Dear Khalsa Ji,
Today, I post what I understand from the 8th Pauri of the 1st Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib.
1. hir ismrnu kir Bgq pRgtwey ] har simran kar bhagat pargataa-ay.
With the remembrance of ‘The Sat’, the devotee enshrined in the human nature comes forth.
My understanding:
The force behind all that exists - living and non living - is ‘The Sat’. Due to the hold of vices on our lives we get lost. The spiritual component of our lives fades away and the material component of empirical life directs all that we do. The remembrance of ‘The Sat’ strengthens the spiritual component and restored the link between the spiritual component and the material component of our life. In other words our material life in this empirical world then gets directed by the spiritual component. We then live the life of Miri and Piri in real sense. We do nothing that can be construed as wrong. We live our full life as householder imbued with spirituality, shouldering all the responsibilities of family life. This way the individual becomes Bhagat in true sense. This way the Bhagat shines in the total life of the individual. This is what Guru Sahib has told me in this sentence.
2. hir ismrin lig byd aupwey ] har simran lag bayd upaa-ay.
Remembrance of ‘The Sat’ creates the Veda.
My understanding:
Here it must be kept in mind that Guru Sahib is addressing people who have been trained to think the Vedas to be the store house of divine knowledge. In this sentence Guru Sahib tells that by remembrance the individual can acquire the divine knowledge that is claimed to be contained in Vedas. This way Guru Sahib is telling me to latch on to the source – ‘The Sat’, than to a creation i.e. Vedas. The way suggested by Guru Sahib is direct. Between the Sikh and ‘The Sat’ the medium is Naam i.e. Simran. Even an illiterate person can follow this path. On the path of Guru Sahibs there is no need of any physical intermediary; no special language to be learnt just for this purpose; no rituals; no idols; no ‘Yantras’; no Mantra and Samagri (material items for worship); and no giving up of normal life of the householder. The path to spirituality and truthful living suggested by Guru Sahib is direct and simple. This is what I learn from this sentence.
3. hir ismrin Bey isD jqI dwqy ] har simran bha-ay siDh jatee daatay.
Remembering ‘The Sat’ one become Sidha, Celibate and Giver.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib has again used the terms which were and still current is the Indian religious system. Guru Sahib tells that all that is said to be achieved by the others routes can be accomplished by just remembrance i.e. Simran.
4. hir ismrin nIc chu kuMt jwqy ] har simran neech chahu kunt jaatay.
Through remembrance of ‘The Sat’ even the lowly become know all the four directions.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib emphasizes that the path of Simran i.e. remembrance is for all, no matter at what level the person is presently. The person evolves progressively and becomes know everywhere.
5. hir ismrin DwrI sB Drnw ] har simran Dhaaree sabh Dharnaa.
Remembrance of ‘The Sat’ is the basis of all thinking.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib here has used the terms that are current in Yoga. Guru Sahib tells that remembrance i.e. Simran is the basis of what one resolves to hold. I know Simran brings purity to the mind and pure mind alone can stick to the resolve one makes. It is natural because, not having any vested interest, the mind resolve to a path with all truthfulness and stays on it. The complicated process and the difficult way of living prescribed by Yoga is not needed, Simran alone is enough. This is what I understand that Guru Sahib is telling me.
6. ismir ismir hir kwrn krnw ] simar simar har kaaran karnaa.
Remember, remember ‘The Sat’, the one who is the cause for all that happens
My understanding:
Having explained to me that the simple path of remembrance i.e. Simran brings all what the system of religions claim that one can achieve. He now directs my thinking to the fact that the ultimate cause of all that happen is ‘The Sat’. ‘The Sat’ is the ‘Ultimate’, the ‘Absolute’; the ‘Ever existing’ source of all.
7. hir ismrin kIE sgl Akwrw ] har simran kee-o sagal akaaraa.
For remembrance of ‘The Sat’ all the forms are created.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells me that to enable remembrance of ‘The Sat’ all the forms were created. I understand that the aim of life is all round evolution through truthful living. The various form that exist in creation tell me the what can happen to me in my next birth, if I fail in this mission. This way Guru Sahib also directs my attention to the importance of being born in human form. It is the human form alone which has the mental faculties to evolve beyond the life controlled by instincts. In human form alone one can transcend the limitations of the material world, embrace spirituality and become divine. The way to this is through Simran.
8. hir ismrn mih Awip inrMkwrw ] har simran meh aap nirankaaraa.
In remembrance the Formless (The Sat) is.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is making it explicit that in remembrance (Simran) ‘The Sat’ is. I know remembrance itself is formless, the appellations ‘Waheguru’ and ‘Satnam’ are also formless; the mind I use for remembrance too is formless. (The mind is the soft output of the functioning brain. These soft outputs are feelings, emotions, commands and thoughts which we know are formless). This way whole realm of Simran is formless. Guru Sahib from his personal experience tells that ‘Nirakaar’ i.e. ‘The Sat’ is in ‘Simran’.
9. kir ikrpw ijsu Awip buJwieAw ] kar kirpaa jis aap bujhaa-i-aa.
Understanding comes to the individual whom the ‘The Sat’ itself graces.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is emphasizing that all that happens is due to ‘The Sat’. This understanding of the power of ‘Simran’ comes only to the individuals who are graced by ‘The Sat’. In absence of such a Grace the individual live a materialistic life totally ignorant about the potential of this birth in human form and its power of evolution to divinity through ‘Simran’.
10. nwnk gurmuiK hir ismrnu iqin pwieAw ]8]1] naanak gurmukh har simran tin paa-i-aa. ||8||1||
O’Nanak, the person is Gurmukh who has got into the remembrance of ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib tells me that the person who has intrinsically living his life with ‘Simran’ i.e. remembrance graduates as Gurmukh.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
Today, I post what I understand from the 8th Pauri of the 1st Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib.
1. hir ismrnu kir Bgq pRgtwey ] har simran kar bhagat pargataa-ay.
With the remembrance of ‘The Sat’, the devotee enshrined in the human nature comes forth.
My understanding:
The force behind all that exists - living and non living - is ‘The Sat’. Due to the hold of vices on our lives we get lost. The spiritual component of our lives fades away and the material component of empirical life directs all that we do. The remembrance of ‘The Sat’ strengthens the spiritual component and restored the link between the spiritual component and the material component of our life. In other words our material life in this empirical world then gets directed by the spiritual component. We then live the life of Miri and Piri in real sense. We do nothing that can be construed as wrong. We live our full life as householder imbued with spirituality, shouldering all the responsibilities of family life. This way the individual becomes Bhagat in true sense. This way the Bhagat shines in the total life of the individual. This is what Guru Sahib has told me in this sentence.
2. hir ismrin lig byd aupwey ] har simran lag bayd upaa-ay.
Remembrance of ‘The Sat’ creates the Veda.
My understanding:
Here it must be kept in mind that Guru Sahib is addressing people who have been trained to think the Vedas to be the store house of divine knowledge. In this sentence Guru Sahib tells that by remembrance the individual can acquire the divine knowledge that is claimed to be contained in Vedas. This way Guru Sahib is telling me to latch on to the source – ‘The Sat’, than to a creation i.e. Vedas. The way suggested by Guru Sahib is direct. Between the Sikh and ‘The Sat’ the medium is Naam i.e. Simran. Even an illiterate person can follow this path. On the path of Guru Sahibs there is no need of any physical intermediary; no special language to be learnt just for this purpose; no rituals; no idols; no ‘Yantras’; no Mantra and Samagri (material items for worship); and no giving up of normal life of the householder. The path to spirituality and truthful living suggested by Guru Sahib is direct and simple. This is what I learn from this sentence.
3. hir ismrin Bey isD jqI dwqy ] har simran bha-ay siDh jatee daatay.
Remembering ‘The Sat’ one become Sidha, Celibate and Giver.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib has again used the terms which were and still current is the Indian religious system. Guru Sahib tells that all that is said to be achieved by the others routes can be accomplished by just remembrance i.e. Simran.
4. hir ismrin nIc chu kuMt jwqy ] har simran neech chahu kunt jaatay.
Through remembrance of ‘The Sat’ even the lowly become know all the four directions.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib emphasizes that the path of Simran i.e. remembrance is for all, no matter at what level the person is presently. The person evolves progressively and becomes know everywhere.
5. hir ismrin DwrI sB Drnw ] har simran Dhaaree sabh Dharnaa.
Remembrance of ‘The Sat’ is the basis of all thinking.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib here has used the terms that are current in Yoga. Guru Sahib tells that remembrance i.e. Simran is the basis of what one resolves to hold. I know Simran brings purity to the mind and pure mind alone can stick to the resolve one makes. It is natural because, not having any vested interest, the mind resolve to a path with all truthfulness and stays on it. The complicated process and the difficult way of living prescribed by Yoga is not needed, Simran alone is enough. This is what I understand that Guru Sahib is telling me.
6. ismir ismir hir kwrn krnw ] simar simar har kaaran karnaa.
Remember, remember ‘The Sat’, the one who is the cause for all that happens
My understanding:
Having explained to me that the simple path of remembrance i.e. Simran brings all what the system of religions claim that one can achieve. He now directs my thinking to the fact that the ultimate cause of all that happen is ‘The Sat’. ‘The Sat’ is the ‘Ultimate’, the ‘Absolute’; the ‘Ever existing’ source of all.
7. hir ismrin kIE sgl Akwrw ] har simran kee-o sagal akaaraa.
For remembrance of ‘The Sat’ all the forms are created.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells me that to enable remembrance of ‘The Sat’ all the forms were created. I understand that the aim of life is all round evolution through truthful living. The various form that exist in creation tell me the what can happen to me in my next birth, if I fail in this mission. This way Guru Sahib also directs my attention to the importance of being born in human form. It is the human form alone which has the mental faculties to evolve beyond the life controlled by instincts. In human form alone one can transcend the limitations of the material world, embrace spirituality and become divine. The way to this is through Simran.
8. hir ismrn mih Awip inrMkwrw ] har simran meh aap nirankaaraa.
In remembrance the Formless (The Sat) is.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is making it explicit that in remembrance (Simran) ‘The Sat’ is. I know remembrance itself is formless, the appellations ‘Waheguru’ and ‘Satnam’ are also formless; the mind I use for remembrance too is formless. (The mind is the soft output of the functioning brain. These soft outputs are feelings, emotions, commands and thoughts which we know are formless). This way whole realm of Simran is formless. Guru Sahib from his personal experience tells that ‘Nirakaar’ i.e. ‘The Sat’ is in ‘Simran’.
9. kir ikrpw ijsu Awip buJwieAw ] kar kirpaa jis aap bujhaa-i-aa.
Understanding comes to the individual whom the ‘The Sat’ itself graces.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is emphasizing that all that happens is due to ‘The Sat’. This understanding of the power of ‘Simran’ comes only to the individuals who are graced by ‘The Sat’. In absence of such a Grace the individual live a materialistic life totally ignorant about the potential of this birth in human form and its power of evolution to divinity through ‘Simran’.
10. nwnk gurmuiK hir ismrnu iqin pwieAw ]8]1] naanak gurmukh har simran tin paa-i-aa. ||8||1||
O’Nanak, the person is Gurmukh who has got into the remembrance of ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib tells me that the person who has intrinsically living his life with ‘Simran’ i.e. remembrance graduates as Gurmukh.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
