ਜੀਵਨ ਤਲਬ ਨਿਵਾਰਿ ॥
Shed thou thy desire to remain alive.
ਹੋਵੈ ਪਰਵਾਣਾ ਕਰਹਿ ਧਿਙਾਣਾ ਕਲਿ ਲਖਣ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
He who plays the tyrant is approved. Deem this to be the surest sign of the Darkage. Pause.
This Shabad is addressed to the Brahmin (Pandit), the de-facto religious and social head of the then Indian society and the inconsiderate Emperors, telling him to refrain from selfish pursuits. When the only goal of the head of the society is to live a lavish and exorbitant life, it weakens the society and expose the meek and poor to the tyrants.
ਜੇ ਕੋ ਸਤੁ ਕਰੇ ਸੋ ਛੀਜੈ ਤਪ ਘਰਿ ਤਪੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥
If anyone practises truth, he is frustrated and prosperity visits not the home of a penitent.
ਜੇ ਕੋ ਨਾਉ ਲਏ ਬਦਨਾਵੀ ਕਲਿ ਕੇ ਲਖਣ ਏਈ ॥੩॥
If any one utters the Lord's Name, he is disreputed. These are the characteristics of the Darkage.
ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਕਦਾਰੀ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਖੁਆਰੀ ਚਾਕਰ ਕੇਹੇ ਡਰਣਾ ॥ Whosoever possesses cheiftainship, he suffers humiliation. What has the servant to fear?
Guru Sahib also goes on to state that the Kali Yuga or any other Yuga for that matter do not exist on a specific place at a specific time, as is the belief of Sanatan Dharma, but it all depends on the the events that transpire at that particular point of time which liken it to the so-called Kali Yuga. When the deserving don't get the respect they deserve, when the food doesn't reach the belly of the hungry, and those who work day in and day out don't get a chance at prosperity (which their rulers enjoy even without working a dime), these are the characters of the Dark Age (which can take place at any place and at any time, the time-division of Yugas does not apply in this).
ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਕਦਾਰੀ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਖੁਆਰੀ ਚਾਕਰ ਕੇਹੇ ਡਰਣਾ ॥
Whosoever possesses cheiftainship, he suffers humiliation. What has the servant to fear?
ਜਾ ਸਿਕਦਾਰੈ ਪਵੈ ਜੰਜੀਰੀ ਤਾ ਚਾਕਰ ਹਥਹੁ ਮਰਣਾ ॥੪॥
When the chief is chained, then he dies at the hands of the servant.
When the tyrants strike, it is the emperors who suffers the most, the commoners remains as servile to the throne as always, whosoever the new ruler may be, their condition doesn't change. The same chieftains who served the Emperor, are directed by the invader to slay or imprison him. (And since O corrupt Emperor, you are to face such a humiliation at the hand of your own people, be fearful and discharge your duties as they are meant to be; shun selfish goals).
ਆਖੁ ਗੁਣਾ ਕਲਿ ਆਈਐ ॥
Utter thou the Lord's praise. The Kaliage is come.
ਤਿਹੁ ਜੁਗ ਕੇਰਾ ਰਹਿਆ ਤਪਾਵਸੁ ਜੇ ਗੁਣ ਦੇਹਿ ਤ ਪਾਈਐ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The Justice of the three ages has, now, ceased to be administered. If the Lord blesses man with virtues, then alone, he obtains salvation. Pause.
So, utter your Lord's praise O Pandit! Beacuse according to your own Vedantic scriptures, Lord's praise alone is of virtue in the Kali Yuga. The web of miracles and rituals you had spun in the name of the previous three Yugas is now long gone, the only virtues are those which can be possessed in your characters and dealings, do not run away from them now.
ਕਲਿ ਕਲਵਾਲੀ ਸਰਾ ਨਿਬੇੜੀ ਕਾਜੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਹੋਆ ॥
In the unpeaceful Kaliage Muslim Law decides the cases and the blue-robed Qazi, is the Judge.
ਬਾਣੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬੇਦੁ ਅਥਰਬਣੁ ਕਰਣੀ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਲਹਿਆ ॥੫॥
It is through the Guru's hymns, in place of the Atharwan Veda of Brahma, and the good deeds, that glory is obtained in this age.
ਪਤਿ ਵਿਣੁ ਪੂਜਾ ਸਤ ਵਿਣੁ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਜਤ ਵਿਣੁ ਕਾਹੇ ਜਨੇਊ ॥
Worship without faith, discipline without truthfulness and sacred thread without chastity; of what avail are they?
ਨਾਵਹੁ ਧੋਵਹੁ ਤਿਲਕੁ ਚੜਾਵਹੁ ਸੁਚ ਵਿਣੁ ਸੋਚ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥੬॥
One may bath, wash his body and apply sacrificial; mark to his forehead, but without the Lord's meditation, there can be no piety,
The Qazi, the Muslim lawmaker, (who is even more corrupt) has now now been made judge of the land, the battered people have turned to the easy-looking ways of black magic, chants and incantations of the Atharva Veda(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atharvaveda), chaos has ensued; this is the Kali Yuga that the Brahmin talked about (and as the Brahmin did nothing to enlighten the society, crisis is staring India in its face.)
Remember, the ritual bathing and religious obligations (which have failed to be of any merit the society, which has been ravaged by the acts of tyrants) do not yield piety, it is only the Lord's name which can be of any value (and even this religious misunderstanding is the Kali Yuga)
ਕਲਿ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ਕਤੇਬ ਕੁਰਾਣੁ ॥
In the kalage, Quran has become the approved book.
ਪੋਥੀ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਰਹੇ ਪੁਰਾਣ ॥
The Brahmans, the Hindu religious books and Puranas are esteemed not.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਉ ਭਇਆ ਰਹਮਾਣੁ ॥
The Merciful Khuda is now the Lord's Name, O Nanak.
ਕਰਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਤੂ ਏਕੋ ਜਾਣੁ ॥੭॥
Know thou that there is but One Creator of the creation.
The Dharmic names of God and Vedantic scriptures have now given way to the Abrahamic Books and the Islamic names of the Lord. (In reality, the forceful subjugation of other religions too, is akin to Kali Yuga, the Age of Darkness). Remember, it is the same Creator under whose command everything comes to pass.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਵਡਿਆਈ ਏਦੂ ਉਪਰਿ ਕਰਮੁ ਨਹੀ ॥
Nanak seeks the greatness of the Lord's Name. For no other religious deed is superior to it.
ਜੇ ਘਰਿ ਹੋਦੈ ਮੰਗਣਿ ਜਾਈਐ ਫਿਰਿ ਓਲਾਮਾ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਹੀ ॥੮॥੧॥
If man goes elsewhere to ask for what he has at his home, he meets with reproach then.
The Lord's name is great, and it resides in the hearts of the believer (the Brahmin used to misguide the common-folk in pursuit of pilgrimages and rituals), it is in your heart, the home of your consciousness that God is to be found (so do not fall into the trap of the priests and snake-oil salesmen now, lest they lead you to another travesty), there is no other virtue except righteous living.
