In honor of the gurgaddi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji on October 20 the Shabad of the Week is taken from the Hukamnama drawn at Sri Harimandir Sahib early this morning.
It is found on Ang 555 and 556, composed in the 3rd house of Guru Amardas ji. The translation is by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa.
Vichaar to follow later in the weekend. Like the previous Shabad of the Week this selection from Shabad Guru reminds us that the love of Waheguru is all-encompassing and preserves and supports us. It is for us to give ourselves to that love. Notice there is no rehao line. Therefore I choosing the first verse as the title of the thread.
Because the poetic style of Guru Amardas ji is very straightforward, these shabads and pauree pose fewer grammatical and poetic challenges than we sometimes encounter. That does not mean however that the underlying concepts can be taken in a superficial way.
ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
Salok mėhlā 3.
Shalok, Third Mehl:
ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਜਗਤੁ ਮੁਆ ਮਰਦੋ ਮਰਦਾ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ha▫umai vicẖ jagaṯ mu▫ā marḏo marḏā jā▫e.
In egotism, the world is dead; it dies and dies, again and again.
Haumai = the false self, ego, I/me
vich = in the midst, within, upon
jagat = world
ja-e = this one is hard and its meaning has to be taken from context, it adds emphasis, essentially 'cannot happen but that' or 'cannot be any other way than'
mua = dies
ਜਿਚਰੁ ਵਿਚਿ ਦੰਮੁ ਹੈ ਤਿਚਰੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਈ ਕਿ ਕਰੇਗੁ ਅਗੈ ਜਾਇ ॥
Jicẖar vicẖ ḏamm hai ṯicẖar na cẖeṯ▫ī kė kareg agai jā▫e.
As long as there is breath in the body, he does not remember the Lord; what will he do in the world hereafter?
jichar = a living being, or body
damm = breath
tichar = as long as
kareg = ruler of all creation
ਗਿਆਨੀ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਚੇਤੰਨੁ ਹੋਇ ਅਗਿਆਨੀ ਅੰਧੁ ਕਮਾਇ ॥
Gi▫ānī ho▫e so cẖeṯann ho▫e agi▫ānī anḏẖ kamā▫e.
One who remembers the Lord is a spiritual teacher; the ignorant one acts blindly.
Giani = a teacher of the Guru's wisdom
a-giani = one without spiritual wisdom
kama-e = act in accordance with some motive or principles
ਨਾਨਕ ਏਥੈ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਮਿਲੈ ਅਗੈ ਪਾਏ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥
Nānak ethai kamāvai so milai agai pā▫e jā▫e. ||1||
O Nanak, whatever one does in this world, determines what he shall receive in the world hereafter. ||1||
By now everyone should have the important vocabulary in this tuk
ਮਃ ੩ ॥
Mėhlā 3.
Third Mehl:
ਧੁਰਿ ਖਸਮੈ ਕਾ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਇਆ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਚੇਤਿਆ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ḏẖur kẖasmai kā hukam pa▫i▫ā viṇ saṯgur cẖeṯi▫ā na jā▫e.
From the very beginning, it has been the Will of the Lord Master, that He cannot be remembered without the True Guru.
khasmai = in tune with, cognizant of
chetia = in a state of remembering or contemplating
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਰਵਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਦਾ ਰਹਿਆ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥
Saṯgur mili▫ai anṯar rav rahi▫ā saḏā rahi▫ā liv lā▫e.
Meeting the True Guru, he realizes that the Lord is permeating and pervading deep within him; he remains forever absorbed in the Lord's Love.
rahia = We know this word from last week. rahia = permeate, imbue, drench, pervade
Most of the other words we have already studied
ਦਮਿ ਦਮਿ ਸਦਾ ਸਮਾਲਦਾ ਦੰਮੁ ਨ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ḏam ḏam saḏā samālḏā ḏamm na birthā jā▫e.
With each and every breath, he constantly remembers the Lord in meditation; not a single breath passes in vain.
sada = forever
samalda = meditate upon, contemplate, remember
birtha = uselessly, in vain
ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਕਾ ਭਉ ਗਇਆ ਜੀਵਨ ਪਦਵੀ ਪਾਇ ॥
Janam maran kā bẖa▫o ga▫i▫ā jīvan paḏvī pā▫e.
His fears of birth and death depart, and he obtains the honored state of eternal life.
janam = life
maran = death
bhao = fear (remember that nirbhao means without fear)
jivan padvi = the ultimate, or highest state of life
pa-e = obtain, attain, get hold of
ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹੁ ਮਰਤਬਾ ਤਿਸ ਨੋ ਦੇਇ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਰਜਾਇ ॥੨॥
Nānak ih marṯabā ṯis no ḏe▫e jis no kirpā kare rajā▫e. ||2||
O Nanak, He bestows this rank upon that mortal, upon whom He showers His Mercy. ||2||
martaba = position, or rank of dignity
de-e = gives
ਪਉੜੀ ॥
Pa▫oṛī.
Pauree:
ਆਪੇ ਦਾਨਾਂ ਬੀਨਿਆ ਆਪੇ ਪਰਧਾਨਾਂ ॥
Āpe ḏānāʼn bīni▫ā āpe parḏẖānāʼn.
He Himself is all-wise and all-knowing; He Himself is supreme.
bini-a = wise
pardhanan = this is translated only one time as 'supreme.' What special meaning of supreme could Guru Amardas ji intend in the word pardhanan?
ਆਪੇ ਰੂਪ ਦਿਖਾਲਦਾ ਆਪੇ ਲਾਇ ਧਿਆਨਾਂ ॥
Āpe rūp ḏikẖālḏā āpe lā▫e ḏẖi▫ānāʼn.
He Himself reveals His form, and He Himself enjoins us to His meditation.
dikhalda = makes something known
dhi-anan = meditation
la-e = literally tie with a string, but also connect, tie, bind, join
ਆਪੇ ਮੋਨੀ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਆਪੇ ਕਥੈ ਗਿਆਨਾਂ ॥
Āpe monī varaṯḏā āpe kathai gi▫ānāʼn.
He Himself poses as a silent sage, and He Himself speaks spiritual wisdom.
moni = 'silent sages" because these were sadhoos who retreated into deep meditation in the search for inner silence
varatda = translated as 'pose' but often means 'permeate." What is the connection between pose and permeate?
kathai = speak as in explain or elaborate, speak to
gianan = spiritual knowledge or wisom
ਕਉੜਾ ਕਿਸੈ ਨ ਲਗਈ ਸਭਨਾ ਹੀ ਭਾਨਾ ॥
Ka▫uṛā kisai na lag▫ī sabẖnā hī bẖānā.
He does not seem bitter to anyone; He is pleasing to all.
kaura = sweet in taste
kisai = in this context means taste, but in the sense of having an intuition or sense of; e.g., taste for vengeance, I could taste my desire for revenge.
lag-i = touch or stick. So why is this translated as seem?
ਉਸਤਤਿ ਬਰਨਿ ਨ ਸਕੀਐ ਸਦ ਸਦ ਕੁਰਬਾਨਾ ॥੧੯॥
Usṯaṯ baran na sa kī▫ai saḏ saḏ kurbānā. ||19||
His Praises cannot be described; forever and ever, I am a sacrifice to Him. ||19||
Ustat = praise
saki-ai = described, but in the sense of a story told or written, written down
kurbana = sacrifice
It is found on Ang 555 and 556, composed in the 3rd house of Guru Amardas ji. The translation is by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa.
Vichaar to follow later in the weekend. Like the previous Shabad of the Week this selection from Shabad Guru reminds us that the love of Waheguru is all-encompassing and preserves and supports us. It is for us to give ourselves to that love. Notice there is no rehao line. Therefore I choosing the first verse as the title of the thread.
Because the poetic style of Guru Amardas ji is very straightforward, these shabads and pauree pose fewer grammatical and poetic challenges than we sometimes encounter. That does not mean however that the underlying concepts can be taken in a superficial way.
ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
Salok mėhlā 3.
Shalok, Third Mehl:
ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਜਗਤੁ ਮੁਆ ਮਰਦੋ ਮਰਦਾ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ha▫umai vicẖ jagaṯ mu▫ā marḏo marḏā jā▫e.
In egotism, the world is dead; it dies and dies, again and again.
Haumai = the false self, ego, I/me
vich = in the midst, within, upon
jagat = world
ja-e = this one is hard and its meaning has to be taken from context, it adds emphasis, essentially 'cannot happen but that' or 'cannot be any other way than'
mua = dies
ਜਿਚਰੁ ਵਿਚਿ ਦੰਮੁ ਹੈ ਤਿਚਰੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਈ ਕਿ ਕਰੇਗੁ ਅਗੈ ਜਾਇ ॥
Jicẖar vicẖ ḏamm hai ṯicẖar na cẖeṯ▫ī kė kareg agai jā▫e.
As long as there is breath in the body, he does not remember the Lord; what will he do in the world hereafter?
jichar = a living being, or body
damm = breath
tichar = as long as
kareg = ruler of all creation
ਗਿਆਨੀ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਚੇਤੰਨੁ ਹੋਇ ਅਗਿਆਨੀ ਅੰਧੁ ਕਮਾਇ ॥
Gi▫ānī ho▫e so cẖeṯann ho▫e agi▫ānī anḏẖ kamā▫e.
One who remembers the Lord is a spiritual teacher; the ignorant one acts blindly.
Giani = a teacher of the Guru's wisdom
a-giani = one without spiritual wisdom
kama-e = act in accordance with some motive or principles
ਨਾਨਕ ਏਥੈ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਮਿਲੈ ਅਗੈ ਪਾਏ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥
Nānak ethai kamāvai so milai agai pā▫e jā▫e. ||1||
O Nanak, whatever one does in this world, determines what he shall receive in the world hereafter. ||1||
By now everyone should have the important vocabulary in this tuk
ਮਃ ੩ ॥
Mėhlā 3.
Third Mehl:
ਧੁਰਿ ਖਸਮੈ ਕਾ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਇਆ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਚੇਤਿਆ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ḏẖur kẖasmai kā hukam pa▫i▫ā viṇ saṯgur cẖeṯi▫ā na jā▫e.
From the very beginning, it has been the Will of the Lord Master, that He cannot be remembered without the True Guru.
khasmai = in tune with, cognizant of
chetia = in a state of remembering or contemplating
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਰਵਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਦਾ ਰਹਿਆ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥
Saṯgur mili▫ai anṯar rav rahi▫ā saḏā rahi▫ā liv lā▫e.
Meeting the True Guru, he realizes that the Lord is permeating and pervading deep within him; he remains forever absorbed in the Lord's Love.
rahia = We know this word from last week. rahia = permeate, imbue, drench, pervade
Most of the other words we have already studied
ਦਮਿ ਦਮਿ ਸਦਾ ਸਮਾਲਦਾ ਦੰਮੁ ਨ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ḏam ḏam saḏā samālḏā ḏamm na birthā jā▫e.
With each and every breath, he constantly remembers the Lord in meditation; not a single breath passes in vain.
sada = forever
samalda = meditate upon, contemplate, remember
birtha = uselessly, in vain
ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਕਾ ਭਉ ਗਇਆ ਜੀਵਨ ਪਦਵੀ ਪਾਇ ॥
Janam maran kā bẖa▫o ga▫i▫ā jīvan paḏvī pā▫e.
His fears of birth and death depart, and he obtains the honored state of eternal life.
janam = life
maran = death
bhao = fear (remember that nirbhao means without fear)
jivan padvi = the ultimate, or highest state of life
pa-e = obtain, attain, get hold of
ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹੁ ਮਰਤਬਾ ਤਿਸ ਨੋ ਦੇਇ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਰਜਾਇ ॥੨॥
Nānak ih marṯabā ṯis no ḏe▫e jis no kirpā kare rajā▫e. ||2||
O Nanak, He bestows this rank upon that mortal, upon whom He showers His Mercy. ||2||
martaba = position, or rank of dignity
de-e = gives
ਪਉੜੀ ॥
Pa▫oṛī.
Pauree:
ਆਪੇ ਦਾਨਾਂ ਬੀਨਿਆ ਆਪੇ ਪਰਧਾਨਾਂ ॥
Āpe ḏānāʼn bīni▫ā āpe parḏẖānāʼn.
He Himself is all-wise and all-knowing; He Himself is supreme.
bini-a = wise
pardhanan = this is translated only one time as 'supreme.' What special meaning of supreme could Guru Amardas ji intend in the word pardhanan?
ਆਪੇ ਰੂਪ ਦਿਖਾਲਦਾ ਆਪੇ ਲਾਇ ਧਿਆਨਾਂ ॥
Āpe rūp ḏikẖālḏā āpe lā▫e ḏẖi▫ānāʼn.
He Himself reveals His form, and He Himself enjoins us to His meditation.
dikhalda = makes something known
dhi-anan = meditation
la-e = literally tie with a string, but also connect, tie, bind, join
ਆਪੇ ਮੋਨੀ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਆਪੇ ਕਥੈ ਗਿਆਨਾਂ ॥
Āpe monī varaṯḏā āpe kathai gi▫ānāʼn.
He Himself poses as a silent sage, and He Himself speaks spiritual wisdom.
moni = 'silent sages" because these were sadhoos who retreated into deep meditation in the search for inner silence
varatda = translated as 'pose' but often means 'permeate." What is the connection between pose and permeate?
kathai = speak as in explain or elaborate, speak to
gianan = spiritual knowledge or wisom
ਕਉੜਾ ਕਿਸੈ ਨ ਲਗਈ ਸਭਨਾ ਹੀ ਭਾਨਾ ॥
Ka▫uṛā kisai na lag▫ī sabẖnā hī bẖānā.
He does not seem bitter to anyone; He is pleasing to all.
kaura = sweet in taste
kisai = in this context means taste, but in the sense of having an intuition or sense of; e.g., taste for vengeance, I could taste my desire for revenge.
lag-i = touch or stick. So why is this translated as seem?
ਉਸਤਤਿ ਬਰਨਿ ਨ ਸਕੀਐ ਸਦ ਸਦ ਕੁਰਬਾਨਾ ॥੧੯॥
Usṯaṯ baran na sa kī▫ai saḏ saḏ kurbānā. ||19||
His Praises cannot be described; forever and ever, I am a sacrifice to Him. ||19||
Ustat = praise
saki-ai = described, but in the sense of a story told or written, written down
kurbana = sacrifice
