Dear Khalsa Ji,
What I understand from the 2nd Pauri of the 4th Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib, I share with you.
In this Pauri too, Guru Sahib emphasizes on the various life supporting systems that are provided by ‘The Sat’ through nature and social environment. Guru Sahib draws our attention to these gifts from ‘The Sat’. Guru Sahib wonders how any one can forget these bounties. He prays for those individuals who fail to recognize these.
1. ijh pRswid Dr aUpir suiK bsih ] jih parsaad Dhar oopar sukh baseh.
On whose grace, the joy abids
My understanding
Guru Sahib points out to his Sikhs that all that comes to us is the result of the grace of ‘The Sat’. The individuals blessed by his grace may think that they have achieved it, but it is not so. Unless the ‘The Sat’ wishes, the individual gets nothing. All our joys, happiness etc depends on the grace of ‘The Sat’.
2. suq BRwq mIq binqw sMig hsih ] sut bharaat meet banitaa sang haseh.
The individual is able to laugh and be happy in the company of children, brothers, friends and spouse.
My understanding
Guru Sahib says that all the happy moments of life come as a result of grace of ‘The Sat’. One can see that all the families are not with the same happy state of living. Those who are blessed may think that they have cultivated this environment of happiness by their own efforts and proper way of living. In my opinions they are only partially correct. It is true that nothing is achieves without working for it. Yet, the brain that the individual has, which has created the environment for happiness, cannot be said to be the creation of the individual. It has evolved during the formative stage of the individual when she or he did not know what is wrong and right. The two components that go into formatting the brain – nature and nurture – none were under the control of the individual, both were beyond him. They were provided by the agency beyond us; they are the gift from ‘The Sat’ i.e. ‘Gurparsadi’. Guru Sahib is asking his Sikhs to realize this fact, remember it and incorporate this realization in their being.
3. ijh pRswid pIvih sIql jlw ] jih parsaad peeveh seetal jalaa.
With whose grace we drink the cool water.
My understanding
As I understand, the cool water is a metaphor here. It is not just the water alone; it includes all what we call cool in this knowledge age. It includes all what makes life blissful; it includes all that give relief from mental distress. Finally it is the state of mind from which the coolness comes while living the life of a householder with all the duties and responsibilities, the individual yet remains composed, calm and serine. This state of mind is created by the grace of ‘The Sat’. Guru Sahib tells his Sikhs that without the grace of ‘The Sat’ no individual can have ‘Cool’ life.
4. suKdweI pvnu pwvku Amulw ] sukh-daa-ee pavan paavak amulaa.
You have comforting breeze and priceless fire.
My understanding
According to my understanding, the terms breeze and fire, both are metaphors. The breeze here not means the wind alone, but also the entire chain of events that happens in the life of the individuals leading joy and bliss for her/him. The fire here not only means the fire proper, but all the processes that shape the efforts put in by an individual into the sought results. As we know we can only put in efforts to achieve what we want in our lives, the processes that give shape to our efforts are not under our control. We can only take medicine when we become ill, but how our own body responds to that medicine in not under our control. Same is the case with all the processes that shape individual’s efforts, they are not under the control of the individual; ‘The Sat’ controls them. It is only with the grace of ‘The Sat’ that the chains of event (out come from these processes) in life give us the coolness that breeze gives to an individual. It is this that Guru Sahib wants his Sikhs to realize.
5. ijh pRswid Bogih siB rsw ] jih parsaad bhogeh sabh rasaa.
The one who is blessed by ‘The Sat’ gets to experiences the essence of all the joys of life.
My understanding
Guru Sahib tells his Sikhs that only if ‘The Sat’ wishes i.e. with ‘Gurparsadi’ only, in life, one is able to experience all the essence of joys that life is capable of providing. For example: A group of friends sitting around a dinning table may be served very delicious meal but if some of them have their minds under stress and so perturbed, they will not be able to relish and enjoy eating the meal while the others with relaxes mind will enjoy the meal to full extent. Here life has provided all individual in this group of friends the possibility of enjoying the meal but all could not do so, here the wish of ‘The Sat’ was missing for some. This way one can see that even when we have the means of worldly joy, the essence of the joy can elude us.
6. sgl smgRI sMig swiQ bsw ] sagal samagree sang saath basaa.
The individual is provided with all what is there in life.
My understanding
Guru Sahib tells his audience that all that is needed for a fruitful life has been given to each one of the human being. The individual lives with all these around her or his equipped to learn and enjoy the essence of human existence.
7. dIny hsq pwv krn nyqR rsnw ] deenay hasat paav karan naytar rasnaa.
‘The Sat’ has given to us hands, feet, ears, eyes and tongue.
My understanding
Guru Sahib points it out to his Sikhs that ‘The Sat’ has equipped the humans with all the Gyanendriyas (sense organs) and Karmendriyas (oranges of action), which we use, to live our lives. Without these the quality of live and extent of progress that humanity has achieved could not have been possible.
8. iqsih iqAwig Avr sMig rcnw ] tiseh ti-aag avar sang rachnaa.
Forsaking ‘The Sat’ one associates oneself with others.
My understanding
Guru Sahib tells us that so much ‘The Sat’ has done for each one of us, this we do not realize and associate our life with others who have not contributed in any aspect of our lives. This word ‘Other’ used in this sentence by Guru Sahib includes the perceived deities which are worshipped – living and idols - and the worldly attachments.
9. AYsy doK mUV AMD ibAwpy ] aisay dokh moorh anDh bi-aapay.
Such deceptive sinful mistake and mental darkness engulfs the foolish individual.
My understanding
Guru Sahib says that though ‘The Sat’ have given all the mental faculties and physical instruments, yet the individuals remain engulfed in ignorance and darkness not understanding what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false. This state of living leads to spiritual darkness in their lives.
10. nwnk kwiF lyhu pRB Awpy ]2] naanak kaadh layho parabh aapay. ||2||
Nanak: God lift and elevate them from this state of living
My understanding
Here Guru Sahib expresses his compassion for these ignorant people engulfed in darkness. Such is the darkness in which they live that they do not even know the way and even have no awareness of the sublime light of the divine. Guru Sahib prays to ‘The Sat’ and seek there elevation to a higher level of Gyan.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
What I understand from the 2nd Pauri of the 4th Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib, I share with you.
In this Pauri too, Guru Sahib emphasizes on the various life supporting systems that are provided by ‘The Sat’ through nature and social environment. Guru Sahib draws our attention to these gifts from ‘The Sat’. Guru Sahib wonders how any one can forget these bounties. He prays for those individuals who fail to recognize these.
1. ijh pRswid Dr aUpir suiK bsih ] jih parsaad Dhar oopar sukh baseh.
On whose grace, the joy abids
My understanding
Guru Sahib points out to his Sikhs that all that comes to us is the result of the grace of ‘The Sat’. The individuals blessed by his grace may think that they have achieved it, but it is not so. Unless the ‘The Sat’ wishes, the individual gets nothing. All our joys, happiness etc depends on the grace of ‘The Sat’.
2. suq BRwq mIq binqw sMig hsih ] sut bharaat meet banitaa sang haseh.
The individual is able to laugh and be happy in the company of children, brothers, friends and spouse.
My understanding
Guru Sahib says that all the happy moments of life come as a result of grace of ‘The Sat’. One can see that all the families are not with the same happy state of living. Those who are blessed may think that they have cultivated this environment of happiness by their own efforts and proper way of living. In my opinions they are only partially correct. It is true that nothing is achieves without working for it. Yet, the brain that the individual has, which has created the environment for happiness, cannot be said to be the creation of the individual. It has evolved during the formative stage of the individual when she or he did not know what is wrong and right. The two components that go into formatting the brain – nature and nurture – none were under the control of the individual, both were beyond him. They were provided by the agency beyond us; they are the gift from ‘The Sat’ i.e. ‘Gurparsadi’. Guru Sahib is asking his Sikhs to realize this fact, remember it and incorporate this realization in their being.
3. ijh pRswid pIvih sIql jlw ] jih parsaad peeveh seetal jalaa.
With whose grace we drink the cool water.
My understanding
As I understand, the cool water is a metaphor here. It is not just the water alone; it includes all what we call cool in this knowledge age. It includes all what makes life blissful; it includes all that give relief from mental distress. Finally it is the state of mind from which the coolness comes while living the life of a householder with all the duties and responsibilities, the individual yet remains composed, calm and serine. This state of mind is created by the grace of ‘The Sat’. Guru Sahib tells his Sikhs that without the grace of ‘The Sat’ no individual can have ‘Cool’ life.
4. suKdweI pvnu pwvku Amulw ] sukh-daa-ee pavan paavak amulaa.
You have comforting breeze and priceless fire.
My understanding
According to my understanding, the terms breeze and fire, both are metaphors. The breeze here not means the wind alone, but also the entire chain of events that happens in the life of the individuals leading joy and bliss for her/him. The fire here not only means the fire proper, but all the processes that shape the efforts put in by an individual into the sought results. As we know we can only put in efforts to achieve what we want in our lives, the processes that give shape to our efforts are not under our control. We can only take medicine when we become ill, but how our own body responds to that medicine in not under our control. Same is the case with all the processes that shape individual’s efforts, they are not under the control of the individual; ‘The Sat’ controls them. It is only with the grace of ‘The Sat’ that the chains of event (out come from these processes) in life give us the coolness that breeze gives to an individual. It is this that Guru Sahib wants his Sikhs to realize.
5. ijh pRswid Bogih siB rsw ] jih parsaad bhogeh sabh rasaa.
The one who is blessed by ‘The Sat’ gets to experiences the essence of all the joys of life.
My understanding
Guru Sahib tells his Sikhs that only if ‘The Sat’ wishes i.e. with ‘Gurparsadi’ only, in life, one is able to experience all the essence of joys that life is capable of providing. For example: A group of friends sitting around a dinning table may be served very delicious meal but if some of them have their minds under stress and so perturbed, they will not be able to relish and enjoy eating the meal while the others with relaxes mind will enjoy the meal to full extent. Here life has provided all individual in this group of friends the possibility of enjoying the meal but all could not do so, here the wish of ‘The Sat’ was missing for some. This way one can see that even when we have the means of worldly joy, the essence of the joy can elude us.
6. sgl smgRI sMig swiQ bsw ] sagal samagree sang saath basaa.
The individual is provided with all what is there in life.
My understanding
Guru Sahib tells his audience that all that is needed for a fruitful life has been given to each one of the human being. The individual lives with all these around her or his equipped to learn and enjoy the essence of human existence.
7. dIny hsq pwv krn nyqR rsnw ] deenay hasat paav karan naytar rasnaa.
‘The Sat’ has given to us hands, feet, ears, eyes and tongue.
My understanding
Guru Sahib points it out to his Sikhs that ‘The Sat’ has equipped the humans with all the Gyanendriyas (sense organs) and Karmendriyas (oranges of action), which we use, to live our lives. Without these the quality of live and extent of progress that humanity has achieved could not have been possible.
8. iqsih iqAwig Avr sMig rcnw ] tiseh ti-aag avar sang rachnaa.
Forsaking ‘The Sat’ one associates oneself with others.
My understanding
Guru Sahib tells us that so much ‘The Sat’ has done for each one of us, this we do not realize and associate our life with others who have not contributed in any aspect of our lives. This word ‘Other’ used in this sentence by Guru Sahib includes the perceived deities which are worshipped – living and idols - and the worldly attachments.
9. AYsy doK mUV AMD ibAwpy ] aisay dokh moorh anDh bi-aapay.
Such deceptive sinful mistake and mental darkness engulfs the foolish individual.
My understanding
Guru Sahib says that though ‘The Sat’ have given all the mental faculties and physical instruments, yet the individuals remain engulfed in ignorance and darkness not understanding what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false. This state of living leads to spiritual darkness in their lives.
10. nwnk kwiF lyhu pRB Awpy ]2] naanak kaadh layho parabh aapay. ||2||
Nanak: God lift and elevate them from this state of living
My understanding
Here Guru Sahib expresses his compassion for these ignorant people engulfed in darkness. Such is the darkness in which they live that they do not even know the way and even have no awareness of the sublime light of the divine. Guru Sahib prays to ‘The Sat’ and seek there elevation to a higher level of Gyan.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
