Paudi-9-11-Jap Ji sahib-Interpretation

Interpretation of Paudi-9,10 and 11

Introduction To Jap ji sahib

• Jap Ji, a pre-amble to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, reveals the mission of human life. It defines the goal as the realization (understanding) of the Supremus, Ik Oangkar, the Ever-True Reality and describes the ways to achieve that. The hymns also caution about the pit falls in the path of that goal and the methods to avoid them or overcome them. The message of Jap Ji can be understood properly only in the background of the religions that were then practiced when Guru Nanak appeared on the scene.
• Man has ever desired to live a long, happy and meaningful life. For this, the first thing people needed was food and physical comfort. This, of course, depended upon weather, that is controlled by sun, rain, winds, etc. Homo sapiens, therefore, started the worship of the weather elements as gods. In due course of time, they realized that they are not just other animals, they have been provided with unique faculties and they command a special status on the earth. Therefore, their life is not just to be lived like animals, i.e. to eat, grow, produce children, get old, complete the biological cycle and die. This thought led to the revelation that they, as humans, have a spiritual mission to achieve in their life. Religions were thus born.
• According to a simple definition of a religion, it may be considered a package for leading a virtuous life, which assures everlasting happiness to one's soul, here and in the next world (afterdeath). This package, a set of beliefs, instructing do's and don'ts, of course, is different for different faiths. Many of them, in one or the other form believe that Almighty God created this universe. He has reserved Heaven for the faithfuls, leading virtuous life. Those who ignore Him and His directions (called faith) will end in Hell. A couple of religions, however, do not involve God. They preach a life of restraint and meditation for freedom from pains and sorrows. Their goal also is to live in everlasting peace here and hereafter.
• Jap Ji was composed by Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) during the last phase of his life when he settled at Kartarpur. Earlier, he had the revelation of the divine message that all people are equal, whatever their race, country, caste, or creed. No one can claim a franchise on the Lord, the Creator and the Director of this universe; anyone who loves Him (by any name) realizes Him. After this the Guru toured for about two decades to meet religious preachers of different faiths, and share this revelation with them. He visited important holy places in India and abroad, including Mecca and Medina in the West, Ceylone (Sri Lanka) in the South, and Tibet in the Himalayas. { From Allaboutsikhs.com]

• The Gurbani (and the holy texts of other religions for that matter) is of the nature of Truth. A complete guide to practical Pure life, it provides all that is needed to raise one's consciousness to the highest dimension: the plane of Truth. However, since Truth cannot be understood with material nature, likewise, the Gurbani cannot be understood with material tendencies either. Also, being in the framework of time and space, the human body-mind-intellect are limited. Consequently, man's language is also limited. But, Absolute Truth scriptures and Masters try to explain using this limited human language is Unlimited/Infinite.

Essence of paudis 8 to 11

The overall excellence of the Japji is not structural or literary, nor is it the step-by-step progression of an argument for a planned thesis. Its unity is obtained by its consistent drive toward a basic vision or goal. Its stanzas are clustered in groups which then lead to unity of idea. The groups of stanzas deal with one topic at a time, for example, Listening to the Holy Name (Suniyai) in stanzas 8 to 11, Faith in the Holy Nams (Mannei) in 12 to 15, the discipline of Yoga in 28 to 31, or the steps of spiritual ascent (Khands) in stanzas 34 to 37. However each stanza varies in its number of lines and rhymes. Such variations are necessary in order to break up uniformity and regulate the flow of thought and rhythm. Verses 8 to 11 deal with the attentive listening and the contemplation of holy books on spiritual lore. The understanding of holy teaching brings honour and joy to all seekers of The Truth.

The Paudis-8 to 11 gives the significance/mahima of the Naam, its utterance and its listening [ Naam-jap/Simaran/Keertan and doing Paath etc.] All the Paudis express the mahima of Naam simran and hence taken together. The process starts with diligent listening and reading about the Divine Truth; which essentially means learning or acquiring Spiritual Knowledge. The Gurbani asserts that the listening process should be coupled with deep attention, concentration, singular mindedness, full faith, willingness, earnestness, right vision, etc. Thus, listening to the Shabad is an art that will take the disciple to the Supreme Goal. This is the reason some seekers seem to make better spiritual progress than others, because, they know how to listen! We all can transform our lives by simply listening and living by the Shabad. What prevents us from listening to the Spiritual Wisdom (Aatam-Giyan) is the stony core of ignorance-born egotism in our hearts. Listening to Divine Truth is so important that Baabaa Nanak devoted four stanzas of Japuji Sahib to this process (stanzas 8 through 11).
These paudis are also small and may not exceed even 65-70 words or so.
Paudis 9-11 with English Translation

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਈਸਰੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਇੰਦੁ ॥
Listening-Shiva, Brahma and Indra.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਮੁਖਿ ਸਾਲਾਹਣ ਮੰਦੁ ॥
Listening-even foul-mouthed people praise Him.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਤਨਿ ਭੇਦ ॥
Listening-the technology of Yoga and the secrets of the body.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਾਸਤ ਸਿਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਵੇਦ ॥
Listening-the Shaastras, the Simritees and the Vedas.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.
ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੯॥
Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||9||

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਤੁ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥
Listening-truth, contentment and spiritual wisdom.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਅਠਸਠਿ ਕਾ ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ॥
Listening-take your cleansing bath at the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਪੜਿ ਪੜਿ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਮਾਨੁ ॥
Listening-reading and reciting, honor is obtained.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਲਾਗੈ ਸਹਜਿ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥
Listening-intuitively grasp the essence of meditation.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੧੦॥
Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||10||

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਰਾ ਗੁਣਾ ਕੇ ਗਾਹ ॥
Listening-dive deep into the ocean of virtue.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸੇਖ ਪੀਰ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹ ॥
Listening-the Shaykhs, religious scholars, spiritual teachers and emperors.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਅੰਧੇ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਰਾਹੁ ॥
Listening-even the blind find the Path.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਹਾਥ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਸਗਾਹੁ ॥
Listening-the Unreachable comes within your grasp.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੧੧॥
Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||11||

Introduction To Naam

I have died in the Shabad, and through the Shabad, I am dead while yet alive, O Siblings of Destiny; through the Shabad, I have been liberated. Through the Shabad, my mind and body have been purified, and God has come to dwell within my mind. The Guru is the Giver of the Shabad; my mind is imbued with it, and I remain absorbed in God. Those who do not know the Shabad are blind and deaf; why did they even bother to come into the world? They do not obtain the subtle essence of God’s elixir; they waste away their lives, and are reincarnated over and over again.
The blind, idiotic, Manmukhs (material beings) are like maggots in
manure, and in manure they rot away (sggs 601).




The expressions such as Shabad, Naam, Bani, Hukam, Divine Word, God, Truth, and so on, are virtually synonymous.
The Gurbani concludes that, as God is one, so is His Shabad (or Naam). The omnipotent, the omnipresent, and the omniscient Supreme Self reflects Himself in the entire cosmos through His Shabad. Before the Transcendental Spirit (Nirgun Savroop) became manifested into this universe of names and forms (Sargun Savroop), the Shabad, along with all other powers (Shakti) of God, was ever inherent in Him. Thus, akin to God, the Shabad is also eternal, real, timeless, infinite, invisible, unfathomable, pure, immaculate, dynamic, the highest power of God, absolute reality and the homogeneous oneness. Thus, in essence, the Shabad is of the nature of God. Since God cannot be understood with material nature, likewise, the Shabad cannot be understood with our material inclinations.

• The Name has no form or outline and it resounds spontaneously. Through the Name, the pure Lord is revealed. [ P.351]

• From the Guru, hear thou the True Name.Nanak, again and again repeat thou the Name of the Master.

• The traders buy horses, planning to trade them. They hope to earn wealth; their attachment to Maya increases. In just the same way, the Lord's humble servants chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har; chanting the Lord's Name, they find peace.

• By repeating Thy Name I live. By forgetting it, I die. It is difficult is to repeat the True Name.If man feels appetite for the True Name,then, that appetite consumes his pains.

• Naam sustains all regions and universes, all thought, knowledge and consciousness, all skies and stars, all forces and substances, all continents and spheres. Naam emancipates those who accept it in their heart. He, on whom is His Grace, is yoked to Naam, and he reaches the highest state of development.[1. p. 284].

• Naam is the Creator of everything. To be divorced from Naam is death.? [1. p. 603]. All is created by Naam.? [1. p. 753]. Naam gives form to everything and through Naam comes all Wisdom or Light. [1. p. 946].
  
  (iii) Naam extends to all creation. There is no place or space where Naam is not. [1. p. 4].
  
  (iv) Naam is the Nine Treasures and Nectar (Amrit). It permeates the body. [1. p. 293].
  
  (v) Naam, the immaculate, is unfathomable. How can it be known? Naam is within us. How to get to it . It is Naam that works everywhere and permeates all space. The perfect Guru awakens your heart to the vision of Naam. It is by the Grace of God that one meets such an Enlightener.[1. p. 1242].

In nushell it can be stated that:

• Naam-Simran (Japa or meditation) and Divine Knowledge (spiritual Wisdom, Aatm-Giaan or Self-knowledge) are indicated to awaken the Divine Grace within; enabling one to link with the underlying Truth. The edict of the SGGS is: without realization of the Truth, one cannot link back to his True Being, Center or Source (Joti-Svaroopa) within.

Quote:

”In answer to the question of the Yogis, Guru Nanak dev ji had replied:

"When there was no sign and no form, where was the Word (Logos) and how was He identified with Truth?"

The Guru replied, "When there was no form, no sign, no individuation, the Word in its essence abided in the Transcendent God; when there was no earth, no sky, (time or space), the Lord permeated everything.All distinctions , all forms then abided in the Wondrous Word. No one is pure without Truth. Ineffable is this gospel." [1. pp. 945-6].
In short, the Gurus say that before He created form, He was Formless; before He was Immanent, He was Transcendent only : and yet, all immanence, expression, creativity were inherent in Him, and so was His Word, in essence.” Unquote [Sri. Daljeet Singh.]

Paudi- 9

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਈਸਰੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਇੰਦੁ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਮੁਖਿ ਸਾਲਾਹਣ ਮੰਦੁ ॥ ਸੁਣਿਐ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਤਨਿ ਭੇਦ ॥ ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਾਸਤ ਸਿਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਵੇਦ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥ ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੯॥

IX

·By hearing the Name man become as Shiv, Brahma, and Indar.
By hearing the Name even the low become highly lauded.
By hearing the Name the way of Jog and the secrets of the body are obtained.
By hearing the Name man understandeth the real nature of the Shastars, the Simtritis, and the Veds.
Nanak, the saints, are ever happy.
By hearing the Name sorrow and sin are no more.
[http://www.sacred-texts.com/skh/tsr1/tsr121.htm]

All the Gods/Godesses [Devtas] like Shiva, Brahma and Indra have got their positions because of listening to Naam. Ishar[Shiva], Brahma and Indra are only the positions and designations and anyone desirous of becoming like them can become so by doing Naam practice. They have also listened to the Name of the Lord and are in the state of meditation. By naam –Jaap/Simran one can rise to higher spiritual levels that is important for self realization and finally recognizing the truth. By repeating HIS Name we live. By forgetting it, we die. It is difficult to repeat the Name.If man feels appetite for the True Name,then, that appetite consumes his pains. Naam is almost everything by the achievement of which everything is achieved and all that seems impossible becomes possible.

Satgur Maharaaj says that when a person of low status starts praising the Lord he automatically attains higher social status. [By constant practice of Naam the Lord gets established in Mind and it becomes peaceful]. One in whose mind Naam is established is very fortunate as he is always in the company of HIS blessings. It requires development of deep love of the lord and one should not waste even a single breath that should go without His remembrance. It may look difficult but by repeated practice of Naam/bani one is blessed with the love of God; it depends upon the faith of the person as well. If one does not have love of Lord the exercise of doing Simran is a sham and is futile. Love Of God is essential for developing a feeling of devotion. It is necessary to carry out the devotional worship of the lord. Through devotional worship of the Lord, liberation and bliss are obtained.[154-15] There is no peace without devotional worship of the Lord[210-9]. Liberation, pleasures and worldly success are all in the Lord's Name. With loving devotional worship one should sing His Glorious Praises.[220-3]. Without devotional worship of the Lord, where can anyone find stability? People wander around endlessly.[215-14]One should be in constsnt and continued remembrance of the lord and the love of the lord develops over a period of time.[Gyani Maskeen ji.] The Gurmukh obtains devotional worship of the Lord, and thus remains dead while yet alive and controls the ego.[245-18] Without devotional worship, human life passes away in vain.[336-13].The inter linked concept of the devotional worship is the fear of the Lord. Without Fear of lord no devotional worship is possible. Thus love of Lord leads to fear of the lord as well and one automatically gets into devotional worship but with HIS grace only that is the essence of Sikh philosophy.

The kingdom of the kings are within limits. Many struggle to know His limits, but His limits cannot be found.[5-9] The lord has no limits. No one can know these limits. The more one says about them, the more there still remains to be said. His limits cannot be known or even estimated. A king takes care of a few under his control But He takes care of people in 8.4 million types of lives scattered over the three worlds and HE is the King of the Kings and so is HIS Naam or name that sustains and nourishes the entire creation. He is all-powerful, perfect, eternal and unchanging, exalted, unapproachable and infinite.[545-16]He created the world, with its various colors, species of beings, and the variety of Maya. He does whatever He pleases. No order can be issued to Him.[Jap Ji sahib] The Lord is, and shall always be. He was not born; He shall not die. His Naam is, therefore, as great as HE is. We also originated from Him, and into Him we shall merge once again. [545-10] God is the One who accomplishes everything; He is the Dispeller of pain. We should never forget Him from your mind, even for an instant.[546—2]

By listening to Naam one understands the secrets of the Body and also learn the techniques of Yoga. Guru Nanak dev ji Maharaj has been stated to be the masters of Raaj yoga [as per Swayyiaye]. There are few who also practice yoga of kundalini awakening. They are also able to reach the higher spiritual levels and can attain the Lord. But by following the tricks of Yogas one reaches the destination quite slowly. But the process of Naam jap is more effective. This is called as the Bihangam Marg. By Naam jap one realizes that this body is perishable and further one does not worry about the Death and takes it as a process of continuity. One can attain the final goal with Naam Jaap quite easily and quickly. As per the Bani, The Name has no form or outline and it resounds spontaneously. Through the Name, the pure Lord is revealed. Gurbani is the jewel, the treasure of devotion.[376-14]. The Bani of His Word emanated from the Primal Lord.[628-1] The Bani, the Word is the most sublime and exalted; it prevails throughout the ages. One who is committed to this Bani is emancipated, and through the Shabad, merges in Truth.[909]
By listening to Naam a person understands the secrets of the Vedas and Smiritis i.e he attains the knowledge of these spiritual books. One cannot explain the significance and importance of Naam Jap in full as one has to realize this oneself to know the state that one reaches by listening to naam or practicising Naam jap. One has to realize Naam in this life itself. The teachings of Guru sahibs are to be followed in toto.
The desciple/Sikh who practice are always happy and in the state of bliss.The Nitnem is a gift of Lord bestowed on th Sikhs. One who takes bath in the morning gets his sins erased. Similarly by doing Paath in the morning one further gets the erasure of the sins. Likewise if one continues to do the Simran gets blessings of the lord and becomes eligible for the Grace of the Lord. Doing Nitnem and Bani is equivalent to Naam jap if this is carried out with full attention and devotion. Bani has been called as God. The Bani, the Word of the True Guru, is true, absolutely true. The Creator Lord Himself causes the Guru to chant it[308-4]. Through the Word of the Guru's Bani, the Naam resounds.[362].It is through the Immaculate Bani of the Word, the mortal dwells within the home of his own inner self.[362]Even Singing the Kirtan of the Lord's Praises, the Naam abides within the mind.[363]

Paudi-10

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਤੁ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥ ਸੁਣਿਐ ਅਠਸਠਿ ਕਾ ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਪੜਿ ਪੜਿ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਮਾਨੁ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਲਾਗੈ ਸਹਜਿ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੧੦॥



X

·By hearing the Name truth, contentment, and divine knowledge are obtained.
Hearing the. Name. is equal to bathing at the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage.
By hearing the Name and reading it man obtaineth honour.
·By hearing the Name the mind is composed and fixed on God.
Nanak, the saints are ever happy.
By hearing the Name sorrow and sin are no more.
[Japji]


The very style of Baba Nanak's teaching is couched in variety of similes, allegories, metaphors, figurative or mystic representations. He takes a convenient worldly object and describes it in such a poetic style so as to express some of the subtler philosophical truths and thereby convey some deeper spiritual message. For example, in the Gurbani, sword (Kirpaan) is used as a metaphor of spiritual wisdom; because the darkness of ignorance (false ego, Maya, delusion, false identity, etc.) can only be dispelled in the Light of intuitive wisdom. In other words, the All-pervading Divine Presence is experienced only with spiritual wisdom.
There are internal and external means of obtaining higher spiritual levels. One can do regularly Paath or practicising bani as well. Constantly listening to the Ambrosial Gurbani in the heart, it becomes pleasing to the mind.[366-11].
It is through Gurbani, the Incomprehensible Lord is comprehended.[366-12].

One attains the qualities of Sat, Santokh and Gyan by listening to Naam or practicising Naam Jaap. In this world of human affairs of materialism one does not get satisfaction easily. A person who practices Naam burns the desires and his requirements get reduced automatically. He is in constant state of bliss. Even in his sleep he receives the blessings of Lord. One reaches the higher spiritual levels and attains Brahm Gyaan. One attains the benefit of visiting the places of pilgrimages and taking baths at holy. One need not visit the places of pilgrimages.This benefit can be attained by the Naam jap.
One who does not practice Naam is not in a position to remove the filth of mind. The Gurbani indicates that all suffering is of the human mind; for it's the mind that is the cause for sorrows or discomfort. Therefore, the root cause of man's all suffering lies in the human mind itself. To help us, accordingly, there is tremendous coverage of the mind's functioning and control in the Gurbani.The cleansing of mind is done by Naam simran. Naam washes the filth of mind. There is lot of significance of naam jap of ‘waheguru’ .One should listen the ‘waheguru’ uttered by the mouth and should keep his full attention on ‘waheguru’ in mind that should be filled with love for the Naam. Naam is everything. Naam is the killer of ignorance and one is able to attain the state of Dhyaan easily. One gets peace of mind by constant simran. The disciples are always in the state of happiness. The pains of the seeker/practioner of Naam get reduced and he gets the blessings of the lord. "Deluded mind thinks of all sorts of corruption" and "This mind is ruined by its attachment to Maya", says the Gurbani. The Gurbani goes on to say, "The mind is in the control of evil passions, evil intent, and duality." The external mind being the false ego-sense or Haume, its faults are lust, anger, greed, emotional attachment, self-conceit, enviousness, stubborn mindedness (and their numerous variations).. The subtle defects of such intrinsic mind are inner impurity, restlessness, and ignorance. Thus, the external mind can be compared with the eclipsed moon. If such faulty and deluded mind is allowed to run our life, the result will undoubtedly be repeated suffering. The mind is negativity. It hides the Truth. As a fly likes to sit on the trash and filth, the mind likes to brood over the the past and the future. When the memories of the past, which is dead, and the worries of the unknown future are absent, there is the state of no-mind.
In other words, the phantom of the mind exits so long we live in the dead past and unknown future. When we start living in the eternity of the Now, the mind is no more active to haunt us. So the mind is what we make of it. In other words, as the Gurbani indicates, it will become like Maya (illusion, duality etc.) if guided and channeled toidentify with the worldly illusion; it will become like God if it it is guided and channeled to identify with the godly consciousness; and it will indulge in sense-gratification if identified with the menacing body-consciousness. Similarly, it will be miserable if identified with the past and future. It will be happy if identified with the eternity of the Now or Infinite Wisdom. Naam helps in attaining these qualities and virtues and also helps in washing of the filth of mind. Naam Simran has a lasting and positive effect of cleansing the mind.
Man controlled by the sense pleasures is spiritually blind. Physical control means control of the external senses. Human body is equipped with ten sense organs. Five of which are known as cognitive organs (taste, smell, seeing, word, and touch), and the remaining five are called conative organs (legs, hands, tongue, ****, and genital). As the mind is controlled, we also learn to control the external sense organs. Control at the physical level can be very helpful, because happenings at the external level can effect the atmosphere of the mind.

Paudi-11

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਰਾ ਗੁਣਾ ਕੇ ਗਾਹ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸੇਖ ਪੀਰ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਅੰਧੇ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਰਾਹੁ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਹਾਥ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਸਗਾਹੁ ॥ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੧੧॥



XI

·By hearing the Name, the depth of the sea of virtue is sounded.
By hearing the Name men become Shaikhs, Pirs, and Emperors.
By hearing the Name a blind man findeth his way.
By hearing the Name the unfathomable becometh fathomable.
Nanak, the saints are ever happy.
By hearing the Name sorrow and sin are no more.
[http://www.sacred-texts.com/skh/tsr1/tsr121.htm]

Sidhas asked for additional benefits Of naam and it was explained by the nanak dev ji as follows:
Naam is the creator of the five elements. By Naam Jaap one gets the virtues that are liked by the lord and also attains the knowledge of various arts. One is able to control the senses. Even Sheikh, peer and patshah praise the name. They have also become the persons of higher status because of listening of Naam. Even the blind gets to the right path. [A blind person is the one who lacks the knowledge].


A person who has faith in Naam is able to attain everything. A person who does not have physical eyes need could see everything even without eyes. The internal eyes of the person gets opened.
Even the sea becomes very small and limited.[ ਅਸਗਾਹੁ=ਡੂੰਘਾ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ, ਡੂੰਘੇ ਪਾਣੀ, ਬਹੁਤ ਡੂੰਘਾ, ਅਥਾਹ, ਸੰਸਾਰ (ਰੂਪ ਅਥਾਹ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ)= Deep]
Thus literally it means; even a sea becomes equivalent of arm’s length by listening to Naam. The troubles of the devotee are reduced or removed and he does not feel the difference between pain and pleasure. He develops a state of equipoise that is very essential for the attainment of higher level of spirituality. In Asa Di vaar Guru Nanak dev ji has also stated.”I look upon pleasure and pain alike; I shall not forsake the Naam, the Name of the Lord. The Lord Himself forgives me, and blends me with Himself.[416-3]” .Continuing with same concept Nanak dev ji Maharaaj further adds.“ One who recognizes bad and good as one and the same - in this way he is absorbed into the Lord and Master.[432-8]. At many other places in bani this has been stressd that:” He remains unaffected by both fortune and misfortune, and he recognizes the Creator Lord.” [496-6].He alone is a devotee, who looks alike upon pleasure and pain; he is imbued with the Name of the Lord.[574-11]


God dwells in the heart of “That man, who in the midst of pain, does not feel pain,who is not affected by pleasure, affection or fear, and who looks alike upon gold and dust;Who is not swayed by either slander or praise, nor affected by greed, attachment or pride;who remains unaffected by joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor; who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world;who is not touched by sexual desire or anger “[ang-633-15]


A person who is blessed with Naam Jaap can reach anywhere by mere thoughts. It is the faith of the person that is lacking if one does not get results.

One can get HIM established in mind through this route of naam Jap. The disciples are always in the state of happiness. The pains of the seeker/practioner of Naam get reduced and he gets the blessings of the lord.
Bhul Chuk Mauf and sorry For the mistakes

Interpretation of Paudi-9,10 and 11

Introduction To Jap ji sahib

• Jap Ji, a pre-amble to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, reveals the mission of human life. It defines the goal as the realization (understanding) of the Supremus, Ik Oangkar, the Ever-True Reality and describes the ways to achieve that. The hymns also caution about the pit falls in the path of that goal and the methods to avoid them or overcome them. The message of Jap Ji can be understood properly only in the background of the religions that were then practiced when Guru Nanak appeared on the scene.
• Man has ever desired to live a long, happy and meaningful life. For this, the first thing people needed was food and physical comfort. This, of course, depended upon weather, that is controlled by sun, rain, winds, etc. Homo sapiens, therefore, started the worship of the weather elements as gods. In due course of time, they realized that they are not just other animals, they have been provided with unique faculties and they command a special status on the earth. Therefore, their life is not just to be lived like animals, i.e. to eat, grow, produce children, get old, complete the biological cycle and die. This thought led to the revelation that they, as humans, have a spiritual mission to achieve in their life. Religions were thus born.
• According to a simple definition of a religion, it may be considered a package for leading a virtuous life, which assures everlasting happiness to one's soul, here and in the next world (afterdeath). This package, a set of beliefs, instructing do's and don'ts, of course, is different for different faiths. Many of them, in one or the other form believe that Almighty God created this universe. He has reserved Heaven for the faithfuls, leading virtuous life. Those who ignore Him and His directions (called faith) will end in Hell. A couple of religions, however, do not involve God. They preach a life of restraint and meditation for freedom from pains and sorrows. Their goal also is to live in everlasting peace here and hereafter.
• Jap Ji was composed by Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) during the last phase of his life when he settled at Kartarpur. Earlier, he had the revelation of the divine message that all people are equal, whatever their race, country, caste, or creed. No one can claim a franchise on the Lord, the Creator and the Director of this universe; anyone who loves Him (by any name) realizes Him. After this the Guru toured for about two decades to meet religious preachers of different faiths, and share this revelation with them. He visited important holy places in India and abroad, including Mecca and Medina in the West, Ceylone (Sri Lanka) in the South, and Tibet in the Himalayas. { From Allaboutsikhs.com]

• The Gurbani (and the holy texts of other religions for that matter) is of the nature of Truth. A complete guide to practical Pure life, it provides all that is needed to raise one's consciousness to the highest dimension: the plane of Truth. However, since Truth cannot be understood with material nature, likewise, the Gurbani cannot be understood with material tendencies either. Also, being in the framework of time and space, the human body-mind-intellect are limited. Consequently, man's language is also limited. But, Absolute Truth scriptures and Masters try to explain using this limited human language is Unlimited/Infinite.

Essence of paudis 8 to 11

The overall excellence of the Japji is not structural or literary, nor is it the step-by-step progression of an argument for a planned thesis. Its unity is obtained by its consistent drive toward a basic vision or goal. Its stanzas are clustered in groups which then lead to unity of idea. The groups of stanzas deal with one topic at a time, for example, Listening to the Holy Name (Suniyai) in stanzas 8 to 11, Faith in the Holy Nams (Mannei) in 12 to 15, the discipline of Yoga in 28 to 31, or the steps of spiritual ascent (Khands) in stanzas 34 to 37. However each stanza varies in its number of lines and rhymes. Such variations are necessary in order to break up uniformity and regulate the flow of thought and rhythm. Verses 8 to 11 deal with the attentive listening and the contemplation of holy books on spiritual lore. The understanding of holy teaching brings honour and joy to all seekers of The Truth.

The Paudis-8 to 11 gives the significance/mahima of the Naam, its utterance and its listening [ Naam-jap/Simaran/Keertan and doing Paath etc.] All the Paudis express the mahima of Naam simran and hence taken together. The process starts with diligent listening and reading about the Divine Truth; which essentially means learning or acquiring Spiritual Knowledge. The Gurbani asserts that the listening process should be coupled with deep attention, concentration, singular mindedness, full faith, willingness, earnestness, right vision, etc. Thus, listening to the Shabad is an art that will take the disciple to the Supreme Goal. This is the reason some seekers seem to make better spiritual progress than others, because, they know how to listen! We all can transform our lives by simply listening and living by the Shabad. What prevents us from listening to the Spiritual Wisdom (Aatam-Giyan) is the stony core of ignorance-born egotism in our hearts. Listening to Divine Truth is so important that Baabaa Nanak devoted four stanzas of Japuji Sahib to this process (stanzas 8 through 11).
These paudis are also small and may not exceed even 65-70 words or so.
Paudis 9-11 with English Translation

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਈਸਰੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਇੰਦੁ ॥
Listening-Shiva, Brahma and Indra.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਮੁਖਿ ਸਾਲਾਹਣ ਮੰਦੁ ॥
Listening-even foul-mouthed people praise Him.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਤਨਿ ਭੇਦ ॥
Listening-the technology of Yoga and the secrets of the body.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਾਸਤ ਸਿਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਵੇਦ ॥
Listening-the Shaastras, the Simritees and the Vedas.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.
ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੯॥
Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||9||

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਤੁ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥
Listening-truth, contentment and spiritual wisdom.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਅਠਸਠਿ ਕਾ ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ॥
Listening-take your cleansing bath at the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਪੜਿ ਪੜਿ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਮਾਨੁ ॥
Listening-reading and reciting, honor is obtained.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਲਾਗੈ ਸਹਜਿ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥
Listening-intuitively grasp the essence of meditation.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੧੦॥
Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||10||

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਰਾ ਗੁਣਾ ਕੇ ਗਾਹ ॥
Listening-dive deep into the ocean of virtue.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸੇਖ ਪੀਰ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹ ॥
Listening-the Shaykhs, religious scholars, spiritual teachers and emperors.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਅੰਧੇ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਰਾਹੁ ॥
Listening-even the blind find the Path.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਹਾਥ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਸਗਾਹੁ ॥
Listening-the Unreachable comes within your grasp.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੧੧॥
Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||11||

Introduction To Naam

I have died in the Shabad, and through the Shabad, I am dead while yet alive, O Siblings of Destiny; through the Shabad, I have been liberated. Through the Shabad, my mind and body have been purified, and God has come to dwell within my mind. The Guru is the Giver of the Shabad; my mind is imbued with it, and I remain absorbed in God. Those who do not know the Shabad are blind and deaf; why did they even bother to come into the world? They do not obtain the subtle essence of God’s elixir; they waste away their lives, and are reincarnated over and over again.
The blind, idiotic, Manmukhs (material beings) are like maggots in
manure, and in manure they rot away (sggs 601).




The expressions such as Shabad, Naam, Bani, Hukam, Divine Word, God, Truth, and so on, are virtually synonymous.
The Gurbani concludes that, as God is one, so is His