. It does not come from what material the individual has accumulated; it come from what the person has scattered; the example of ‘Mother Teresa’ is in front of us. No one can confer any stature on the individual or take it away from the individual. People bow to such person out of respect and love, in doing so they feel elated and blessed.
The individual who remember ‘The Sat’ becomes virtuous and over a period of time acquires a stature by her or his own deeds. Such person is revered in the society. She or he is honored by the people. Even the people with Status bow to her or him.
This is what Guru Sahib tells in this sentence.
3. pRB kau ismrih sy jn prvwn ] parabh ka-o simrahi say jan parvaan.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ are accepted.
My understanding:
What Guru Sahib has said in this sentence is a corollary of what is said in the previous sentence. The individuals who remember ‘The Sat’ are accepted in the society. They are accepted both in material world as well as spiritual world.
4. pRB kau ismrih sy purK pRDwn ] parabh ka-o simrahi say purakh parDhaan.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ become the leaders.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib emphasize the obvious. As individuals who remembers ‘The Sat’ are honored and accepted. Consequently these individuals become the role model for those individuals who have an inclination to live a pure life. This way those individuals who are imbued with the remembrance of ‘The Sat’ become leaders i.e. ‘Pardhan’.
5. pRB kau ismrih is bymuhqwjy ] parabh ka-o simrahi se baymuhtaajay.
Those who remember ‘The Sat’ are not dependent.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib tells that the individuals who remember ‘The Sat’, by nature they are self-sufficient. The question of depending on others does not arise for them. It is natural as they have the gift of contentment and they live within their means.
6. pRB kau ismrih is srb ky rwjy ] parabh ka-o simrahi se sarab kay raajay.
By remembering ‘The Sat’ the individual becomes king for all.
My understanding:
In this sentence the word ‘King’ is a metaphor. It means that the person who remembers ‘The Sat’ becomes so pure that she or he can do no wrong. Such persons are revered by the people. They live in the hearts of the individuals. This way by virtue of their stature they get treated by the people as a King. Such accomplished people rule the hearts of the people. Guru Sahib says that they are the Kings
7. pRB kau ismrih sy suKvwsI ] parabh ka-o simrahi say sukhvaasee.
Through remembrance of ‘The Sat’, the person lives in a perpetual state of joyful peace.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib makes it explicit that the purity of mind that descends on the individual who is remembers ‘The Sat’ gives the person a state of mind in which the individual is never perturbed or disturbed and hence lives in a perpetual state of joyful peace.
8. pRB kau ismrih sdw AibnwsI ] parabh ka-o simrahi sadaa abhinaasee.
Through remembrance of ‘The Sat’, the person becomes indestructible.
My understanding:
The person who is with remembrance of ‘The Sat’ becomes so pure that nothing can make her or him to deviate from the path he or she is treading. The person stays on her or his chosen path with absolute simplicity and humility, with calmness and joy. The being of such person stays immutable, all the time fixed on the remembrance of ‘The Sat’. This way he or she cannot be destroyed. This is what Guru Sahib has said in this sentence.
9. ismrn qy lwgy ijn Awip dieAwlw ] simran tay laagay jin aap da-i-aalaa.
Only those individuals get into the remembrance that is blessed with the kindness of ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
Here there is an element of Gurparsadi. Japji Sahib tells us that ‘The Sat’ is ‘Karta Purakh’. Guru Sahib has repeated the same in this sentence. Without the blessing from ‘The Sat’ we cannot even take our next breath. It ‘The Sat’, which makes us, remember ‘The Sat’.
10. nwnk jn kI mMgY rvwlw ]5] naanak jan kee mangai ravaalaa. ||5||
Nanak seeks the dust of their feet.
My understanding:
In all his humility Guru Sahib says that he seeks the dust of such person who is always in the remembrance of ‘The Sat’.
With this I close today’s post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
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