Var- 37 Bhai Gur Das Ji

 

Var-37

One Oankar, the primal energy, realized through the grace of divine preceptor.

Pauri-1 Invocation.

Diffusing His one vibration, Oinkar has become manifest in the forms of whole creation. Separating earth from sky, the Oankar sustained sky without the support of any pillar. He p laced earth in water and water in the earth. Fire was put into the wood and fire notwithstanding, the trees laden with beautiful fruits were created. Air, water and fire are enemies of one another but He made them meet harmoniously and created the world. He created Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh who cherish the qualities of action (rajas), sustenance( Sattv) and dissolution (Tamas) Accomplisher of wondrous feats, that Lord created the wonderful creation.

Pauri-2 Divine Power.

Shiva and Shakti that is the supreme element in the form of consciousness and prakriti, the matter containing dynamic power in it were joined to create the world, and sun, and moon were made its lamps. Shining stars in the night give the look of lamps lit in each house. In day time with the rise of one great Sun,the stars in the form of lamps go hiding. His one vibration -vak- contains millions of rivers in form of life, and His matchless grandeurs cannot be measured. The benevolent sustainer Lord has also manifested His form as Oankar. His dynamism is latent, unapproachable and His story is ineffable. The basis of talk about the Lord is simply hearsay and not the first hand experience.

Pauri-3 Wonder of Creation.

Four mines of life, four speeches, four ages, included, the Lord created water, earth, trees and mountains. The one Lord created the three worlds, fourteen spheres and many universes. For Him the musical instruments are being played at in all the ten directions, seven continents and nine divisions of the universe. From each originating source, twenty one lacs of creatures have been produced. Then in each species innumerable creatures exist. Incomparable forms and hues then appeared in variegated waves of life. Bodies formed by association of air and water have nine doors each.

Pauri-4 Wonder of Creation.

Black, white, red, blue, yellow and green colours are adoring the creation. Wondrous taste of edible and inedible objects have been made which are known through the tongue. These tastes are sweet, bitter, sour, salty and insipid. Mixing many fragrances, the camphor, sandal and saffron have been created. Others such as musk cat, musk, betel, flowers, incense, camphors etc are also held to be similar. Many are the musical measures, vibrations, and dialogues, and through fourteen skills the untuck melody sings. Lacs of rivers are there on which crores of ships ply.

Pauri- 5 Among the entire creation only human beings attain liberation.

Seven seas with much water and pearls, and gems are treasure full. Variegated forms of agricultural products, medicines, clothing and foods have been created on earth. Shady trees, flowers, fruits, branches, leaves, root exist there. In the mountains are eight metals, rubies, jewels, philosopher’s stone and mercury. Among the eighty four lacs of species of life, large families meet only to part that is they take birth and die. In the cycle of transmigration the herds of creatures in this world ocean come and go in thousands. Only through the human body one can get across.

Pauri-6 Human birth and error of life.

Though human birth is a rare gift, yet this body being made of clay is momentary. Made from ovum and semen, this airtight body has nine doors. That Lord saves this body even in the hellish fire of the mother’s womb. During pregnancy the creature hangs upside down in the mother’s womb and continuously meditates. After ten months the foetus takes birth because of that meditation it is liberated from the pool of fire. Right from the time of birth he gets engrossed in maya and now that protector Lord is not beheld by him. Jiv, the travelling trader thus gets separated from the Lord- the great banker.

Pauri-7 Human birth-a web of maya.

Losing the jewel in the form of name of the Lord the creature on his birth cries in utter darkness of maya and infatuation. He cries because of his own suffering but the whole family laughs and celebrates his birth by singing merrily. The heart of all is full of happiness and musical sound of drums is heard all around. Singing songs of happiness, maternal and paternal families bless the beloved child. From a small drop it increased now looks like a mountain. Having grown up, he has with pride forgotten truth, contentment, compassion, dharma and higher values. He starts living among desires, anger, oppositions, greed, infatuation, treachery and pride. And thus the poor fellow got entangled in the large web of maya.

Pauri- 8 Child’s intellect is unconscious.

The jiv through consciousness incarnate is so much unconscious of his aim in life as if he is blind despite having eyes. He does not distinguish between friend or foe; and according to him the nature of mother and witch is same. He is deaf despite having ears, and cannot discriminate between glory and infamy or between love and treachery. He is dumb despite having tongue and drinks poison mixed in milk. Considering poison and nectar identical he drinks them. And for his ignorance about life and death, hopes and desires, he gets no refuge anywhere. He stretches his desires towards snake and fire and catching hold of them does not distinguish between a pit and a mound.

Pauri-9 Child’s thoughtlessness.

Though with feet, a child is cripple and cannot stand upon his legs. Wearing the garland of hopes and desires he dances in the arms of others. He known neither technique nor enterprise, and being careless towards the body, he does not keep fit and healthy. Having no control over his excretory organs he cries of disease and suffering. He does not take the first food of the name of the Lord happily, and goes on catching snakes in the forms of passions and desires with determination. Never pondering over merits and demerits and not becoming benevolent, he looks always at evil propensities. For such a foolish person the weapon and armour are same.

Pauri-10 Benefactions of mother.

Meeting and mating of mother and father makes the mother pregnant who becoming hopeful keeps the child in her womb. She enjoys edibles and inedible without any inhibition and moves carefully with measured steps on the land. She gives birth to her dear son after bearing the pain of carrying him in her womb for ten months. Having delivered, the mother nourishes the child and herself remains moderated in eating and drinking. Having ministered the customary first food and milk she stares at him with deep love. She thinks about his food, clothes, tonsure, betrothal, education etc. Throwing handful of coins over his head and giving him a proper bath she sends him to the pundit for education. This way she clears the doubt of her motherhood.

Pauri-11 Benefaction of mother and maltreatment of son.

Parents are happy that the betrothal ceremony of their son has been solemnized. Mother gets overjoyed and sings songs of happiness. Singing eulogies of bridegroom,and praying for the welfare of the couple she feels very happy that he son got married. For the well being and harmony of bride and bridegroom the mother makes vows of offering before the deities. Now the bride starts ill advising the son, goading him to separate from the parents,and consequently makes mother-in-law full of sorrow. Forgetting lacs of benefactions of mother the son becomes disloyal and sets himself at loggerheads with his parents. Rare is any obedient son like Shravan of mythology who was most obedient to his blind parents.

Pauri-12 It is sin to forget the benefactions of parents.

The enchantress wife with her charms made the husband dote on her. He forgot the God after birth and forgot his parents after his wedding. Having made vows of offerings and considered many good and bad omens and auspicious combinations, his marriage had been arranged by them. Seeing at the meetings of the son and daughter-in-law, the parents had felt overjoyed. The bride then started continuously advising the husband to desert his parents instigating that they had been tyrants. Forgetting the benefactions of parents, the son along with his wife, separates from them. Now the way of the world has become grossly immoral.

Pauri-13 Pities of one who ill treated the parents are in vain.

Renouncing the parents, the listener of Vedas cannot understand their mystery. Repudiating the parents, meditation in the forest is similar to the wanderings at deserted places. The service and worship to the gods and goddesses are useless if one has renounced his parents. Without service to the parents, bath at sixty eight pilgrimage centres is nothing but gyrating in a whirlpool. The person who having deserted his parents perform charities, is corrupt and ignorant. He who repudiating the parents undertakes fasts, goes on to wander in the cycle of transmigration. That man in fact has not understood the essence of Guru and God.

Pauri-14 Cherish in the heart of the benevolent creator.

In nature that creator is beheld but the jiv has forgotten him. Bestowing body, vital air, flesh and breath upon every one, He has created one and all. As gifts, eyes,mouth, nose, ears, hands, and feet have been given by Him. Man beholds form and colour through eyes and through mouth and ears he speaks and listens to the word respectively. Smelling through nose and working with hands, he slides on his feet slowly. He carefully keeps his hair, teeth, nails, trichomes, breath and food. Jiv getting controlled by taste and greed always remembers the worldly masters only. Do remember that Lord also just one hundredth part of it. Put salt of devotion in the flour of life and make it delicious.

Pauri-15 Some consciousness while working as well as in dreaming. None knows the residing place of sleep and hunger in the body. Let somebody tell where live the laughter, weeping, singing, sneezing, eructation and cough in the body. Whence idleness, yawning, hiccough, itch, gaping, sighing, snapping and clapping. Hope, desire, happiness, sorrow, renunciation, enjoyment, suffering, pleasure, etc are indestructible emotions. Millions of thoughts and worries are there during waking hours. And the same get deeply rooted in mind while one is asleep and dreaming. Whatever fame and infamy has been earned by man in his conscious state, he goes on muttering in sleep also. Man controlled by desires, goes on intensely longing and yearning.

Pauri-16 Even benevolence does not reclaim the evil person.

Persons keeping company of Sadhus and evilmen act as per the wisdom of Guru, gurmat and evil respectively. Man acts according to three states of life- childhood, youth and old age- subject to sanjoha and Vijoga. Thousands of bad habits are not forgotten but the creature feels happy forgetting the Lord. He enjoys in being with other’s woman, other’s wealth , and other’s slander. He has renounced remembrance of the Lord’s name, charity and ablution and does not go to holy congregation to listen to discourses and kirtan, eulogies of the Lord. He is like that dog who though placed in a high position, yet runs for licking the flourmill. Evil person never appreciates values of life.

Pauri-17 Remember the One pervading the many.

One vegetation universally maintains roots, leaves, flowers and fruits. The same one fire resides in the variegated objects. The fragrance is the same which remains there in the materials of various hues and forms. Fire emerges from within the bamboos and burns the whole vegetation to reduce it to ashes. Cows of different colours are given different names. The milkman grazes them all but every cow listening to its name moves towards the caller. Colour of the milk of every cow is the same. Faults are not seen in ghee and silk that is one should not go for classes, castes and varieties; only true humility should be identified. O man remember the artist of this artistic creation.

Pauri-18 The creature does not remember unity in diversity of creator.

Earth resides in water and fragrance resides in flowers. The degraded sesame seed mixing with essence of flowers become sanctified as fragrant scent. The blind man even after beholding through the physical eyes, behave like a creature living in darkness that is man is spiritually blind though he beholds physically. In all the six seasons and twelve months, the same sun operates but the owl does not see it. Remembrance and meditation of florican nurture the offspring of florican and tortoise and that Lord provides livelihood to the worms of the stones as well. Even then the creature man does not remember Creator.

Pauri-19 Manmukhs are blind.

Nothing can be seen by bat and owl in the day light. They see only in the dark night, they keep silent but as and when they speak their sound is evil .Manmukhs also remain blind day and night and being devoid of consciousness go on operating the quern of discord. They pick up demerits and leave out merits; they reject the diamond and prepare the string of stones. These blind ones are called sujans, the learned and intelligent ones. Inebriated with pride of their wealth they wail and weep. Engrossed in lust, anger and antagonism they wash the four corners of their stained sheet. They never get liberated from carrying the load of their stony sins.

Pauri-20 Manukh returns evil for good done to him.

Akk plant grows in sandy region and during rains it falls on its face. Milk oozes out of it when its leaf is plucked but it turns out to be poison when drunk. The pod is a useless fruit of akk liked only by grasshoppers. The poison gets diluted by akk milk and sometimes a person bitten by snake gets cured of its poison. When a goat grazes the same akk, it yields nectar like drinkable milk. Milk given to snake is belched out by it instantly in the form of poison. The wicked person returns evil for good done to him.

Pauri- 21 Man having no Guru is uncontrollable.

The butcher slaughters goat and its meat is salted and strung on a skewer. Laughingly, the goat says while being killed that I have come to this condition only for grazing leaves of akk plant. But what will be the plight of those who cutting the throat with knife eat flesh of animal. The perverted taste of the tongue is harmful for the teeth and damages the mouth. The enjoyer of other’s wealth, body and slander becomes a poisonous amphisbaena. This snake is controlled by the mantra of the Guru but manmukh, devoid of Guru, never listens to the glory of such mantra. While moving ahead, he never beholds the pit before him.

Pauri-22 The sense of duality is a wrong bet.

The wicked girl herself does not go to her father-in-law’s house but teaches others how to behave there. Lamp can enlighten the house but it cannot dispel the darkness underneath itself. The man walking with lamp in hand stumbles as he is dazzled by its flame. He who tries to see the reflection of his bracelet in a avast. Mirror worn on the thumb of the same hand can hardly see it or show it to other. Now if he catches hold of a mirror in one hand and lamp in the other even then he would stumble into a pit. Double mindedness is an evil stroke which ultimately causes defeat.

Pauri-23 Manmukh is ungrateful.

A headstrong non swimmer would drown and die even in the tank of nectar. Touching the philosopher’s stone does not transform into gold nor can it be chiselled into an ornament. Snake does not shed its poison though it may remain entwined with sandalwood all the eight watches of day and night. In spite of living in the sea, the conch remains empty and hollow and cries bitterly. Owl beholds nothing while nothing is hidden in sunshine. Manmukh is very ungrateful and always likes to enjoy the sense of otherness. He never cherishes that creator Lord in his heart.

Pauri-24 Man without Guru is the worst.

A pregnant mother feels that a comfort giving worthy son will be borne by her. Better is a daughter than an unworthy son, she at least would set up another’s home and would not come back to put her mother in trouble. A female snake is better than a wicked daughter who eats its progeny at its birth so that more snakes will not be there to put others to harm. A witch is better than a female snake who feels satiated after eating her treacherous son. Even a snake,the biter of brahmin and cows, listening to the mantra of the Guru would quietly sit in a basket. But none is comparable in wickedness to a Guruless man in the whole universe created by the creator. He never comes to the shelter of his parents or of the Guru.

Pauri-25 Man without Guru is the worst.

He who comes not in the shelter of the Lord is in comparable even with millions of persons without Guru. Even the Guruless people feel shy of seeing the man who talks ill of his Guru. It is better to face a lion than a renegade man. To deal with a person who turns away from the true Guru is to invite disaster. To kill such a person is a righteous act, if that cannot be done one should oneself move away. Ungrateful person betrays his master and treacherously kills brahmins and cows. Such a renegade person is not equal in value to one trichome.

Pauri-26 Wasting the life by the gambler.

After many ages comes the turn of assuming the human body. It is a rare boon to be born in a family of truthful and intelligent people. Almost rare to be healthy and to have beneficent and fortunate parents who can take care of the well being of the child. Also rare is the holy congregation and loving devotion, the pleasure fruit of gurmukhs. But the jiv, caught in the web of five evil propensities bears the heavy punishment of Yama- God of death. The state of jiv becomes the same as that of a hare caught in a crowd. The dice being in other’s hand the whole game goes topsy turvy. The mace of Yama falls on the head of a jiv who gambles about in duality. Such a treasure entangled in the cycle of transmigration goes on suffering disgrace in the world ocean. Like a gambler he loses and wastes his precious life.

Pauri-27 Gurmukhs win as in a game of oblong dice.

This world is a game of oblong dice and the creatures go on moving in and out of world ocean. Gurmukhs join the association of the holy men and from there the perfect Guru- God – takes them across. He who devotes his self to the Guru, becomes acceptable and the Guru dispels away his five evil propensities. The gurmukh remain in a state of spiritual calm and he never thinks ill of anybody. Attuning consciousness with the Word, the gurmukhs alertly move with firm feet on the path of the Guru. Those Sikhs, dear to the Lord Guru, behave in accordance with morality, religious scriptures and the wisdom of the Guru. Through the means of the Guru, they stabilize in their own self.

Pauri-28 If a blind becomes a leader.

Bamboo does not become fragrant but by the wash of Guru’s feet, it is also possible. Glass does not become gold but with the impact of philosopher’s stone in the form of Guru, glass also transforms into gold. Silk cotton tree is supposed to be fruitless but that too becomes fruitful by the grace of God. However, manmukhs like crows never change into white from black even if their black hair become white that is they never leave their nature even in old age. But by the grace of Guru the crow changes to swan and picks up invaluable pearls to eat. The holy congregation transforming beasts and ghosts causes them to realize the word of the Guru. Those wicked ones who are engrossed in the sense of duality have not known the glory of the guru. If the leader is blind, his companions are bound to be robbed of their belongings.

Pauri-29 Humility is the best teaching.

Neither there is , nor there will be an ungrateful person like me. None is there subsisting on evil means and a wicked person like me. No slanderer is there like me carrying on his head the heavy stone of the slander of the Guru. No one is a savage apostate like me turning away from the Guru. None other is an evil person like me who has enmity with persons having no hostility. No treacherous person equals me whose trance is like crane’s who picks up fish for food. My body, ignorant of Lord’s Name, eats inedible, and the layer of stony sins on it cannot be taken off. There is no other who is duplicitous like me, I reject the wisdom of the Guru, loving wickedness. Though my name is disciple,I have never reflected upon the Word of the Guru.

Pauri-30 Same as above.

Seeing the face of an apostate like me, the apostates become more deep-rooted apostates. The worst sins have become my beloved ideals. Considering them apostates I taunted them though I am worse than them. The story of my sins cannot be written even by Yama’s scribe because the record of my sins would fill the seven seas. My stories would get multiplied further into lacs each one doubly shameful than the other. So much I have minded others so often that all buffoons feel ashamed before me. None is worse than me in the entire creation.

Pauri-31 A dog of Guru’s court.

Beholding the dog of Laila’s house, Majnu was charmed. He fell at the feet of the dog seeing which people laughed heartily. Out of Muslim bards one bard became disciple of Baba Nanak. His companions called him a dog-bard, even among dogs a lowly one. The Sikhs of the Guru who were suitors to the Word took a fancy to that so called dog of dogs. Biting and licking is the nature of dogs but they have no infatuation, treachery and cursedness. The gurmukhs are sacrifice unto the holy congregation because it is benevolent even to the evil and wicked persons. Holy congregation is known for its reputation as uplifter of the fallen ones.