Dear Khalsa Ji
With the grace of ‘The Sat’, today I share my understanding of 6th Pauri of 8th Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib with you.
Please note that the English sentence after the Transliteration is not the exact literal translation of the text of the Tuk of Siri Guru Granth Sahib under reference, it is the meaning of the tuk as understood by me.
First the Summary:
Guru Sahib in this Pauri explains to us the nature of the person who is Braham-Gyani.
Few words of Caution:
It is important to understand what Braham-Gyani means. This term Guru Sahib has taken from the common parlance among the spiritually evolved pure people.
Brahma, as per Hindu mythology is the creator. Bhagavatam, the compilation of Ved Vyas, elaborates on Brahma. According to this elaboration, Brahma was born and will get dissolve after some time. His life time too is given in Bhagavatam. This, according to Sikhi makes Brahma part of the creation as he takes birth, lives a life and then dies; ‘The Sat’ according to Gurbani never takes birth i.e. ‘Ajuni’; it is beyond the clutches of time i.e. ‘Akaal Murat’. Since Brahma takes birth and dies it cannot be taken to be the creator according to Gurbani. The ‘Karta Purakh’ does not take birth. This ‘Karta Purakh’ is the creator according to Gurbani, which I refer to as ‘The Sat’. According to Gurbani between ‘Karta Purakh’ i.e. ‘The Sat’ and his creation, including us, there is no one – Each one of us has direct link to ‘The Sat’. Thus we, Sikhs, have nothing to do with Brahma, an entity of Hindu Mythology.
Thus when Guru Sahib use the term ‘Braham-Gyani’ it means the person who has Gyan (intrinsic knowledge and wisdom obtained through personal experience of ‘The Sat’) regarding ‘The Sat’ and is not referring to the person who has the knowledge of the Hindu mythological figure ‘Brahma’ obtained through reading scripture, who is any way part of the creation and is not ‘The Absolute’. Brahma of Hindu Mythology is not part of Sikhi.
1. bRhm igAwnI bRhm kw byqw ] barahm gi-aanee barahm kaa baytaa.
Braham Gyani knows ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
The person becomes Braham Gyani after realizing ‘The Sat’, such person experience reality i.e. ‘The Sat’. This very experience translates into Gyan – knowledge and associated wisdom. As I understand, the possessor of this Gyan, , Guru Sahib is referring to as Braham Gyani.
2. bRhm igAwnI eyk sMig hyqw ] barahm gi-aanee ayk sang haytaa.
Braham Gyani is imbued in the hue of ‘The ONE’ i.e. ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
The Braham Gyani, having realized and known ‘The Sat’, its being undergoes a transformation to such an extent that it becomes one with ‘The Sat’.
3. bRhm igAwnI kY hoie AicMq ] barahm gi-aanee kai ho-ay achint.
Braham Gyani becomes free from all worries.
My understanding:
Having realized ‘The Sat’ divinity dawns on the person; the person knows the role of Maya in creation; and does all for the common good of all. There is nothing this person does for her or his self except what is needed to sustain life in her or him. There is nothing to which this person is attached. The person puts in effort to do good of all but does not put any target or specifications for the results. All these dispositions results in a state of living that is totally free from anxiety and worries.
4. bRhm igAwnI kw inrml mMq ] barahm gi-aanee kaa nirmal mant.
The thoughts and utterances of Braham Gyani are pure, honest and simple.
My understanding:
Braham Gyani does not have any feeling of ‘I-ness’ i.e. Ahamkara (ego). Such a person is egoless and has no axe to grind or selfishness in its being. This person is a reflection of ‘The Sat’. As in each droplet, during night one can see the moon in its totality, as it gets reflected from the water in the droplet, so is the case with each Braham Gyani, ‘The Sat’ gets reflected from its being. Thus the thoughts and utterance of such a person are pure honest and simple i.e. ‘Nirmal’
5. bRhm igAwnI ijsu krY pRBu Awip ] barahm gi-aanee jis karai parabh aap.
The state of being of Braham Gyani is driven by ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
‘The Sat’ is impartial. It cares for all of its beings and the entire creation equally. It is the disposition of the being of the individual that enables the person to assimilate the blessings of ‘The Sat’. The person, who has strived to cleanse the functioning of its brain and thus acquire a pure mind, is able to realise the blessings of ‘The Sat’ to a greater extent. When this person evolves to a level where it has dissolved the ‘I-ness’ in it and also shed the vices of the worldly living i.e. has reached the level of spirituality where its being becomes a perfect reflection of ‘The Sat’. At this stage, at actions of such person i.e. Braham Gyani become ‘’The Sat’ like. In other words it can be said that ‘The Sat’ is doing all that comes from Braham Gyani. This is what, as I understand Guru Sahib has said.
6. bRhm igAwnI kw bf prqwp ] barahm gi-aanee kaa bad partaap.
Braham Gyani has enormous ‘Partaap’.
My understanding:
I am unable to give word in English that can convey the meaning of the word ‘Partaap’. I elaborate on this word first. ‘Taap’ means relatively intense warmth. When some thing is hot we say in Punjabi ‘Tapayya Hoyya Hai’. When used in the context it means the warmth that is radiated out from the source. When we use with the suffix ‘Par’ it transcend the simple meaning – heat or warmth and goes into the domain of abstract entities and come to mean some sort of benevolent, desirable emission that radiates from a Braham Gyani to which all humanity bows with reverence and deep sense of respect.
In this Tuk Guru Sahib tell us that the Partaap of Braham Gyani is enormous.
7. bRhm igAwnI kw drsu bfBwgI pweIAY ] barahm gi-aanee kaa daras badbhaagee paa-ee-ai.
The persons with great luck only come across a Braham Gyani, get its blessed vision and feel what a personality it is.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib has used the word ‘Badbhagee’ or Wadbhagee, which means a very fortunate individual. In the culture to which I belong, it is presumed that every thing that happens in the life person is pre-written in the person’s fate. This raises doubt in my mind that if every thing is predestined then why any one should exert for better life. Yet my life tells me that those who put in efforts evolve to a higher level, no matter which domain they work in and those who do not stagnate.
Guru Sahibs to has put in efforts to and even sacrificed there lives to improve our lot and they succeeded in achieving what they wanted, if every thing was Bhagya that how they could change? This issue needs to be resolved. These make me feel that Bhagya i.e. fate, luck etc, as defined to us by the ancient literature of the land may not be true. There has to be some other meaning. Guru Sahib has also used the word predestined. This leads to my search.
My study tells me that Guru Sahibs are right and our understanding of Bhagya are effected by the ancient literature of the land which gives a different, and may be, incorrect perception of what Guru Sahib has said.
Ancient literature of the land sometimes suggests that all that happens in life is predestined. As I understand, it is true and false at the same time. I elaborate on it below.
The truth of it is, as I understand, each and every elementary act of ours has a predestined response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’. It is similar to laws of physics; say action and reaction is equal and opposite. If we strike the surface of a solid with our hand, it hits back with equal force. If we rub good quality match stick on the side of match box, it gets ignited, this is predestined. This way all the elementary acts of ours have a predestined response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’ which impact on us with its own varying time to respond – some times it is immediate and sometimes it takes years and lives also. This part according to my understanding is true. How we use these elementary actions is our own decision, it comes from our own brain and thus is not predestined. For example, the matchstick that is lighted by rubbing against the side of the match-box can be used to light the flame to cook food or can be used for arson also; this is the decision which individual takes and faces the consequences. Thus according to my understanding, it is false to say that all the happenings in the life are predestined; The ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’, split our complex actions in to their constituent elementary actions and pick their own predestined elementary responses synthesise and then impact on our lives. The response of the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’ to individual elementary action is predetermined and so predestined but not the complex happenings in the life, which result from our own decisions that lead to complex action and are impacted in appropriate way by the systhesised response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’.
This way we create our own Bhagya. We evolve in the direction to which we take our lives. This what is probably the meaning of the concept of Aham Bhramasmi ( I am the creator) This is very nicely in the sculpture in the Aksharham temple (Abode of indestructible) of New Delhi, where a big rock appears to be an incomplete sculptured piece of art, where the human head is sculptured, two hands one holding chisel and the other a hammer. Two me it says the individual is the stone, the chisel and also the sculptor of itself. This is how we create our Bhagya, as I understand. This is what Bhagya means to me.
Now I come back to the tuk under reference. Guru Sahib has used the word Badbhagee. Bhagee means the person who has lived a life in conformity to the direction in which it want its life to move and made significant efforts in way that creates response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’ to reinforce her or his effort in the intent of life. Extrapolating it further, Badbhagy is one who has done so with great intensity. Now I need to explain how and why this Badbhagee achieves and not others.
The person, who is directing its life to evolve spiritually with greater intensity and purity, is able to latch more frequently and more intimately to the ‘Intelligent Cosmic Energy’ through its thought process. This makes the ‘Cosmic Processes’ to work for this person and sooner or later bring him in contact with a Braham Gyani. This is how I understand the Badbhag is realised by individuals and have the company, vision and blessings of Braham Gyani.
This is my very personal understanding.
8. bRhm igAwnI kau bil bil jweIAY ] barahm gi-aanee ka-o bal bal jaa-ee-ai.
Sacrificing one’s life for a Braham Gyani is worth.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib, in this Tuk, give expression to the exalted position in which they keep the Braham Gyanis, it reflect the high esteem Guru Sahib have for them.
Here the word sacrifice is not to be taken in any conventional way. To me, it does not mean giving up one’s life, but means that it is worth spending the life to become a Braham Gyani.
9. bRhm igAwnI kau Kojih mhysur ] barahm gi-aanee ka-o khojeh mahaysur.
Braham Gyani was sought by Shiva.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib is addressing to the disciples who were followers of ancient religion of the land (Shiva is not a God in Sikh religion). Here Guru Sahib says that even the one whom they worship was seeking Braham Gyanis.
10. nwnk bRhm igAwnI Awip prmysur ]6] naanak barahm gi-aanee aap parmaysur. ||6||
O’ Nanak, Braham Gyani is God itself. ||6||
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells himself and conveys to us that Braham Gyani is God himself. This needs to be understood. As we all know, Braham Gyani has no ‘I-ness’ in itself. What the Braham Gyani does in its life is nothing but what ‘The Sat’ reflects through Her/him. This way Braham Gyani becomes the perfect instrument of ‘The Sat’; its action are undistorted commands of ‘The Sat’. Thus in this way Braham Gyani becomes God itself.
With this I close the post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
With the grace of ‘The Sat’, today I share my understanding of 6th Pauri of 8th Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib with you.
Please note that the English sentence after the Transliteration is not the exact literal translation of the text of the Tuk of Siri Guru Granth Sahib under reference, it is the meaning of the tuk as understood by me.
First the Summary:
Guru Sahib in this Pauri explains to us the nature of the person who is Braham-Gyani.
Few words of Caution:
It is important to understand what Braham-Gyani means. This term Guru Sahib has taken from the common parlance among the spiritually evolved pure people.
Brahma, as per Hindu mythology is the creator. Bhagavatam, the compilation of Ved Vyas, elaborates on Brahma. According to this elaboration, Brahma was born and will get dissolve after some time. His life time too is given in Bhagavatam. This, according to Sikhi makes Brahma part of the creation as he takes birth, lives a life and then dies; ‘The Sat’ according to Gurbani never takes birth i.e. ‘Ajuni’; it is beyond the clutches of time i.e. ‘Akaal Murat’. Since Brahma takes birth and dies it cannot be taken to be the creator according to Gurbani. The ‘Karta Purakh’ does not take birth. This ‘Karta Purakh’ is the creator according to Gurbani, which I refer to as ‘The Sat’. According to Gurbani between ‘Karta Purakh’ i.e. ‘The Sat’ and his creation, including us, there is no one – Each one of us has direct link to ‘The Sat’. Thus we, Sikhs, have nothing to do with Brahma, an entity of Hindu Mythology.
Thus when Guru Sahib use the term ‘Braham-Gyani’ it means the person who has Gyan (intrinsic knowledge and wisdom obtained through personal experience of ‘The Sat’) regarding ‘The Sat’ and is not referring to the person who has the knowledge of the Hindu mythological figure ‘Brahma’ obtained through reading scripture, who is any way part of the creation and is not ‘The Absolute’. Brahma of Hindu Mythology is not part of Sikhi.
1. bRhm igAwnI bRhm kw byqw ] barahm gi-aanee barahm kaa baytaa.
Braham Gyani knows ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
The person becomes Braham Gyani after realizing ‘The Sat’, such person experience reality i.e. ‘The Sat’. This very experience translates into Gyan – knowledge and associated wisdom. As I understand, the possessor of this Gyan, , Guru Sahib is referring to as Braham Gyani.
2. bRhm igAwnI eyk sMig hyqw ] barahm gi-aanee ayk sang haytaa.
Braham Gyani is imbued in the hue of ‘The ONE’ i.e. ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
The Braham Gyani, having realized and known ‘The Sat’, its being undergoes a transformation to such an extent that it becomes one with ‘The Sat’.
3. bRhm igAwnI kY hoie AicMq ] barahm gi-aanee kai ho-ay achint.
Braham Gyani becomes free from all worries.
My understanding:
Having realized ‘The Sat’ divinity dawns on the person; the person knows the role of Maya in creation; and does all for the common good of all. There is nothing this person does for her or his self except what is needed to sustain life in her or him. There is nothing to which this person is attached. The person puts in effort to do good of all but does not put any target or specifications for the results. All these dispositions results in a state of living that is totally free from anxiety and worries.
4. bRhm igAwnI kw inrml mMq ] barahm gi-aanee kaa nirmal mant.
The thoughts and utterances of Braham Gyani are pure, honest and simple.
My understanding:
Braham Gyani does not have any feeling of ‘I-ness’ i.e. Ahamkara (ego). Such a person is egoless and has no axe to grind or selfishness in its being. This person is a reflection of ‘The Sat’. As in each droplet, during night one can see the moon in its totality, as it gets reflected from the water in the droplet, so is the case with each Braham Gyani, ‘The Sat’ gets reflected from its being. Thus the thoughts and utterance of such a person are pure honest and simple i.e. ‘Nirmal’
5. bRhm igAwnI ijsu krY pRBu Awip ] barahm gi-aanee jis karai parabh aap.
The state of being of Braham Gyani is driven by ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
‘The Sat’ is impartial. It cares for all of its beings and the entire creation equally. It is the disposition of the being of the individual that enables the person to assimilate the blessings of ‘The Sat’. The person, who has strived to cleanse the functioning of its brain and thus acquire a pure mind, is able to realise the blessings of ‘The Sat’ to a greater extent. When this person evolves to a level where it has dissolved the ‘I-ness’ in it and also shed the vices of the worldly living i.e. has reached the level of spirituality where its being becomes a perfect reflection of ‘The Sat’. At this stage, at actions of such person i.e. Braham Gyani become ‘’The Sat’ like. In other words it can be said that ‘The Sat’ is doing all that comes from Braham Gyani. This is what, as I understand Guru Sahib has said.
6. bRhm igAwnI kw bf prqwp ] barahm gi-aanee kaa bad partaap.
Braham Gyani has enormous ‘Partaap’.
My understanding:
I am unable to give word in English that can convey the meaning of the word ‘Partaap’. I elaborate on this word first. ‘Taap’ means relatively intense warmth. When some thing is hot we say in Punjabi ‘Tapayya Hoyya Hai’. When used in the context it means the warmth that is radiated out from the source. When we use with the suffix ‘Par’ it transcend the simple meaning – heat or warmth and goes into the domain of abstract entities and come to mean some sort of benevolent, desirable emission that radiates from a Braham Gyani to which all humanity bows with reverence and deep sense of respect.
In this Tuk Guru Sahib tell us that the Partaap of Braham Gyani is enormous.
7. bRhm igAwnI kw drsu bfBwgI pweIAY ] barahm gi-aanee kaa daras badbhaagee paa-ee-ai.
The persons with great luck only come across a Braham Gyani, get its blessed vision and feel what a personality it is.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib has used the word ‘Badbhagee’ or Wadbhagee, which means a very fortunate individual. In the culture to which I belong, it is presumed that every thing that happens in the life person is pre-written in the person’s fate. This raises doubt in my mind that if every thing is predestined then why any one should exert for better life. Yet my life tells me that those who put in efforts evolve to a higher level, no matter which domain they work in and those who do not stagnate.
Guru Sahibs to has put in efforts to and even sacrificed there lives to improve our lot and they succeeded in achieving what they wanted, if every thing was Bhagya that how they could change? This issue needs to be resolved. These make me feel that Bhagya i.e. fate, luck etc, as defined to us by the ancient literature of the land may not be true. There has to be some other meaning. Guru Sahib has also used the word predestined. This leads to my search.
My study tells me that Guru Sahibs are right and our understanding of Bhagya are effected by the ancient literature of the land which gives a different, and may be, incorrect perception of what Guru Sahib has said.
Ancient literature of the land sometimes suggests that all that happens in life is predestined. As I understand, it is true and false at the same time. I elaborate on it below.
The truth of it is, as I understand, each and every elementary act of ours has a predestined response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’. It is similar to laws of physics; say action and reaction is equal and opposite. If we strike the surface of a solid with our hand, it hits back with equal force. If we rub good quality match stick on the side of match box, it gets ignited, this is predestined. This way all the elementary acts of ours have a predestined response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’ which impact on us with its own varying time to respond – some times it is immediate and sometimes it takes years and lives also. This part according to my understanding is true. How we use these elementary actions is our own decision, it comes from our own brain and thus is not predestined. For example, the matchstick that is lighted by rubbing against the side of the match-box can be used to light the flame to cook food or can be used for arson also; this is the decision which individual takes and faces the consequences. Thus according to my understanding, it is false to say that all the happenings in the life are predestined; The ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’, split our complex actions in to their constituent elementary actions and pick their own predestined elementary responses synthesise and then impact on our lives. The response of the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’ to individual elementary action is predetermined and so predestined but not the complex happenings in the life, which result from our own decisions that lead to complex action and are impacted in appropriate way by the systhesised response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’.
This way we create our own Bhagya. We evolve in the direction to which we take our lives. This what is probably the meaning of the concept of Aham Bhramasmi ( I am the creator) This is very nicely in the sculpture in the Aksharham temple (Abode of indestructible) of New Delhi, where a big rock appears to be an incomplete sculptured piece of art, where the human head is sculptured, two hands one holding chisel and the other a hammer. Two me it says the individual is the stone, the chisel and also the sculptor of itself. This is how we create our Bhagya, as I understand. This is what Bhagya means to me.
Now I come back to the tuk under reference. Guru Sahib has used the word Badbhagee. Bhagee means the person who has lived a life in conformity to the direction in which it want its life to move and made significant efforts in way that creates response from the ‘Cosmic Karmic Processes’ to reinforce her or his effort in the intent of life. Extrapolating it further, Badbhagy is one who has done so with great intensity. Now I need to explain how and why this Badbhagee achieves and not others.
The person, who is directing its life to evolve spiritually with greater intensity and purity, is able to latch more frequently and more intimately to the ‘Intelligent Cosmic Energy’ through its thought process. This makes the ‘Cosmic Processes’ to work for this person and sooner or later bring him in contact with a Braham Gyani. This is how I understand the Badbhag is realised by individuals and have the company, vision and blessings of Braham Gyani.
This is my very personal understanding.
8. bRhm igAwnI kau bil bil jweIAY ] barahm gi-aanee ka-o bal bal jaa-ee-ai.
Sacrificing one’s life for a Braham Gyani is worth.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib, in this Tuk, give expression to the exalted position in which they keep the Braham Gyanis, it reflect the high esteem Guru Sahib have for them.
Here the word sacrifice is not to be taken in any conventional way. To me, it does not mean giving up one’s life, but means that it is worth spending the life to become a Braham Gyani.
9. bRhm igAwnI kau Kojih mhysur ] barahm gi-aanee ka-o khojeh mahaysur.
Braham Gyani was sought by Shiva.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib is addressing to the disciples who were followers of ancient religion of the land (Shiva is not a God in Sikh religion). Here Guru Sahib says that even the one whom they worship was seeking Braham Gyanis.
10. nwnk bRhm igAwnI Awip prmysur ]6] naanak barahm gi-aanee aap parmaysur. ||6||
O’ Nanak, Braham Gyani is God itself. ||6||
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells himself and conveys to us that Braham Gyani is God himself. This needs to be understood. As we all know, Braham Gyani has no ‘I-ness’ in itself. What the Braham Gyani does in its life is nothing but what ‘The Sat’ reflects through Her/him. This way Braham Gyani becomes the perfect instrument of ‘The Sat’; its action are undistorted commands of ‘The Sat’. Thus in this way Braham Gyani becomes God itself.
With this I close the post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
