I want to share with my Sikh brothers and sisters a Sloka of Third Nanak through which I feel guided toward the path of Prabh in a nut shell. The language the Guru uses is simple and attractive. I get glued to his every idea in this sloka to explore Gurmat.  Let us first read the whole sloka and then reflect on every line of it. It is on 554 SGGS by Third Nanak in Bihagrha Kee Vaar of Mehla 4.

ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਫੁਰਮਾਇਆ ਕਾਰੀ ਏਹ ਕਰੇਹੁ ॥

ਗੁਰੂ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਹੋਇ ਕੈ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸੰਮਾਲੇਹੁ ॥

ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸਦਾ ਹਜੂਰਿ ਹੈ ਭਰਮੈ ਕੇ ਛਉੜ ਕਟਿ ਕੈ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਧਰੇਹੁ ॥

ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਹੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਏਹੁ ਲਾਏਹੁ ॥

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਭਾਣਾ ਚਿਤਿ ਰਖਹੁ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਸਚਾ ਨੇਹੁ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਐਥੈ ਸੁਖੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਰਖਸੀ ਅਗੈ ਹਰਿ ਸਿਉ ਕੇਲ ਕਰੇਹੁ ॥੨॥

Mėhlā 3.  Saṯgurū furmā▫i▫ā kārī eh karehu.

Gurū ḏu▫ārai ho▫e kai sāhib sammālehu. 

Sāhib saḏā hajūr hai bẖarmai ke cẖẖa▫uṛ kat kai anṯar joṯ ḏẖarehu.

Har kā nām amriṯ hai ḏārū ehu lā▫ehu.

Saṯgur kā bẖāṇā cẖiṯ rakẖahu sanjam sacẖā nehu.

Nānak aithai sukẖai anḏar rakẖsī agai har si▫o kel karehu. ||2||

Third Nanak

In essence:  The  Satiguru said: do this task: go to the place (congregation)  of the Guru and remember the Master (Akalpurakh); the Master is always present; cut off the curtain of doubt and feel the Master’s light  in the heart. Har’s Naam is immortalizing medicine and you take this. Always remember the Satiguru’s  instructions and use the love of eternal Prabh to obtain self discipline. Nanak says:  His love and Name will keep you in comforts and peace here, and hereafter you will enjoy being with Prabh.

            ਕਾਰੀ = ਕੰਮ। ਸੰਮਾਲੇਹੁ = ਯਾਦ ਕਰੋ। ਹਜੂਰਿ = ਅੰਗ ਸੰਗ। ਛਉੜ = ਪਰਦੇ, ਉਹ ਜਾਲਾ ਜੋ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਅੱਗੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਨਜ਼ਰ ਬੰਦ ਕਰ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਚਿਤਿ = ਚਿੱਤ ਵਿਚ। ਸੰਜਮੁ = ਰਹਿਣੀ। ਕੇਲ = ਆਨੰਦ, ਲਾਡ।੨।

            ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ ਹੁਕਮ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ (ਭਰਮ ਦਾ ਛਉੜ ਕੱਟਣ ਲਈ) ਇਹ ਕਾਰ (ਭਾਵ, ਇਲਾਜ) ਕਰੋ-ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਦਰ ਤੇ ਜਾ ਕੇ (ਭਾਵ, ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਚਰਨੀਂ ਲੱਗ ਕੇ) ਮਾਲਕ ਨੂੰ ਯਾਦ ਕਰੋ, ਮਾਲਕ ਸਦਾ ਅੰਗ ਸੰਗ ਹੈ (ਅੱਖਾਂ ਅਗੋਂ) ਭਰਮ ਦੇ ਜਾਲੇ ਨੂੰ ਲਾਹ ਕੇ ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਜੋਤ ਟਿਕਾਉ। ਹਰੀ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਅਮਰ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ-ਇਹ ਦਾਰੂ ਵਰਤੋ, ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਭਾਣਾ (ਮੰਨਣਾ) ਚਿਤ ਵਿਚ ਰੱਖੋ ਤੇ ਸਚਾ ਪਿਆਰ (ਰੂਪ) ਰਹਿਣੀ (ਧਾਰਨ ਕਰੋ), ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਇਹ ਦਾਰੂ) ਏਥੇ (ਸੰਸਾਰ ਵਿਚ) ਸੁਖੀ ਰਖੇਗਾ ਤੇ ਅੱਗੇ (ਪਰਲੋਕ ਵਿਚ) ਹਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਰਲੀਆਂ ਮਾਣੋਗੇ।੨।

            First remember that in the congregation of the Guru; there is very good atmosphere which is free from worldly commotion. Sit there and remember the sloka and start remembering Akalpurakh by uttering Har’s name; keep concentrating on Har within till you forget where you are. You feel Akalpurakh with you or you feel His presence around and within you; do not doubt about it depending on scientific knowledge you have or the books that influenced you. As a beginner, you feel that you know nothing; remember what the Guru says.

            Second idea the Guru expresses is very vital to understand. We love our Guru, we love Akalpurakh and we want to be the true Guru followers, don’t we?  Unfortunately, as we behave in our society, it shows we have nothing to do with the Guru and Akalpurakh. Why it is so?

We are loaded with baggage that doesn’t let us trust Akalpurakh and the Guru completely. The Guru stresses on getting rid of the doubt about the Guru and Akalpurakh we harbor in our hearts in some manners. What is that baggage that becomes hindrance on the Guru path?

            We have strong ties to this world and we feel that living in this world is eternal; that is why, we indulge deeply in all things related to us; the Guru says to live in this world just as a guest not the master and let remain Akalpurakh as the Master (418 SGGS). Other thing what the Guru says is not to give more importance what we like, for example, we love to be praised, honored,  and well known ( the Guru advises us to deem such honors as useless pursuits (808, SGGS). We feel what the Guru says is not applicable to us but to others. We feel difficulty to reverse this behavior to make a priority of becoming one with Akalpurakh.

            Our desires and ties to such realms of the world, create duality in us by dividing our hearts. The Guru doesn’t urge us to become recluses, instead advises us to live right in the world created by our Master but without getting lost in its attractions. Whenever something occurs and  affects us in any way, we go in anxiety, fear and other kind of negativity. We say all the time that we trust Akalpurakh, but we don’t in reality. Our attachment inspires us to do something about what we are losing.  When we don’t succeed in our pursuit, we get enveloped in anxiety. We are missing something. Then what is that point we miss; we have families, their needs and our responsibilities. The Guru says that we should perform those responsibilities without indulging in anything. We have jobs to do and we should do those jobs without mortgaging our ethics, morality, but we should also harbor intact love for our Guru and Akalpurakh.  While performing those jobs we are assigned to, no negative force should direct our behavior. The love the Guru wants us to keep is to get involved only with Akalpurakh. All negativity around us is a hindrance in our way. To go for our goal by remaining intact from such negative forces, our Guru advises us to seek the right environment. What is the right environment? That is called in Gurbani “Satsangat” ( Gurduwara: a congregation of Akalpurakh – devotees); First Nanak defines it on 72, SGGS:

ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੀ ਜਾਣੀਐ ॥

Saṯsangaṯ kaisī jāṇī▫ai.

In essence: What congregation should be called “congregation of eternal Prabh”?

ਕਿਹੋ ਜਿਹੇ ਇਕੱਠ ਨੂੰ ਸਤ ਸੰਗਤ ਸਮਝਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ?

The answer follows:

 ਜਿਥੈ ਏਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਖਾਣੀਐ ॥

Jithai eko nām vakẖāṇī▫ai.

 “It is a place where only Naam of Akalpurakh is praised”.

            (ਸਤਸੰਗਤ ਉਹ ਹੈ) ਜਿੱਥੇ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਸਲਾਹਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

ਏਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਦੀਆ ਬੁਝਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥੫॥

Eko naamu hukamu hai Nanak satiguri deeaa bujhaai jeeou ||5||

The Satiguru has revealed that only praising Naam is the ordinance of Akalpurakh.

             It becomes clear for us that the right environment is where Akalpurakh is praised, not a place where we get together, share our own tales, criticize others or brag about our establishments; we go to the Gurdawara and find more people engrossed in their personal things than totally involving with the purpose of going to the Gurdawara; (that is praising Har Naam by overcoming five negative forces). The Guru states that the company of those persons, who are already involved with Akalpurakh, is good. In there, we learn that it is all Prabh’s world; good or bad, we need to understand how it works without losing the balance of our minds.  There, we start understanding how Akalpurakh permeates in all. We also understand that people behave in a wrong way just because of being ignorant about Akalpurakh. Someone’s criticism about us can upset us; to negate that effect, we should try to rationalize that what someone is saying something against us will not change us from what we are.  The truth is what we are, not what others say about us. A person who is criticizing us has a problem; it is not our problem; we can tell the person how his behavior is not right, but we don’t need to stoop low to shut him up.  If we are attacked, we must defend ourselves (417 SGGS). We learn all this by staying in right environment, because in there, positive behavior is built toward others regardless who they are.  Slowly and steadily, we change our behavior, which is controlled by the five negative forces within us. On 48 SGGS, our Guru verifies how the mind inclined toward Prabh obtains a peaceful state of mind:

ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥

ਸਰਣਿ ਪਏ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਆਪਣੇ ਗੁਰੁ ਹੋਆ ਕਿਰਪਾਲੁ ॥

ਸਤਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਉਪਦੇਸਿਐ ਬਿਨਸੇ ਸਰਬ ਜੰਜਾਲ ॥

ਅੰਦਰੁ ਲਗਾ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਦਰਿ ਨਿਹਾਲੁ ॥੧॥

Sirīrāg mėhlā 5.

Saraṇ pa▫e parabẖ āpṇe gur ho▫ā kirpāl.

Saṯgur kai upḏesi▫ai binse sarab janjāl.

Anḏar lagā rām nām amriṯ naḏar nihāl. ||1||

Raag Sree Raag, Bani of Fifth Nanak:

In Essence: When one takes Prabh’s refuge humbly, the Guru shows kindness. As the Satiguru imparts his teachings, our all entanglements vanish and we internally get attached with Prabh’s Naam nectar; thus, with Prabh’s grace, one becomes happy.

            ਜਿਸਮਨੁੱਖ ਉਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਇਆਵਾਨ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਸਰਨ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਗੁਰੂਦੇ ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਬਰਕਤਿ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦੇ (ਮਾਇਆ-ਮੋਹ ਵਾਲੇ) ਸਾਰੇ ਜੰਜਾਲ ਨਾਸ ਹੋਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ; ਉਸ ਦਾ ਹਿਰਦਾ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਵਿਚ ਜੁੜਿਆ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀਮਿਹਰ ਦੀ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਹਿਰਦਾ ਖਿੜ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ।੧।

 ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਸਾਰੁ ॥

ਕਰੇ ਦਇਆ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਆਪਣੀ ਇਕ ਨਿਮਖ ਨ ਮਨਹੁ ਵਿਸਾਰੁ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Man mere saṯgur sevā sār.

Kare ḏa▫i▫ā parabẖ āpṇī ik nimakẖ na manhu visār. Rahā▫o.

Oh my mind! The essence of serving the Satiguru is not to forget Prabh even for an instant; Prabh does bestow mercy. Pause

            In above verses, the Satiguru service is defined and a purpose of a Sikh is made clear.

            You may hear from many people about Naam; some of them simply think that doing community service, working hard for living and sharing with other is Naam Simran; well, this is their pick; there are some others who tell us to fix our attention on any Name of Akalpurakh and meditate on it, again that is their pick. Does our Guru say so? Not exactly; he advises us to get first prepared to meditate on Akalpurakh by getting rid of self conceit, anger, greed, lust and attachment. If we are affected by self conceit, anger, greed, lust and attachment, our meditating on Akalpurakh or doing good deeds becomes useless as per Gurbani. One, who has listened to the Guru, lives only as per the Guru guidance and such a person’s meditating on Prabh Naam brings fruits. As the Guru says, it is a process; it is an experience to be one with Akalpurakkh; it is not easy to do Naam Simran as many people describe on the internet or in the assemblies. First Guru Nanak makes it clear that it is not that easy as it is expressed, on 349, SGGS:

 ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥

ਆਖਾ ਜੀਵਾ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਉ ॥  ਆਖਣਿ ਅਉਖਾ ਸਾਚਾ ਨਾਉ॥

Āsā mėhlā 1.

Ākẖā jīvā visrai mar jā▫o.  Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.

Raag Asa, bani Of First Nanak.

Oh Prabh!  I live by praising you; if I forget, I die. It is very difficult to praise your eternal Name.

            We know that all people say/ describe Akalpurakh or Naam, and third Nanak addresses this truth about their attempts of expressing Naam on 362, SGGS.

Shabda on 349, SGGS continues:

ਆਖਣਿ ਆਖੈ ਬਕੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥  ਆਪੇ ਬਖਸਿ ਮਿਲਾਏ ਸੋਇ ॥

 ਕਹਣੈ ਕਥਨਿ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥   ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦਿ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥੩॥ 

Ākẖaṇ ākẖai bakai sabẖ ko▫e.  Āpe bakẖas milā▫e so▫e.

Kahṇai kathan na pā▫i▫ā jā▫e.  Gur parsāḏ vasai man ā▫e. ||3||

In Essence: Just for the sake of saying, all say About Akalpurakh and His Name; however; it is Prabh who graces the mortals and unites them with Him. Just by merely saying His Name, He is not obtained; one obtains Akalpurakh only then when Akalpurakh abides in the mind through the Guru’s blessings.

            Two things are made clear, one that Akalpurakh- grace is important; second is to obey the Guru who blesses us  with Prabh path. Again, becoming worthy of Akalpurakh by getting rid of five negative forces is deemed as mandatory factor to be successful in Naam Simran.

            ਆਖਣਿ ਆਖੈ = ਆਖਣ ਨੂੰ ਆਖਦਾ ਹੈ, ਰਿਵਾਜੀ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਆਖਦਾ ਹੈ। ਬਕੈ = ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹੈ। ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ = ਹਰੇਕ ਮਨੁੱਖ। ਕਹਣੈ = ਆਖਣ ਨਾਲ। ਕਥਨਿ = ਆਖਣ ਨਾਲ। ਪਰਸਾਦਿ = ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਾਲ। ਮਨਿ = ਮਨ ਵਿਚ।੩।

            (ਹੇ ਭਾਈ!) ਰਿਵਾਜੀ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਹਰੇਕ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਖਦਾ ਹੈ, ਸੁਣਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ (ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ) ਹਰੇਕ ਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਜਿਸ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਚਰਨਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਮਿਲਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਮਿਲਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜ਼ਬਾਨੀ ਆਖਣ ਨਾਲ ਗੱਲਾਂ ਕਰਨ ਨਾਲ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ, ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਾਲ ਮਨ ਵਿਚ ਆ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ।੩।

            Why one cannot obtain Naam by merely saying and discussing? It has been already explained, but now the Guru defines it in a detail:

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇ ॥  ਹਰਿ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਾਤੇ ਮੋਹੁ ਚੁਕਾਇ ॥ 

ਅਤਿ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦ ਵੀਚਾਰ ॥  ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਵਾਰਣਹਾਰ ॥੪॥੪॥੪੩॥ 

Gurmukẖ vicẖahu āp gavā▫e.  Har rang rāṯe moh cẖukā▫e.

Aṯ nirmal gur sabaḏ vīcẖār.  Nānak nām savāraṇhār. ||4||4||43||

In Essence: The Guru followers get rid of self conceit and attachment by getting drenched in Har’s love; through reflecting on the Guru shabda, the Guru followers become extremely pure; Nanak says that the Name of Prabh embellishes the seekers.

            Purity doesn’t come with ablutions, the Guru repeatedly stresses on this; it comes when one gets rid of five negative forces. When attachment is gone, conceit also goes away as well. Then no negative force remains active within and the mind gets stilled. What happens then? Akalpurakh graces the seeker with Naam.

            ਆਪੁ = ਆਪਾ-ਭਾਵ। ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ = ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ। ਰੰਗਿ ਰਾਤੇ = ਰੰਗ ਵਿਚ ਰੰਗਿਆ ਜਾਣ ਕਰਕੇ। ਅਤਿ = ਬਹੁਤ। ਨਾਮਿ = ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਰਾਹੀਂ।੪।

            ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਅੰਦਰੋਂ ਆਪਾ-ਭਾਵ ਦੂਰ ਕਰ ਲੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਤੇ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ-ਰੰਗ ਵਿਚ ਰੰਗੀਜ ਕੇ (ਆਪਣੇ ਅੰਦਰੋਂ ਮਾਇਆ ਦਾ) ਮੋਹ ਮੁਕਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦੀ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਬਹੁਤ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਜੀਵਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਬਣਾ ਦੇਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਪ੍ਰਭੂ-ਨਾਮ ਵਿਚ ਜੁੜ ਕੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਹੋਰਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਜੀਵਨ ਸੰਵਾਰਨ ਜੋਗਾ ਭੀ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।੪।੪।੪੩।

            If we do not go through the procedure the Guru expresses, we will never understand “Naam” through anyone’s discourse or by reading piles of books written by so called scholars. Again, it is an experience and to have that, we need to do what the experienced ones did.

            Naam experience is only known to Akalpurakh, the Gurus and Akalpurakh’s devotees who have experienced Akalpurakh.

            The Sloka given in the beginning of this article guides us toward that procedure. First, we need to live in an environment, which is devoted to experience Akalpurakh; second, we need to get rid of five negative forces (self conceit, anger, greed, lust and attachment) completely; third is the stage where the grace of Akalpurakh becomes destined. Naam serves as medicine to cure our deficiencies that weaken us. In Japji on 7 and 8, SGGS, the process is defined in realms (Khands) and bear in mind, Jap Ji is interpreted everywhere in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.  After going through that process, certainly one gets separated from the crowd mentality and becomes one with Akalpurakh; then Naam experience occurs.

            Gurubani is not about philosophies but an experience with the Creator. Very rare go through that process and experience the Creator; only such Gurmukhas can share Naam experience with us; otherwise, those ones, who teach us about Naam without Naam –  experience, just prattle. It is like a science formula; if it is on the book, it is just there, but when its practical is done, it is experienced.

In Punjabi (Gurmukhi), the interpretation is by Dr. Sahib Singh

Humbly

G Singh