Without getting involved with the Creator, all relations and achievements are useless; thus, one should clean one’s mind with the Guru advice and live in His love. Only important is His love, the Guru says on SGGS, 631:
ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਹਲਾ 9 ॥ ਮਨ ਕੀ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ਰਹੀ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਰਿ ਭਜੇ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਸੇਵੇ ਚੋਟੀ ਕਾਲਿ ਗਹੀ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Soraṯẖ mėhlā 9. Man kī man hī māhi rahī .
Nā har bẖaje na ṯirath seve cẖotī kāl gahī. ||1|| Rahā-o. {SGGS-631}
Raag Sorath, the bani of Ninth Nanak.
In essence: The desires of the mortal’s remained unfulfilled; he neither remembered Har, nor served Har’s devotees, and now the death has caught him by the hair. Pause.
Kindly look at this:
“ਨਾ ਹਰਿ ਭਜਿਓ ਨ ਗੁਰ ਜਨੁ ਸੇਵਿਓ ਨਹ ਉਪਜਿਓ ਕਛੁ ਗਿਆਨਾ ॥
Nā har bẖaji-o na gur jan sevi-o nah upji-o kacẖẖ gi-ānā.” {SGGS-632}
In the Gurmat, Tirath/Pilgrimage is the Guru or His devotees’ company. The Guru doesn’t promote pilgrimage-concept. If in the History, the Guru went at pilgrimaging places, his goal was to enlighten the seekers; the Guru says that by doing ablution at such places, the mind is not cleaned; therefore, taking the meaning of “Tirath” as pilgrimage is not right. Here is just one reference (1328 SGGS):
ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ ਮਹਲਾ 1 ॥
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਨੀਰੁ ਗਿਆਨਿ ਮਨ ਮਜਨੁ ਅਠਸਠਿ ਤੀਰਥ ਸੰਗਿ ਗਹੇ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਉਪਦੇਸਿ ਜਵਾਹਰ ਮਾਣਕ ਸੇਵੇ ਸਿਖੁ ਸ਼ ਖੋਜਿ ਲਹੈ ॥1॥
Parbẖāṯī mėhlā 1.
Amriṯ nīr gi-ān man majan aṯẖsaṯẖ ṯirath sang gahe.
Gur upḏes javāhar māṇak seve sikẖ so kẖoj lahai. ||1|| {SGGS-1328}
Raag Parbhati, the bani of First Nanak.
In essence: The Guru’s nectar of divine knowledge of Akalpurakh is an ablution done on a pilgrimaging place; cleaning mind with this nectar (advice through the Gurbani) is equal to sixty-eight pilgrimages, and the Guru’s guidance is precious jewel. A person who follows the Guru obtains this jewel (His name) by searching it (with the help of Guru).
ਗੁਰ ਸਮਾਨਿ ਤੀਰਥੁ ਨਹੀ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਸਰੁ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਤਾਸੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਹੋਇ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Gur samān ṯirath nahī ko-e . Sar sanṯokẖ ṯās gur ho-e. ||1|| Rahā-o. {SGGS-1328}
There is no other pilgrimage equal to the Guru (Here pilgrimage is used to convey the act of cleaning the filthy mind through living as per the Guru’s advice). No pilgrimage-ablution cleans the soul as the Guru does; therefore, no other pilgrimage is equal to the Guru); only the Guru is an ocean of contentment. Pause.
Back to the Shabda of Ninth Nanak:
ਦਾਰਾ ਮੀਤ ਪੂਤ ਰਥ ਸੰਪਤਿ ਧਨ ਪੂਰਨ ਸਭ ਮਹੀ ॥
ਅਵਰ ਸਗਲ ਮਿਥਿਆ ਏ ਜਾਨਉ ਭਜਨੁ ਰਾਮੁ ਕੋ ਸਹੀ ॥1॥
Ḏārā mīṯ pūṯ rath sampaṯ ḏẖan pūran sabẖ mahī.
Avar sagal mithi-ā e jān-o bẖajan rām ko sahī. ||1|| {SGGS-631}
Oh Brother! All like wife, the sons, carriage, wealth, and the entire world are perishable; remember Prabh, who alone is eternal.
ਫਿਰਤ ਫਿਰਤ ਬਹੁਤੇ ਜੁਗ ਹਾਰਿਓ ਮਾਨਸ ਦੇਹ ਲਹੀ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਹਤ ਮਿਲਨ ਕੀ ਬਰੀਆ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਕਹਾ ਨਹੀ ॥2॥2॥
Firaṯ firaṯ bahuṯe jug hāri-o mānas ḏeh lahī.
Nānak kahaṯ milan kī barī-ā simraṯ kahā nahī. ||2||2|| {SGGS-631}
Oh brother! By wandering through many ages, you got weary and now you have obtained human life. Oh Nanak! This is the time to meet Akalpurakh, why don’t you remember Him?
Wishes
G Singh
www.gursoch.com
