Dear Khalsa Ji,
Through this post, I share with all of you my understanding of the 5th Pauri of 2nd Ashtapadee of Sahib.
1. Bgq jnw kI brqin nwmu ] bhagat janaa kee bartan naam.
The general transaction of the devotees is ‘Naam’.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib in this sentence tells that the devotees are so much imbued with the ‘Naam’ that is exist in all that they do in their daily lives. This applies to their thoughts. speech and action. The fragrance of Naam is every where. As I understand, it is bound to be so because they have shed their ‘I-ness’ i.e. Ahamkara or ego.
2. sMq jnw kY min ibsRwmu ] sant janaa kai man bisraam.
The minds of the saints are calm.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that those individuals, who have spiritually evolved to a level where they can be called saints, have their minds in a calm state. The life continues to jolt all including these saints but they remain composed and their mind does not get perturbed. They pass through all the events in their lives with equanimity. The real causes of perturbation in our mind are caused by the five vices: Kama (desires) Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachments) and Ahamkara (ego). The saints have shed all these vices and hence there is no agency in them that can cause perturbation in the otherwise calm mind. They accept what the providence gives then in response to their efforts. There is no expectation in their mind; they put in effort for the right cause and the rest they leave it to ‘The Sat’. They are servants of ‘The Sat’ an instrument of God’s will. They are God centered individuals – the Gurmukhs.
3. hir kw nwmu dws kI Et ] har kaa naam daas kee ot.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ is the support of the servant of ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the person who has become imbued with the ‘Naam’ becomes an instrument of the will of ‘The Sat’. This individual is now serving ‘The Sat’ will all her or his faculties. It is like a faithful and devoted servant serves the master. The ‘Naam’ is the cause that made this person pure and becomes the guide for all that this person does. The whole path of life of this person gets illuminated by ‘Naam’. All the actions of such an individual are pious and pure free from any selfish interest. She or he is an instrument of the will of ‘The Sat’.
4. hir kY nwim auDry jn koit ] har kai naam uDhray jan kot.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ has evolved millions of people.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib says that ‘Naam’ has librated uncountable number of individual to a high level of spiritual evolution. As I understand, when Jaap/Simran is done without any intent of worldly gain, it purges vices from the mind. It makes the person God-centered and the person evolves spiritually, the virtues start glowing in her or him. This way ‘Naam’ has helped individuals to evolve.
5. hir jsu krq sMq idnu rwiq ] har jas karat sant din raat.
The saints keep centered on the glory and greatness of ‘The Sat’ day and night.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the saints keep their mind on ‘The Sat’. With reverence they thing and speak about the glory and greatness of ‘The Sat’. Thinking about ‘The Sat’ in this way in my understanding is Simran.
6. hir hir AauKDu swD kmwiq ] har har a-ukhaDh saaDh kamaat.
Har,Har - the ‘Naam’ – is the healing medicine that the saints earns.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the ‘Naam’ is like a medicine that the saints earn. We all know that a large number of medical problems arise because the way we use our mental faculties. For example, when in tension, the immune system gets depressed and creates conditions in which many diseases invade us. The tense mind affects our ability to discriminate effectively and results in many social problems. The ‘Naam’ helps us to cleanse our mind and free it from the hold of the vices. The pure, simple and awakened mind gives a very pleasant living. This way I understand that the Jaap/Simran acts as a medicine for we humans.
7. hir jn kY hir nwmu inDwnu ] har jan kai har naam niDhaan.
For the God-centered person, ‘Naam’ is the treasure.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the God-centered persons consider the gift of ‘Naam’ as the treasure. In other words Guru Sahib is saying that Gurmukh’s value-system the ‘Naam’ occupies the topmost place.
8. pwrbRhim jn kIno dwn ] paarbarahm jan keeno daan.
The supreme gives this ‘Naam’ as alms.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that this ability to live in Naam comes to us humans from ‘The Sat’. It conveys that there is an element of Gurparsadi in it. It means it comes when we meet some conditions. As I understand, this happens only when we surrender ourselves to ‘The Sat’; in other words we must surrender our ‘I-ness’ and seek refuge in ‘The Sat’.
9. mn qn rMig rqy rMg eykY ] man tan rang ratay rang aykai.
When the mind and body is imbued with the colour of ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that when the mind is all occupied with the reverence for ‘The Sat’ and the body reflects the same.
10. nwnk jn kY ibriq ibbykY ]5] naanak jan kai birat bibaykai. ||5||
O’ Nanak, then the person gets the highest level of awakening (understanding and ability to discriminate)
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the person achieves the level of spirituality as stated in the previous sentence then she or he attains the ability to see thought things. I understand it is this ability that allows the individual to raise above deception that Maya creates. The person is then able to see the truth as it is.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
Through this post, I share with all of you my understanding of the 5th Pauri of 2nd Ashtapadee of Sahib.
1. Bgq jnw kI brqin nwmu ] bhagat janaa kee bartan naam.
The general transaction of the devotees is ‘Naam’.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib in this sentence tells that the devotees are so much imbued with the ‘Naam’ that is exist in all that they do in their daily lives. This applies to their thoughts. speech and action. The fragrance of Naam is every where. As I understand, it is bound to be so because they have shed their ‘I-ness’ i.e. Ahamkara or ego.
2. sMq jnw kY min ibsRwmu ] sant janaa kai man bisraam.
The minds of the saints are calm.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that those individuals, who have spiritually evolved to a level where they can be called saints, have their minds in a calm state. The life continues to jolt all including these saints but they remain composed and their mind does not get perturbed. They pass through all the events in their lives with equanimity. The real causes of perturbation in our mind are caused by the five vices: Kama (desires) Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachments) and Ahamkara (ego). The saints have shed all these vices and hence there is no agency in them that can cause perturbation in the otherwise calm mind. They accept what the providence gives then in response to their efforts. There is no expectation in their mind; they put in effort for the right cause and the rest they leave it to ‘The Sat’. They are servants of ‘The Sat’ an instrument of God’s will. They are God centered individuals – the Gurmukhs.
3. hir kw nwmu dws kI Et ] har kaa naam daas kee ot.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ is the support of the servant of ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the person who has become imbued with the ‘Naam’ becomes an instrument of the will of ‘The Sat’. This individual is now serving ‘The Sat’ will all her or his faculties. It is like a faithful and devoted servant serves the master. The ‘Naam’ is the cause that made this person pure and becomes the guide for all that this person does. The whole path of life of this person gets illuminated by ‘Naam’. All the actions of such an individual are pious and pure free from any selfish interest. She or he is an instrument of the will of ‘The Sat’.
4. hir kY nwim auDry jn koit ] har kai naam uDhray jan kot.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ has evolved millions of people.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib says that ‘Naam’ has librated uncountable number of individual to a high level of spiritual evolution. As I understand, when Jaap/Simran is done without any intent of worldly gain, it purges vices from the mind. It makes the person God-centered and the person evolves spiritually, the virtues start glowing in her or him. This way ‘Naam’ has helped individuals to evolve.
5. hir jsu krq sMq idnu rwiq ] har jas karat sant din raat.
The saints keep centered on the glory and greatness of ‘The Sat’ day and night.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the saints keep their mind on ‘The Sat’. With reverence they thing and speak about the glory and greatness of ‘The Sat’. Thinking about ‘The Sat’ in this way in my understanding is Simran.
6. hir hir AauKDu swD kmwiq ] har har a-ukhaDh saaDh kamaat.
Har,Har - the ‘Naam’ – is the healing medicine that the saints earns.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the ‘Naam’ is like a medicine that the saints earn. We all know that a large number of medical problems arise because the way we use our mental faculties. For example, when in tension, the immune system gets depressed and creates conditions in which many diseases invade us. The tense mind affects our ability to discriminate effectively and results in many social problems. The ‘Naam’ helps us to cleanse our mind and free it from the hold of the vices. The pure, simple and awakened mind gives a very pleasant living. This way I understand that the Jaap/Simran acts as a medicine for we humans.
7. hir jn kY hir nwmu inDwnu ] har jan kai har naam niDhaan.
For the God-centered person, ‘Naam’ is the treasure.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the God-centered persons consider the gift of ‘Naam’ as the treasure. In other words Guru Sahib is saying that Gurmukh’s value-system the ‘Naam’ occupies the topmost place.
8. pwrbRhim jn kIno dwn ] paarbarahm jan keeno daan.
The supreme gives this ‘Naam’ as alms.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that this ability to live in Naam comes to us humans from ‘The Sat’. It conveys that there is an element of Gurparsadi in it. It means it comes when we meet some conditions. As I understand, this happens only when we surrender ourselves to ‘The Sat’; in other words we must surrender our ‘I-ness’ and seek refuge in ‘The Sat’.
9. mn qn rMig rqy rMg eykY ] man tan rang ratay rang aykai.
When the mind and body is imbued with the colour of ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that when the mind is all occupied with the reverence for ‘The Sat’ and the body reflects the same.
10. nwnk jn kY ibriq ibbykY ]5] naanak jan kai birat bibaykai. ||5||
O’ Nanak, then the person gets the highest level of awakening (understanding and ability to discriminate)
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the person achieves the level of spirituality as stated in the previous sentence then she or he attains the ability to see thought things. I understand it is this ability that allows the individual to raise above deception that Maya creates. The person is then able to see the truth as it is.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
