Naam Jappji..
Exactly jio.
Only the Satgur is the real Paras....that has this ability to make us into Paras.
Elsewhere Gurbani also declares..
'Chandan Kai Niktey Basey Baans Sugandh Na Hoi." which means, 'Near the
Sandalwood tree dwells the
Bamboo tree, BUT NEVER attains any scent !!!
Here is a scholarly article i read on the net on Sandalwood..Chandan and how its mentioned in Gurbani to teach various lessons...
CHANDAN - SANDLEWOOD
CHANDAN - SANDALWOOD Associating with the sandalwood tree, the tree nearby is changed;
that tree begins to smell just like the sandalwood tree. Coming into
contact with the philosophers’ stone, copper is transformed; that
copper is transformed into gold. In the Company of Spiritual Being,
Kabeer is transformed; that Kabeer is transformed into God (sggs 1158).
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Spiritually Wise (
Giaanee) assert that simple faith can be broken, but if it is strengthened by real understanding, then it can never be shaken or lost. In order to build up our faith in the principles and the Divine Teachings of the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS), practical and intriguing examples have been used throughout the Gurbani. In the ultimate issue these principles and teachings are common sense and self apparent to the Spiritually Wise (
Gurmukhs or divine beings). However, it's not so in the case of the unthoughtful person (
Manmukh: material or demoniac being). And the principles behind the examples and stories do seem to soak in; resulting in strengthening of our understanding upon which we can build an unshakable faith.
The example of
Chandan (sandalwood) has been repeatedly used in the Gurbani. Perhaps many know that, ordinarily, sandalwood has the most divine fragrance. This fragrant nature of the sandalwood is symbolic of the of the Self ("
Joti-Svaroopa"), which is within the body as the Infinite Bliss (
Anand). As the fragrance is within the sandalwood, similarly, the Supreme Being is the inner essence of all, animate and inanimate. It may not be known to many that the same sandalwood can also emit a very obnoxious odor when left submerged in water! This is symbolic of man's submergence in the worldliness. This Gurbani Reflection will attempt to reflect at it's both aspects as well as their significance.
Sandalwood - Fragrance
The value of sandalwood lies in its lovely fragrance. This aspect of the sandalwood represents the divine qualities found in godly people or
Gurmukhs. The smell of sandalwood is so sublime that its fragrance spreads out far and wide. As a result, the lowly trees growing near sandalwood also become just like it. Thus, whatever comes into contact with the sandalwood is uplifted. For example, when the soothing fragrance emanating from the sandalwood tree attaches to the other ordinary trees of the forest, they also begin to smell just as the sandalwood. In addition to sandalwood's aroma, it's also considered an Ayurvedic medicinal herb.
- Bhaar athaarah mahi chandan ootam chnadan nikat sabh chandan hooyiyaa. Saakat koore oobh sikk hooye mann abhimaan vichhur doo gayeeyaa: Of all plants, the sandalwood tree is the most sublime. Everything near the sandalwood tree becomes fragrant like sandalwood. The stubborn, false faithless cynics are dried up; their egotistical pride separates them far from the Lord (sggs 834).
- Melaagar sangen nimm birakh si chandnah: The lowly Nimm tree, growing near the sandalwood tree, becomes just like the sandalwood tree (sggs 1360).
- Gurmukh jaayi lahahu ghar apnaa ghas chandan har jas ghaseeyai: As Gurmukh, go and enter within your own home (Self); anoint yourself with the sandalwood oil of the Lord’s Praises (sggs 170).
The scriptures compare the Nature as well as the Association of
Sat (Truth) with that of the sandalwood. As indicated in the scriptures, by remaining in the Company of
Sat (Truth) within and without, a lowly conditioned being is transformed into Divine Consciousness!
- Mil sat sangat param pad paayaa mai hirad plaas sang hari buheeyaa: Joining the Sat (Truth), I have obtained the supreme status. I am just a castor-oiltree, made fragrant by their association (sggs 834).
The function of an ax is to cut and destroy. However, the blade of an ax that cuts the Sandalwood also becomes fragrant! Similarly, if someone hurts or inflicts miseries unto godly beings, they show compassion toward that person just as the sandalwood imparts fragrance to the ax that cuts it!
- Kabeer sant na chhadai santayee jayu kotic milai asant. Maliaagar bhuyangam bedhiyo ta seetaltaa na tajant: Kabeer, the saintly being does not forsake his saintly nature, even though he meets with millions of evil-doers. Even when sandalwood is surrounded by snakes, it does not give up its cooling fragrance (sggs 1373).
- Kabeer chanadan ka birvaa bhalaa beriyo dhaak plaas. Oyi bhee chandan hoyi rahe base ju chnadan paas: Kabeer, the sandalwood tree is good, even though it is surrounded by weeds. Those who dwell near the sandalwood tree, become just like the sandalwood tree (sggs 1365).
It is said that the sandalwood trees remain encircled by the poisonous snakes! However, the sandalwood does not change its nature — it does not become poisonous like the sankes. To the contrary, it accommodates and tolerates the poison and remains fragrant at the same time!
- Mailaagar bereh hai bhuyiangaa. Bikh amrit basahi ik sangaa: The snakes encircle the sandalwood trees. Poison and nectar dwell there together (sggs 525).
In some scriptures, God and His Name is likened to the sandalwood. As the sandalwood is cooling and soothing, so is the Divine Name. The Gurbani asks us for becoming scented with the perfume of this Name. Its fragrance spreads gloriously far and wide. Whosoever sit close to those imbued in It also get uplifted; just as the bitter
Nimm tree growing near the sandalwood tree becomes permeated with the fragrance of the sandalwood.
- Sarbe aad param laad kaasat chandan bhayilaa. Tumche paaras hamche lohaa sange kanchan bhaiyilaa: God, the Primal Source of everything, is like the sandalwood tree; He transforms us woody trees into fragrant sandalwood. You, O Pure Being, are the Philosopher’s Stone, and I am iron; associating with You, I am transformed into gold (sggs 1351).
- Har har naam seetal jal dhiyavahu har chandan vaas sugandh gandhayeeyaa: Meditate on the cool water of the God's Name. Perfume yourself with the fragrant scent of God, the sandalwood tree (sggs 833-834).
- Nal kavi paaras paras kach kanchanaa huyi chandanaa subaas jaas simrat an taro: So speaks Nall the poet: touching the Philosopher’s Stone, glass is transformed into gold, and the sandalwood tree imparts its fragrance to other trees; similarly, meditating on God, I am transformed (sggs 1398).
- Taa te sangat saghan bhaayi bhayu maanahi tum maliyaagar pragat subaas. Dhroo Prahlaad Kabeer Tilochan naam lat upjo ju pargaas: And so, the entire Sangat loves, fears and respects You, O God. You are the sandalwood tree; Your fragrance spreads gloriously far and wide. Dhroo, Prahlaad, Kabeer and Trilochan chanted the Name of the Lord, and His Illumination radiantly shines forth (sggs 1406).
Mental delusion is caused by egotistical pride.
Manmukhs (material beings) think that they control the material nature and thus feel puffed up in self-conceit. As a result, such conditioned beings commit mistakes and get in trouble. The first requirement for surrendering unto God is that one should be free from pride. Therefore, one with egotistical pride cannot even begin devotion (
Bhagti); let alone Self-realization! A person diseased by the false pride is compared with the bamboo tree. To the contrary, God's humble beings (
Gurmukhs) are compared with the sandalwood tree. In nutshell, the sandalwood should remind us of our "
Joti-Svaroopa", and that we are to constantly remember God's Name.
- Nikat basanto baanso Nanak ahambudh na bohte: But the bamboo tree, also growing near it, does not pick up its fragrance; it is too tall and proud (sggs 1360).
- Kabeer baans badaayee boodiyaa iyu mat boodo koyi. Chanadan kai nikte basai baans sugandh na hoyi: Kabeer, the bamboo is drowned in its egotistical pride. No one should drown like this. Bamboo also dwells near the sandalwood tree, but it does not take up its fragrance (sggs 1365).
Sandalwood's Obnoxious Odor If sandalwood is kept immersed in water for some time, it will start emanating an obnoxious odor from the rotting wood. Thus, even though the sandalwood has very cooling and soothing fragrance, but when it remains in water for a long time it becomes conditioned and loses its divine fragrance and starts stinking. This aspect of the sandalwood represents
Manmukh's (demoniac being) conditioned consciousness or evil-mindedness.
However, if the stinking sandalwood is removed from the water and rubbed against a stone, the beautiful fragrance slowly merges back. Now, let's try to reflect on the Spiritual significance of stinking "odor" and the "rubbing" against a stone.
The Gurbani declares that the
Jeeva (unenlightened being) is made in the true Image of God (
Joti-Svaroop). However, when this Pure Self is confounded with the body, senses, mind, and intellect, the stinking odor of
Vaasnaa (latent tendencies) comes out at that time. And this rotten smell is none other than man's lust, anger, greed, delusion, self-conceit, stubborn mindedness, and enviousness (and their numerous variations). As a result, all divine qualities — truth, contentment, Self-knowledge (
Aatam-Giyan), compassion, love, and so on — disappear from the heart.
Fly is attracted to filth. Hence the fly does not like to sit on fragrant sandalwood. Instead, it prefers to sit on stinking wood. Similarly, the man's deluded mind enjoys "sitting" on evil instincts and pleasure seeking, as well as brooding over worldly entanglements.
- Maakhee chnadan parharai jah bigandh tah jaayi: Kabeer, the sinner does not like God's devotion; he does not appreciate worship. The fly abandons the sandalwood tree, and goes after the rotten smell (sggs 1369).
In order to rediscover the Original Nature of the Self , we need to "rub" the Divine Name (
Shabad-Awareness or Spiritual Wisdom) on the stone of our deluded mind (ego-sense or
Haume, ignorance, impurities, Maya, etc.). By this "rubbing", the filth (
Malla) and stinking odor of the ignorance born ego-sense will go away, and then one's True Nature — Blissful Conscious Existence — will spontaneously shine forth.
- Teraa Naam karee charnaatheeyaa je mann ursaa hoyi. Karnee kungoo je ralai ghat antar poojaa hoyi: I would make Your Name the sandalwood, and my mind the stone to rub it on. For saffron, I would offer good deeds; thus, I perform worship and adoration within my heart (sggs 489).
The Pure Awareness is compared with the sandalwood encircled by the deadly snakes of evil passions. In order to get to the sandalwood of Divinity, one has to face these poisonous snakes. How can one strike them out? By drawing the Mighty Sword of the Spiritual Wisdom; says the Gurbani. The
Shabad-Giaan (divine knowledge contained in the Gurbani) is the Mighty Sword of Spiritual Wisdom that can kill the deadly snakes of evil instincts.
- Chandan vaas bhuyiangam veree kiv miliyai chandan leejai. Kaadh kharag gur giyan karaaraa bikh chhed chhed ras peejai: The fragrant sandalwood tree is encircled by snakes; how can anyone get to the sandalwood? Drawing out the Mighty Sword of the Guru’s Spiritual Wisdom, I slaughter and kill the poisonous snakes, and drink in the Sweet Nectar (sggs 1324).
- Balto jalto tayukiyo gur chandan seetlaayiyo. Agiyan andheraa mit gayaa gur giyan deepaayo: I was burning, on fire, and the Guru poured water on me; He is cooling and soothing, like the sandalwood tree. The darkness of ignorance has been dispelled; the Guru has lit the lamp of Spiritual Wisdom (sggs 241).
The important thing to remember here is that by rubbing the stinking sandalwood against a stone, we do not give anew fragrance to the sandalwood; for the fragrance is always present within it! Due to its conditioning or contamination caused by its coming into the contact with the water, the fragrance was veiled; hence not available. That's all! Similarly, the True Nature of the Self (Truth-Knowledge-Bliss) is always present within; therefore, it is not something to be gained afresh. Once the veil of ignorance (ego or
Haume) is removed by the
Shabad-Giaan, it naturally shines forth. That's all! — T. Singh
Sikhism: Reflections On Gurbani
