Emphasis When Reading Gurbani

[Ishna]

The message in Gurbani is simple, and to show it, the poetry contrasts the Gurbani message against existing, more complex, systems of belief in India during Guru Sahib's time.

A trick to keep in mind when reading the Gurbani is where you place the emphasis.

Here are some examples (to illustrate the technique, rather than discussion on the tuks - that's why I haven't posted full shabads). The bold parts are the emphasis.

#1 - Ang 2

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ॥
Gurmukẖ nāḏaʼn gurmukẖ veḏaʼn gurmukẖ rahi▫ā samā▫ī.
The Guru's Word is the Sound-current of the Naad; the Guru's Word is the Wisdom of the Vedas; the Guru's Word is all-pervading.

ਗੁਰੁ ਈਸਰੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੋਰਖੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਰਬਤੀ ਮਾਈ ॥
Gur īsar gur gorakẖ barmā gur pārbaṯī mā▫ī.
The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi.​

With this emphasis, you find that the Guru's Word is to the Sikh the sound-current of the Naad, the wisdom of the Vedas, and it is the Guru's word that is all-pervading. We find that the Guru replaces Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Paarvati and Lakhshmi. It's not supporting those deities; it is replacing them with Guru Sahib.

#2 - Ang 477

ਸਭ ਜੋਗਤਣ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੈ ਜਿਸ ਕਾ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨਾ ॥
Sabẖ jogṯaṇ rām nām hai jis kā pind parānā.
All Yoga is in the Name of the Lord; the body and the breath of life belong to Him.
​

It's not that all yoga is an expression of Naam. It's that Naam replaces yoga and it's systems.

As more good examples are found, I'll share them. Others are welcome to add to the list.

 

[Sherdil]

I have noticed that the translators sometimes favor implied meaning over literal meaning.

One meaning of the word gurmukh is "from the Guru's mouth". That is why it has been translated as the "Guru's Word".

Guru pertaining to Guru Nanak's guru, the Ek.

GGS, page 3:

ਕੀਤਾ ਪਸਾਉ ਏਕੋ ਕਵਾਉ ॥

कीता पसाउ एको कवाउ ॥

Kīṯā pasā▫o eko kavā▫o.

You created the vast expanse of the Universe with One Word!

ਤਿਸ ਤੇ ਹੋਏ ਲਖ ਦਰੀਆਉ ॥

तिस ते होए लख दरीआउ ॥

Ŧis ṯe ho▫e lakẖ ḏarī▫ā▫o.

Hundreds of thousands of rivers began to flow.

This is synonymous with the "Word of the Shabadh" discussed in other parts of Gurbani. This Word is the Hukam from which all things arise. The One Guru is the source of everything. Sikhs worship the source.

 

[Ishna]

I despise the use of "the Word" in translations of Gurbani. It has no place and is a wild distraction to what is actually written there, 99% of the time. /rant

kavaao... is an interesting word. The srigranth dictionary does indeed say 'hukam'. Does that mean Hukam *is* Shabad? I always thought it was the other way around... Shabad was the primal sound from which everything came... but I suppose, if Hukam is the divine intent, then intention comes before action so I suppose hukam would come before creation, which then unfolds in accordance with hukam.

Unless I've got my definitions back-to-front, @Sherdil bhaji?

 

[swarn bains]

when you write in English then it should be an English word not kavaao or hukam. how would an only English speaking mind understand it. Gurbani is beyond borders but it does not go that far by using punkabi words in English text. let us try English words. it should not be limited to Punjabi or so for so called Punjabi speaking Sikhs.

 

[Sherdil]

I despise the use of "the Word" in translations of Gurbani. It has no place and is a wild distraction to what is actually written there, 99% of the time. /rant

kavaao... is an interesting word. The srigranth dictionary does indeed say 'hukam'. Does that mean Hukam *is* Shabad? I always thought it was the other way around... Shabad was the primal sound from which everything came... but I suppose, if Hukam is the divine intent, then intention comes before action so I suppose hukam would come before creation, which then unfolds in accordance with hukam.

Unless I've got my definitions back-to-front, @Sherdil bhaji?

Kavaao literally means utterance. When the One uttered the command (Hukam) creation sprang forth.

IMO "Word" fits nicely as it has sound connotations just like Dhunn, Shabadh, Naad. It implies that this sound has a source, which is the One. Gurmukh (from the Guru's mouth). The "word" which was uttered by the Guru.

The word Shabad from Shabda (utterance), so yes Shabadh, kavaao, and Hukam are the same. The Hukam transpires through the kavaao or Shabadh.

 

[Original]

The message in Gurbani is simple, and to show it, the poetry contrasts the Gurbani message against existing, more complex, systems of belief in India during Guru Sahib's time.

A trick to keep in mind when reading the Gurbani is where you place the emphasis.

Here are some examples (to illustrate the technique, rather than discussion on the tuks - that's why I haven't posted full shabads). The bold parts are the emphasis.

#1 - Ang 2

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ॥
Gurmukẖ nāḏaʼn gurmukẖ veḏaʼn gurmukẖ rahi▫ā samā▫ī.
The Guru's Word is the Sound-current of the Naad; the Guru's Word is the Wisdom of the Vedas; the Guru's Word is all-pervading.

ਗੁਰੁ ਈਸਰੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੋਰਖੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਰਬਤੀ ਮਾਈ ॥
Gur īsar gur gorakẖ barmā gur pārbaṯī mā▫ī.
The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi.​

With this emphasis, you find that the Guru's Word is to the Sikh the sound-current of the Naad, the wisdom of the Vedas, and it is the Guru's word that is all-pervading. We find that the Guru replaces Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Paarvati and Lakhshmi. It's not supporting those deities; it is replacing them with Guru Sahib.

#2 - Ang 477

ਸਭ ਜੋਗਤਣ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੈ ਜਿਸ ਕਾ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨਾ ॥
Sabẖ jogṯaṇ rām nām hai jis kā pind parānā.
All Yoga is in the Name of the Lord; the body and the breath of life belong to Him.
​

It's not that all yoga is an expression of Naam. It's that Naam replaces yoga and it's systems.

As more good examples are found, I'll share them. Others are welcome to add to the list.

Ishna Ji -

You're understanding is developing, which means, you're getting closer to the shabd. Shabd in its simplest forms is sound [literal], which is made-up of breath or air [meaning, pad]. Sikhism is underpinned by "1" maxim [tuk], that is, "shabd guru" [meaning, sound is guru], "surat dhun chela" [meaning, nanak's consciousness soaked in this melodious sound and is forever disciple of that sound]. Nanak made it absolutely clear to the Sidhas, that look fellas, "sound is my Guru and when I'm fully drenched in it, my consciousness enjoys beyond calculation". Expand that further you'll find that sound n guru are interchangeable as nouns and synonymous as adjectives.

Ishna JI, I'd like to by way of an opinion cite an observation. The reading of Jap Ji Sahib [JJS] as a poem from start to finish is like watching a movie from start to finish. If you miss out the juicy bits of the film which makes up the movie you will fail to fully understand the movie in its entirety. Yes, you'll have an idea overall, but you'd miss the plot. Similarly, reading the above tuk [ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ॥] without background knowledge [ideology] is like watching the movie in dribs n drabs.

Allow me take you to pauri 30 of JJS to give you a little bit of reasoning for Nanak's construction of JJS as a whole. Nanak has gone beyond the scene to bring pauri 30 into play. Hindu ideology speaks of the trinity [shiv, vish n brahma]. Before creation took place, Shakti [meaning, energy, allegedly went over to her sons, Brahma n Vishnu to have sex with her to bring about creation. They refused. She went over to Shiva disguised as Pārbati. He obliged and as a result creation came into being]. What Nanak is saying in pauri 5 JJS is, "gurmukh nadam gurmukh vedam gurmukh reya samai", that is, it is through the guru the sound [nadam, pronounced with an m and not n] and the knowledge [vedam] is made possible to grasp which is always here. Then nanak goes on to explain "gur ishar gur gorakh varma gur parbati maiee", meaning, the 3 are for us gurus metaphorically or ideologically [note, nanak did not set out to bring about a different religion, but went to show the masses how it ought to be interpreted and practiced] because the "operative" word is guru. Nanak's message is the importance of Guru and that the Shabd is Guru.The three are seen as energies only and the real work is done by the Guru [nam, under whose command the three energies operate].

In the above tuk the operative word is "guru" and the emphasis is placed upon "gurmukh", meaning he/she facing or having a Guru [believer in God or Nam]. Nanak is trying to dispel the myth of the Hindu Trinity and raise the awareness of the human soul to grasp the wisdom of the Guru. Guru in this context is God and God rulz Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Hope it helps !

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

HUKM...vis a vis..the Creation is also the LAWS pf Physics Chemistry Gravity etc etc...this is the HUKM that Winds obey..the moon and the stars obey...the Oceans well and retreat in HUKM !!! Leaves go upwards and roots go downwards in HUKM.....we have a long long way to go to really understand HUKM..NAAM (CREATION) etc in GURBANI. The GURUS had so much knowledge to explain in the language/script/form etc and to a populace not really very intelligent as populaces go...imagine explaining the Quantum theory to a group of hillybillies..and what the SGGS has is far far more complex than the QT and yes we are mostly hillybillies.Gurbani expositions so far have been the field of half baked sants and babas who pass the time by telling tall tales based on Hindu mythology and see SGGS through Orange glasses...(Faridkotee teeka)..fortunately we have a new breed of Sikh Scientists and educated class who are delving deeper into the real depths of Gurbani..people like Dr Chahal, Dr Baldev Singh (late) have doen and are doing a yeomans task...food for thought...

 

[swarn bains]

madam amir kaur thank you for your objection to punjabi words in english translation of sggs. i translated sggs in english and there no punjabi words in it. I made my own words for all those words which look complicated. it may not appeal to the sikh scholars because they really do not know any more than what they say. for instant sabad i made teaching, anhad sabad divine teaching, gurmukh guru-willed, many more and all . we have to learn and make this book for english speaking people. I was lucky when i started the translation. i tried for help from sikh scholars and they all refused because they cannot understand gurbani any way. then i met an english speaking man. he told me what you said. he said how can he understand what punjabi words mean. he told me to change the words . so i made up my own english words which do relate the meaning, they may not fancy like punjabi scholars like hukum i used command, kawaao said. whole list of it. thanks for joining the group. it is available at http://swarnbains.tripod.com/ thanks

 

[swarn bains]

some scholars try to translate sggs . in translation they put pnjabi and english words together. it makes it more complicated

 

[Sherdil]

Hukam is the cause of all things. Nothing in this Universe happens by its own accord. Everything is under the control of Hukam. The Universe was created by Hukam. The planets and stars move according to Hukam. People fight wars and make peace according to Hukam. The weather changes according to Hukam. All of science is contained within Hukam. The Universe will eventually meet its demise according to Hukam.

The original Hukam (command) that made creation manifest was the kavaao (utterance). The One literally and figuratively uttered the command, and from that command creation sprang forth. That original command vibrates within everything as the Shabadh (uterrance, sound, composition). It is also known as the Dunn (vibration), Naad (sound), and Shabadh Guru.

Gurbani discusses Anahad Naad. It is the primordial, self-emanating sound. Usually sound is made by striking two objects together, but there is only the One Divine. This Naad (sound) comes from the One. It is the root of sound itself.

To listen to this cosmic sound I believe entails something entirely different from hearing. Even if you hear what someone says, it doesn't mean you are listening to them. You thoughts may be somewhere else and your own ego may get in the way of properly discerning what the other person is saying. Therefore listening is a state of mind in which your thoughts are collected, ego is suppressed and attention is focused on the message being delivered. In this case, the message comes to us in the form of Gurbani and the Shabadh Guru.

The "word" that was uttered is still transpiring. When it is exhausted, creation will dissipate in much the same way as ripples of water dissipate when they have fully run their course.