Paudi-17-19-Jap Ji Sahib-Interpretation

Japji Some views about Jap Ji sahib[1]

Man is in the lap of time and the world is our playground, here one makes the decision to play, or toy with life, or to make it meaningful by pursuing Nanak's path. Truth, God is eternal; the question is how will man respond. Will he try?

The prayer instills a desire to do so, to praise God, and tells of the rewards and joys of such a response. Certainly, the Morning Prayer is important both theologically as well as for the spiritual stability of a believer. The Japji orients one's mind towards a religious life, as each day begins.

The Sikh Japji or Morning Prayer quite easily could contain at most all the essential points of the Sikh religion. Since, according to the prayer, prayer alone makes the soul whole, there is little wonder why each morning is started by prayer, and especially this one. The Japji seems to be a reminder and inspirer for each believer to not only review his faith as he says prayer; but by meeting each tenet again, he is filled with the emotion, the idea, and the spirit of faith. It charges the day to come with meaning, purpose and incentive for further understanding of the faith.

On Interpretation of Bani

Interpreting the Bani in English is always a challenging task for any one who undertakes this. There are many assumptions that one has to take into consideration. Literal meanings may not be arrived at correctly as the Bani is in the form of poetry. Any author would, therefore, try to analyze as per the intellect that one is blessed with or as per the resources made available by Lord. There shall always be points of differences with the others who read it. However, it is the best way of putting across the opinion. In the forums like SPN one puts the views to learn and not to teach. Any one with any interpretation can post the views.

I have already expressed mine through this humble effort. There might have been some repetitions that are kept intentionally to make the subject matter self- contained so that reading becomes smooth.

Interpretation of Paudi-17

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Essence of Paudi-17

The Paudi is to be read along with the Paudi –16 that deals with some of the attributes of the Lord, the Almighty. Very fortunate are those who lead their life according to the Divine Will. The ‘Naam’ becomes the support of those who are always equipoised and remain in the blessed state of Simran and in constant devotion of the Lord. The concept of equi-poise is very important and is the first stage of the journey of a seeler. However, no one can find the Limits of the Lord. The more one tries to know Him, the more ignorant one feel as there is no end of the Glory of the lord and His potency.

In essence as per Paudi-17, if one does not lead this precious life according to the will of lord and the teachings of the Guru’s, one would only be one of those who spend their life in various kinds of rituals including Jap, Tap, worship, study of scriptures and also other who are engaged in similar kind of rituals but are not bothered about the Hukum/Divine Will or do not recognize the same.

Interpretation and Subjective analysis


ਅਸੰਖ ਜਪ ਅਸੰਖ ਭਾਉ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਪੂਜਾ ਅਸੰਖ ਤਪ ਤਾਉ ॥
ਅਸੰਖ ਗਰੰਥ ਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਦ ਪਾਠ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਜੋਗ ਮਨਿ ਰਹਹਿ ਉਦਾਸ ॥ਅਸੰਖ ਭਗਤ ਗੁਣ ਗਿਆਨ ਵੀਚਾਰ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਸਤੀ ਅਸੰਖ ਦਾਤਾਰ ॥

Meaning of jap: Mantras

In this creation of the almighty there are innumerable and countless people who practice of the ‘jap’.

[‘jap’As per Mohan Kosh: 1.The act of meditation by repetition of a Mantra/sacred word (may be silent). (2) Name of a composition of hymns by Guru Nanak and includes recitation. In Sikhism we have some mantras like Mool Mantra, Guru Mantra and beej mantra besides more; all these have significant meanings attached to them.]

And likewise there are infinite number of persons who behave with love with other persons, innumerable are the persons who are worship the Divine and infinite is the number of persons who are practice self discipline and religious austerity/penance and self mortification.

Yog/Yoga and Meaning

Infinite are those who practice Yoga i.e. the process of a uniting soul with Universal Soul (God) by means of contemplative meditation. Infinite is the number of those who recite the religious scriptures and many other remain depressed in mind.[Sad, sorrow, sullen, dull, cheerless]

The term Yoga has been discussed at some places over the Granth sahib. In reference to the context it would imply the union with lord and seeking out the liberation/Mokhsha/Nirvaan/Mukti or Salvation, although there is no exact word to represent this concept. The one who is an aspirant of 'yog'/'yoga' is Yogi. It is not to be interpreted as the yoga in Traditional sense as is referred to the practice of the various postures.The literal meaning of ‘Yog’ is addition i.e. in the context when one thing merges into another our consciousness is absorbed in Super consciousness.
It is to be appreciated that Soul is imperishable and pervades this universe; for no one has the power to destroy this indestructible substance. it is also as per Gurmat that the soul is never born nor dies; nor does it become after being born as it is unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is not.

• This is not Yoga, O Yogi, to abandon your family and wander around.[909-1]
• The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is within the household of the body. By Guru's Grace, you shall find your Lord God. ||8||
• This world is a puppet of clay, Yogi; the terrible disease, the desire for Maya is in it.
• Making all sorts of efforts, and wearing religious robes, Yogi, this disease cannot be cured. ||9||
• The Name of the Lord is the medicine, Yogi; the Lord enshrines it in the mind.
• One who becomes Gurmukh understands this; he alone finds the Way of Yoga. ||10||
• The Path of Yoga is very difficult, Yogi; he alone finds it, whom God blesses with His Grace.
• Inside and outside, he sees the One Lord; he eliminates doubt from within himself. ||11||
• So play the harp which vibrates without being played, Yogi.says Nanak, thus you shall be liberated, Yogi, and remain merged in the True

Innumerable is the number of those devotes who are in contemplation of the virtues and attributes of the Lord and are trying to attain the spiritual wisdom and they always uphold the truth and still there are countless who believe in charity and donations and are practicing the same.

ਅਸੰਖ ਸੂਰ ਮੁਹ ਭਖ ਸਾਰ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਮੋਨਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ਤਾਰ ॥

There are infinite of those Brave warriors who are strong and are fighting the battles[2]. There are many who are engrossed with, quietly [in silence], your devotion with pointed concentration and are attuned to the One Supreme.

ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਕਵਣ ਕਹਾ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ ਵਾਰਿਆ ਨ ਜਾਵਾ ਏਕ ਵਾਰ ॥ ਜੋ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸਾਈ ਭਲੀ ਕਾਰ ॥ ਤੂ ਸਦਾ ਸਲਾਮਤਿ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ॥੧੭॥

Oh Lord! I am powerless to contemplate and understand this creation.[3] I shall simply fail to comprehend this as I am just a poor creature. You are self existent and all powerful and you shall always be. All that happens is as per your will and we are just poor creatures that we acnnot even now as to how to praise you.
The creature has been stated to be helpless at other places of the Granth sahib as well.it is to reflect that human beings are just helpless and have to follow His Hukum of the Divine will.


And


And


In essence the Paudi states that there are many who are by adopting various means like jap,tap and reading of scriptures try to attain you and it shall not be possible to count these i.e. Those are many that cannot be counted and expressed in number.

As per Professor Teja Singh ji the following is the translation.

According to Guru Nanak there are innumerable earths, on which men live. In the next three Pauries, Satguru Nanak mentions the two classes of human beings both good and bad, on the various worlds. Their number is beyond the reach of human intellect and thought. Our function is to lose ourselves in wonder and praise at the sight of His creation, sing His praises, and submit ourselves to His will in complete love and devotion.

O Lord ! There are innumerable persons who meditate on thy name with love and devotion. There are countless worshippers who worship Thee in various ways. There are innumerable persons who recite the Vedas and other scriptures from memory. There are innumerable persons who are undergoing all kinds of penance. There are innumerable yogis, who detach their minds from worldly desires and pleasures. There are countless devotees (Bhaktas) who sing thy praises, and ever keep their minds fixed on the path of self-realization.

There are innumerable persons who sacrifice themselves for the sake of others, uplifting mankind, and saving them from all kinds of troubles, both inner and outer. They always tread the path of Truth at all costs. There are innumerable persons who freely share with others, the gifts bestowed up them by God. There are innumerable brave fighters who never turn their back, when engaged in a battle for a righteous cause, the defense of a principle, or in the help of the weak and the fallen. They are ever in the brunt of the battle, and bear the strokes of iron weapons, swords, arrows, etc. on their faces.

There are innumerable persons who keep their mouths shut, do not speak at all and try to keep their minds fixed on the Divine name every moment. Or there are innumerable God-conscious persons (Munis) who ever remain immersed in the Divine within and without.

O Lord, Thy creation is so immense that it is beyond my comprehension. All that I can do is to be a sacrifice to Thee, and lose myself in ecstasy. O Divine Lord, you are ever Real, and Self-existent, and all that Thou doeth is for the best. Our duty is to submit implicitly to Thy will.

[1] SikhSpectrum.com Monthly. Japji: Meditation On Truth</font>



[2] There is no reasonable meaning that I can assign. On referring to Dr. Sahib Singh ji there does not appear to be any reasonable comments about the first line. Anyone who wants to explain this line may kindly offer the comments to this line.


[3] It is important to see as to whom the line addressed to. Guru is surprised and bewildered as well as He states this that he is not capable of estimating the nature and the entire creation of the Almighty.

To be contd.

Interpretation of Paudi-18



Paudi with English Translation
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Prologue
[God is one. He is the supreme truth. He, the Creator, is beyond fear and beyond hate. He is immortal. He is neither born and nor does He die. By Guru’s grace shall He be met. In the beginning He was the truth. Throughout the ages He has been the truth. He is the truth here and now and He shall be the truth forever’ . He is indescribable, inestimable, indubitable, infallible, intangible, imperishable, immutable, immortal, immaculate, immanent, unconquerable, unique, formless, fearless, compassionate, omnipresent and creator of all. He is beyond color and form, beyond birth and death, beyond portraiture and a lot more, which is beyond thinking.]

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Interpretation.




ਅਸੰਖ ਮੂਰਖ ਅੰਧ ਘੋਰ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਚੋਰ ਹਰਾਮਖੋਰ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਅਮਰ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਹਿ ਜੋਰ ॥ਅਸੰਖ ਗਲਵਢ ਹਤਿਆ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਪਾਪੀ ਪਾਪੁ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਹਿ ॥ਅਸੰਖ ਕੂੜਿਆਰ ਕੂੜੇ ਫਿਰਾਹਿ ॥ ਅਸੰਖ ਮਲੇਛ ਮਲੁ ਭਖਿ ਖਾਹਿ ॥

In this creation of almighty there are countless who are fools and those who are thieves involved in treachery and larceny/robbery and there are many who enslave many who commit excesses on others by being despotic and use the power that they wield for their selfish ends.[ In another sense it may as well mean that there are many who are engaged in extortions and allied crimes.There are many who commission sins of various kinds and natures.[They are not able to connect consciousness with Naam.and they do not tread the Path of God realization]

Countless are the murderers and sinners who literally cut throat and kill other and they lead a sinful life; commit sins and leave the world unrecognized and disrespected.They do not realize that this life is precious and is an unsolicited opportunity to the gateways to the heavens.


There are many who are liars and spend their life practicing the same and are lost in the illusion of Maya [they wander around and are lost in the world] and there are countless who are uncivilized barbarians whose minds are polluted and filthy they remain in the filth. There are many who consume the filth and in the filth they spend their lives.

ਅਸੰਖ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਸਿਰਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਭਾਰੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਨੀਚੁ ਕਹੈ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥

Countless are the slanderers who carry the same as a weight on their heads. Oh , Nanak we cannot evaluate the types of persons who are inhabit this world of your creation.The sheer helplessness of the creatures has been expressed here. All of us are just helpless creatures and are to act as per that is the 'Bhana' or as per the divine will. Our destiny is already ordained and we cannot change it. The concept of 'poor creature' has appeared in the Granth Sahib at many places.
And


And


“The term slander has been explained in details in Granth sahib ji.[1]

As per Dr. Sahib Singh

ArQ:-AnykW hI indMk (inMdw kr ky ) Awpxy isr au~qy (inMidAw dw) Bwr cu`k rhy hn[ (hy inrMkwr! AnykW hor jIv keI hor kukrmW ivc Psy hoxgy, myrI kIh qwkq hY ik qyrI kudriq dI pUrn ivcwr kr skW? nwnk ivcwrw (qW) ieh (auprlI qu`C ijhI) ivcwr pyS krdw hY[
pdArQ:-isir-Awpxy isr au~qy[ isir krih Bwru-Awpxy isr au~qy Bwr cukdy hn[
nwnku nIcu-ies quk ivc Sbd ‘nwnku’ krqw kwrk hY Aqy puilMg hY[ Sbd ‘nIcu’ ivSSyx hY Aqy puilMg hY[ auNJ BI Sbd ‘nwnku’ dy nwl hI vriqAw igAw hY[ so ‘nIcu’ Sbd ‘nwnku’ dw ivSSyx hY[ siqgurU jI Awpxy Awp ƒ ‘nIcu’ AwKdy hn, ieh grIbI Bwv hor BI keI QweIN AwauNdw hY, ijvyN:
(1) mY kIqw n jwqw hrwmKor[ hau ikAw muhu dysw dustu cor[
nwnku nIcu khY bIcwru[ Dwxk rUip rhw krqwr[4[29[ (isrI rwg mhlw 1
(2) jugu jugu swcw hY BI hosI[ kauxu n mUAw kauxu n mrsI[
nwnku nIcu khY bynµqI, dir dyKhu ilv lweI hy[16[2[ (mwrU mhlw 1, sohly
(3) kQnI krau n AwvY Eru[ Guru puiC dyiKAw nwhI dru horu[
duKu suKu BwxY iqsY rjwie[ nwnwku nIcu khY ilv lwie[8[4[ (gauVI mhlw 1
nwnku nIcu-nIc nwnk, nwnk ivcwrw, grIb nwnk[
ਵਾਰਿਆ ਨ ਜਾਵਾ ਏਕ ਵਾਰ ॥ ਜੋ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸਾਈ ਭਲੀ ਕਾਰ ॥ ਤੂ ਸਦਾ ਸਲਾਮਤਿ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ॥੧੮॥

Oh! Lord I am not in a position to estimate/evaluate/assay the types of people who are on this earth and are engaged in various kinds of acts including slanderers and All that happens is as per your will or only the engagement of the persons is good that you like. You are the only Truth the eternal Sat. You are the only one who shall always be stable.in nutshell Guru sahibs have counted various kinds of 'jeva' that are on this earth and those who are engaged in various kinds of occupations and their engagements in the various deeds and professions is in no way as per the guidelines to attain higher spiritual levels yet these are also the manifestation of the almighty and hence they act as per His Will the Supreme Divinity .
At the end I am reminded of the following:


As per Dr, Sahib Singh

ArQ:- (hy Akwl purK!) mYN qW qyry au~qyN iek vwrI BI sdky hox jogw nhIN hW (Bwv, mYN qyrI byAMq kudriq dI pUrn ivcwr krn jogw nhIN hW)[ hy inrMkwr! qUM sdw-iQr rihx vwlw hYN[ jo qYƒ cMgw l`gdw hY, auhI kMm Blw hY (Bwv, qyrI rzw ivc hI rihxw TIk hY; qyrI is&iq-swlwh kr ky AsW jIvW leI iehI BlI g~l hY ik qyrI rzw ivc rhIey)[


Bwv:- prmwqmw dI swrI kudriq dw AMq l`Bxw qW ikqy irhw, jy qusI jgq dy isr& cor DwVvI T`g inMdk Awidk bMidAW dw hI ihswb lwx l`go qW iehnW dw BI koeI AMq nhIN[ jd qoN jgq bixAw hY, byAMq jIv ivkwrW ivc hI gRsy cly Aw rhy hn[18[

[1] Guru Nanak Dev ji has clearly stated that slandering has no medicine.”[Gyani Maskeen ji]

[2] The last 4 lines are nor discussed here as these have been discussed earlier and the meaning is fairly known.

P.S.
Author has not interpreted the above in verbatim or it is also not claimed to be any exact/precise translation/commentary.

`````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````````````````````mwtI kw ikAw DopY suAwmI mwxs kI giq eyhI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interpretation Of paudi-19

Paudi 19 with English Translation