Guru Amardas, who was the embodiment of seva and who began the tradition of langar, was also a mystic. There are some striking lines in the shabad. Starting with the idea that the One jyot is the light of all bodies. This light is always infused within us. We are the ones who do not realize that this is so. We find this light within our hearts when we discover the Shabad. Why do we not know this? The answer: It is He who created this sense of separation -- He caused this sense of duality ਆਪੇ ਫਰਕੁ ਕੀਤੋਨੁ ਘਟ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਬਣਤ ਬਣਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੧॥ aapae farak keethon ghatt anthar aapae banath banaavaniaa ||1||
He Himself instills the sense of separation within our hearts; He Himself created the Creation. ||1|| Everything is His Play. And Guru Amardas goes on to explain: He is Maya, He created emotional attachment. But, ਆਪੇ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਾਏ ਆਪੇ ॥ aapae karae karaaeae aapae ||He Himself acts, and causes others to act. Why did He create His creation? To receive His gift: ਆਪੇ ਮੇਲੇ ਮੇਲਿ ਮਿਲਾਏ ॥ aapae maelae mael milaaeae ||He Himself unites us, and unites us in Union with Himself. And to inspire others to see Him as well.
ਮਾਝ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
maajh mehalaa 3 ||
Maajh, Third Mehl:
ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਹੈ ਸਰੀਰਾ ॥
eaekaa joth joth hai sareeraa ||
The One Light is the light of all bodies.
ਸਬਦਿ ਦਿਖਾਏ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਪੂਰਾ ॥
sabadh dhikhaaeae sathigur pooraa ||
The Perfect True Guru reveals it through the Word of the Shabad.
ਆਪੇ ਫਰਕੁ ਕੀਤੋਨੁ ਘਟ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਬਣਤ ਬਣਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੧॥
aapae farak keethon ghatt anthar aapae banath banaavaniaa ||1||
He Himself instills the sense of separation within our hearts; He Himself created the Creation. ||1||
ਹਉ ਵਾਰੀ ਜੀਉ ਵਾਰੀ ਹਰਿ ਸਚੇ ਕੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਣਿਆ ॥
ho vaaree jeeo vaaree har sachae kae gun gaavaniaa ||
I am a sacrifice, my soul is a sacrifice, to those who sing the Glorious Praises of the True Lord.
ਬਾਝੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੋ ਸਹਜੁ ਨ ਪਾਏ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
baajh guroo ko sehaj n paaeae guramukh sehaj samaavaniaa ||1|| rehaao ||
Without the Guru, no one obtains intuitive wisdom; the Gurmukh is absorbed in intuitive peace. ||1||Pause||
ਤੂੰ ਆਪੇ ਸੋਹਹਿ ਆਪੇ ਜਗੁ ਮੋਹਹਿ ॥
thoon aapae sohehi aapae jag mohehi ||
You Yourself are Beautiful, and You Yourself entice the world.
ਤੂੰ ਆਪੇ ਨਦਰੀ ਜਗਤੁ ਪਰੋਵਹਿ ॥
thoon aapae nadharee jagath parovehi ||
You Yourself, by Your Kind Mercy, weave the thread of the world.
ਤੂੰ ਆਪੇ ਦੁਖੁ ਸੁਖੁ ਦੇਵਹਿ ਕਰਤੇ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਰਿ ਦੇਖਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੨॥
thoon aapae dhukh sukh dhaevehi karathae guramukh har dhaekhaavaniaa ||2||
You Yourself bestow pain and pleasure, O Creator. The Lord reveals Himself to the Gurmukh. ||2||
ਆਪੇ ਕਰਤਾ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਾਏ ॥
aapae karathaa karae karaaeae ||
The Creator Himself acts, and causes others to act.
ਆਪੇ ਸਬਦੁ ਗੁਰ ਮੰਨਿ ਵਸਾਏ ॥
aapae sabadh gur mann vasaaeae ||
The Ambrosial Word of the Guru's Bani emanates from the Word of the Shabad. The Gurmukh speaks it and hears it. ||3||
ਸਬਦੇ ਉਪਜੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਖਿ ਸੁਣਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੩॥
sabadhae oupajai anmrith baanee guramukh aakh sunaavaniaa ||3||
He Himself is the Creator, and He Himself is the Enjoyer.
ਆਪੇ ਕਰਤਾ ਆਪੇ ਭੁਗਤਾ ॥
aapae karathaa aapae bhugathaa ||
He Himself is the Creator, and He Himself is the Enjoyer.
ਬੰਧਨ ਤੋੜੇ ਸਦਾ ਹੈ ਮੁਕਤਾ ॥
bandhhan thorrae sadhaa hai mukathaa ||
One who breaks out of bondage is liberated forever.
ਸਦਾ ਮੁਕਤੁ ਆਪੇ ਹੈ ਸਚਾ ਆਪੇ ਅਲਖੁ ਲਖਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੪॥
sadhaa mukath aapae hai sachaa aapae alakh lakhaavaniaa ||4||
The True Lord is liberated forever. The Unseen Lord causes Himself to be seen. ||4||
ਆਪੇ ਮਾਇਆ ਆਪੇ ਛਾਇਆ ॥
aapae maaeiaa aapae shhaaeiaa ||
He Himself is Maya, and He Himself is the Illusion.
ਆਪੇ ਮੋਹੁ ਸਭੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਉਪਾਇਆ ॥
aapae mohu sabh jagath oupaaeiaa ||
He Himself has generated emotional attachment throughout the entire universe.
ਆਪੇ ਗੁਣਦਾਤਾ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵੈ ਆਪੇ ਆਖਿ ਸੁਣਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੫॥
aapae gunadhaathaa gun gaavai aapae aakh sunaavaniaa ||5||
He Himself acts, and causes others to act.
ਆਪੇ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਾਏ ਆਪੇ ॥
aapae karae karaaeae aapae ||
He Himself acts, and causes others to act.
ਆਪੇ ਥਾਪਿ ਉਥਾਪੇ ਆਪੇ ॥
aapae thhaap outhhaapae aapae ||
He Himself establishes and disestablishes.
ਤੁਝ ਤੇ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਹੋਵੈ ਤੂੰ ਆਪੇ ਕਾਰੈ ਲਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੬॥
thujh thae baahar kashhoo n hovai thoon aapae kaarai laavaniaa ||6||
Without You, nothing can be done. You Yourself have engaged all in their tasks. ||6||
ਆਪੇ ਮਾਰੇ ਆਪਿ ਜੀਵਾਏ ॥
aapae maarae aap jeevaaeae ||
He Himself kills, and He Himself revives.
ਆਪੇ ਮੇਲੇ ਮੇਲਿ ਮਿਲਾਏ ॥
aapae maelae mael milaaeae ||
He Himself unites us, and unites us in Union with Himself.
ਸੇਵਾ ਤੇ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੭॥
sayvaa tay sadaa sukh paa-i-aa gurmukh sahj samaavani-aa. ||7||
Through selfless service, eternal peace is obtained. The Gurmukh is absorbed in intuitive peace. ||7||
ਆਪੇ ਊਚਾ ਊਚੋ ਹੋਈ ॥
aapae oochaa oocho hoee ||
He Himself is the Highest of the High.
ਜਿਸੁ ਆਪਿ ਵਿਖਾਲੇ ਸੁ ਵੇਖੈ ਕੋਈ ॥
jis aap vikhaalae s vaekhai koee ||
How rare are those who behold Him. He causes Himself to be seen.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਸੈ ਘਟ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਵੇਖਿ ਵਿਖਾਲਣਿਆ ॥੮॥੨੬॥੨੭॥
naanak naam vasai ghatt anthar aapae vaekh vikhaalaniaa ||8||26||27||
O Nanak, the Naam, the Name of the Lord, abides deep within the hearts of those who see the Lord themselves, and inspire others to see Him as well. ||8||26||27||