Dear Khalsa Ji,
With the blessings from ‘The Sat’, I share with you my understanding of the 15th Pauri of Anand Sahib.
1. ijau qU clwieih iqv clh suAwmI horu ikAw jwxw gux qyry ] ji-o too chalaa-ihi tiv chalah su-aamee hor ki-aa jaanaa gun tayray.
I walk (live) as you make me walk my master, what else do I know about your positive attributes.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib, through this sentence, conveys to me that I am nothing. All what I may think I am doing is in fact what ‘The Sat’ makes me do. This is a major realisation in life that is why Guru Sahib has mentioned it here. Guru Sahib in the second part of the sentence tells me that with human faculties, I cannot go beyond this realisation. This is what is implied in Guru Sahib saying – what do I know about your Gunas i.e. the positive attributes.
2. ijv qU clwieih iqvY clh ijnw mwrig pwvhy ] jiv too chalaa-ihi tivai chalah jinaa maarag paavhay.
As you make one walk, so the individual walks on the path on which you have placed her or him.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib tells me that it is ‘The Sat’ who decides the path that I have to follow in my life.
3. kir ikrpw ijn nwim lwieih is hir hir sdw iDAwvhy ] kar kirpaa jin naam laa-ihi se har har sadaa Dhi-aavhay.
With your grace, those whom you have linked to Naam, always remain imbued with Simran.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib tells me that even the linkage with Naam also gets formed by the grace of ‘The Sat’. Those who are blessed this way their whole life becomes an expression of Naam. Jaap is definitely a part of this graced individual. For this graced individual who lives the life of a householder, the truth is the cause, the basis and the result of all that such individual does.
4. ijs no kQw suxwieih AwpxI is gurduAwrY suKu pwvhy ] jis no kathaa sunaa-ihi aapnee se gurdu-aarai sukh paavhay.
Those whom you enable to listen your sayings find bliss at the Gurdwara.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib makes it absolutely clear to me that even the frame of mind that can listen to what ‘The Sat’ is saying comes only by the grace of ‘The Sat’. It is only these graced individuals that experience bliss in Gurdwara.
It is important here to understand the word ‘Gurdwara’.
For me Sri Guru Granth Sahib is my Guru. When I sit near Sri Guru Granth Sahib, why do I say that I am in Gurdwara? Why I do not say that I am with the Guru; why the word ‘Dwara’ still remains?
Pondering over it what comes to my mind, I share with you. My understanding tells me that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is my Guru that tells me the way; it is the means and not the end. The end is Satguru i.e. ‘The Sat’. It is for this reason even in the presence of my current Guru – Sri Guru Granth Sahib; I am still at Gurdwara i.e. at the door only.
There is a path of spirituality for me to be traversed beyond this ‘Dwara’ i.e. beyond the door or the way shown to me by my guru – Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This path of evolution enshrine in my Guru - Sri Guru Granth Sahib - I have to live, practice, assimilate and become one with it before I qualify to go beyond the ‘Dwara’ and realise the Satguru i.e. ‘The Sat’. Till that time I remain at Gurdwara only as a seeker waiting for the Gurparsadi. Beyond Gurdwara is the domain of divines. It is for this reason we say we are in Gurdwara, though we are in proximity of our Guru i.e. Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
5. khY nwnku scy swihb ijau BwvY iqvY clwvhy ]15] kahai naanak sachay saahib ji-o bhaavai tivai chalaavahay. ||15||
Says Nanak, O my true supreme as it pleases you; you make us walk.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib here makes it very clear to me that I will receive only which ‘The Sat’ considers proper. This also tells me that I should continue to strive to improve my self, and evolve, but I cannot allocate any thing or rank myself; it is all decided by ‘The Sat’.
Now, I close.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal
With the blessings from ‘The Sat’, I share with you my understanding of the 15th Pauri of Anand Sahib.
1. ijau qU clwieih iqv clh suAwmI horu ikAw jwxw gux qyry ] ji-o too chalaa-ihi tiv chalah su-aamee hor ki-aa jaanaa gun tayray.
I walk (live) as you make me walk my master, what else do I know about your positive attributes.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib, through this sentence, conveys to me that I am nothing. All what I may think I am doing is in fact what ‘The Sat’ makes me do. This is a major realisation in life that is why Guru Sahib has mentioned it here. Guru Sahib in the second part of the sentence tells me that with human faculties, I cannot go beyond this realisation. This is what is implied in Guru Sahib saying – what do I know about your Gunas i.e. the positive attributes.
2. ijv qU clwieih iqvY clh ijnw mwrig pwvhy ] jiv too chalaa-ihi tivai chalah jinaa maarag paavhay.
As you make one walk, so the individual walks on the path on which you have placed her or him.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib tells me that it is ‘The Sat’ who decides the path that I have to follow in my life.
3. kir ikrpw ijn nwim lwieih is hir hir sdw iDAwvhy ] kar kirpaa jin naam laa-ihi se har har sadaa Dhi-aavhay.
With your grace, those whom you have linked to Naam, always remain imbued with Simran.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib tells me that even the linkage with Naam also gets formed by the grace of ‘The Sat’. Those who are blessed this way their whole life becomes an expression of Naam. Jaap is definitely a part of this graced individual. For this graced individual who lives the life of a householder, the truth is the cause, the basis and the result of all that such individual does.
4. ijs no kQw suxwieih AwpxI is gurduAwrY suKu pwvhy ] jis no kathaa sunaa-ihi aapnee se gurdu-aarai sukh paavhay.
Those whom you enable to listen your sayings find bliss at the Gurdwara.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib makes it absolutely clear to me that even the frame of mind that can listen to what ‘The Sat’ is saying comes only by the grace of ‘The Sat’. It is only these graced individuals that experience bliss in Gurdwara.
It is important here to understand the word ‘Gurdwara’.
For me Sri Guru Granth Sahib is my Guru. When I sit near Sri Guru Granth Sahib, why do I say that I am in Gurdwara? Why I do not say that I am with the Guru; why the word ‘Dwara’ still remains?
Pondering over it what comes to my mind, I share with you. My understanding tells me that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is my Guru that tells me the way; it is the means and not the end. The end is Satguru i.e. ‘The Sat’. It is for this reason even in the presence of my current Guru – Sri Guru Granth Sahib; I am still at Gurdwara i.e. at the door only.
There is a path of spirituality for me to be traversed beyond this ‘Dwara’ i.e. beyond the door or the way shown to me by my guru – Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This path of evolution enshrine in my Guru - Sri Guru Granth Sahib - I have to live, practice, assimilate and become one with it before I qualify to go beyond the ‘Dwara’ and realise the Satguru i.e. ‘The Sat’. Till that time I remain at Gurdwara only as a seeker waiting for the Gurparsadi. Beyond Gurdwara is the domain of divines. It is for this reason we say we are in Gurdwara, though we are in proximity of our Guru i.e. Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
5. khY nwnku scy swihb ijau BwvY iqvY clwvhy ]15] kahai naanak sachay saahib ji-o bhaavai tivai chalaavahay. ||15||
Says Nanak, O my true supreme as it pleases you; you make us walk.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib here makes it very clear to me that I will receive only which ‘The Sat’ considers proper. This also tells me that I should continue to strive to improve my self, and evolve, but I cannot allocate any thing or rank myself; it is all decided by ‘The Sat’.
Now, I close.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal
