Dear Khalsa Ji,
Here, with you all, I share what I understand from 19th Pauri of Anand Sahib.
1. jIAhu mYly bwhrhu inrml ] jee-ahu mailay baahrahu nirmal.
The inner lives are dirty, while outward appearance is that of a noble person.
My understanding:
In this sentence, Guru Sahib tells me about the enormous difference in the appearance and reality of lives of we humans. Here one needs to understand the meaning of inner lives and the outward lives, which the individuals live.
Inner life of an individual is what occupies her or his mind i.e. the thoughts that frequent the mind. Guru Sahib tells me that can be dirty. The dirt here means that the thoughts are full of contempt, deceit, envy, greed, lust, selfishness, remorse, etc. These are all filthy and so they make the inner life dirty.
Yet, this individual interfaces with the external world in a manner, which conveys that she or he is pious person full of love, compassion and selflessness. The individual portrays herself or himself as the embodiment of virtues. She or he gives the impression of being ‘Nirmal’ i.e. noble. Individuals fake these virtues to fool the world.
2. bwhrhu inrml jIAhu q mYly iqnI jnmu jUAY hwirAw ] baahrahu nirmal jee-ahu ta mailay tinee janam joo-ai haari-aa.
The individuals who are outwardly pure and dirty from within, they loose their lives in gamble.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib cautions me that the individuals who live this dual lives, lose their lives as one loses in gamble.
Here it is important to grasp, why Guru Sahib compares such lives with loss in gambling?
We humans have extraordinary mental capabilities. We have evolved enormously as compared to any other form of life. Our ability to use our mental faculties gives us the possibility go beyond the world of instincts i.e. to become noble, evolve spiritually, and enter the domain of divinities. Not availing such a rare chance, which the birth in human form give, is like losing this human life in gamble.
3. eyh iqsnw vfw rogu lgw mrxu mnhu ivswirAw ] ayh tisnaa vadaa rog lagaa maran manhu visaari-aa.
This craving is a dreaded disease, which make the person forget about the approaching death.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib, in this sentence makes it clear to me that I should not get afflicted by this dreaded disease i.e. craving. I should always keep in mind that my life is just a temporary existence in time, separated by two events outside my control – birth and death. In other words, I am nothing, just a bubble in water. This realisation will prevent Ahamkara to grow in me and take command of my life.
Craving is a mental disposition. The individual wants more than what she or he has. She or he is driven by desires after the objects of its gratification. The gratification of desire gives this individual what we call ‘thrill’, the ego feels elated and becomes stronger. Next time it demands more and then still more; they never get satisfied. Such a person is no longer in command of herself or himself. The pursuit of objects of sense gratification absorbs the person so much that this individual forgets that she or he has to depart from this world sometime. That is why Guru Sahib has called it a dreaded disease.
Senses and ego control and command the live of such persons. We can see for ourselves, such individuals move away from the path of nobles, the path of pure, the path of spirituality. They are driven on their paths only for self-gratification and to destruction. They are diseased; their lives are getting consumed in tasks that will not go with them. Awareness of the approaching death, which can have stablising effect, is totally lost for such individuals. When the time comes, the individual realises how helpless she or he is, cannot go back in time and has not much time in future to make the corrections.
What a great teaching from my Guru Sahib. Wah-e-Guru.
4. vydw mih nwmu auqmu so suxih nwhI iPrih ijau byqwilAw ] vaydaa meh naam utam so suneh naahee fireh ji-o baytaali-aa.
Among the Vedas the Naam is the best, those who do not understand this, keep wandering
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells me that among the methods used to escape contacting this dreaded affliction, the method of ‘Naam’, i.e. Simran, is the best. I should not forget this fact otherwise I will keep searching and wandering about without accumulating any worthwhile asset in spirituality.
5. khY nwnku ijn scu qijAw kUVy lwgy iqnI jnmu jUAY hwirAw ]19] kahai naanak jin sach taji-aa koorhay laagay tinee janam joo-ai haari-aa. ||19||
Says Nanak; those persons who discarded the truth and get involved with filth they lose their birth in human form in gamble.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib in this sentence summarises the teachings of the earlier sentences and asked me to live with truth following the path of ‘Naam’.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
Here, with you all, I share what I understand from 19th Pauri of Anand Sahib.
1. jIAhu mYly bwhrhu inrml ] jee-ahu mailay baahrahu nirmal.
The inner lives are dirty, while outward appearance is that of a noble person.
My understanding:
In this sentence, Guru Sahib tells me about the enormous difference in the appearance and reality of lives of we humans. Here one needs to understand the meaning of inner lives and the outward lives, which the individuals live.
Inner life of an individual is what occupies her or his mind i.e. the thoughts that frequent the mind. Guru Sahib tells me that can be dirty. The dirt here means that the thoughts are full of contempt, deceit, envy, greed, lust, selfishness, remorse, etc. These are all filthy and so they make the inner life dirty.
Yet, this individual interfaces with the external world in a manner, which conveys that she or he is pious person full of love, compassion and selflessness. The individual portrays herself or himself as the embodiment of virtues. She or he gives the impression of being ‘Nirmal’ i.e. noble. Individuals fake these virtues to fool the world.
2. bwhrhu inrml jIAhu q mYly iqnI jnmu jUAY hwirAw ] baahrahu nirmal jee-ahu ta mailay tinee janam joo-ai haari-aa.
The individuals who are outwardly pure and dirty from within, they loose their lives in gamble.
My understanding:
In this sentence Guru Sahib cautions me that the individuals who live this dual lives, lose their lives as one loses in gamble.
Here it is important to grasp, why Guru Sahib compares such lives with loss in gambling?
We humans have extraordinary mental capabilities. We have evolved enormously as compared to any other form of life. Our ability to use our mental faculties gives us the possibility go beyond the world of instincts i.e. to become noble, evolve spiritually, and enter the domain of divinities. Not availing such a rare chance, which the birth in human form give, is like losing this human life in gamble.
3. eyh iqsnw vfw rogu lgw mrxu mnhu ivswirAw ] ayh tisnaa vadaa rog lagaa maran manhu visaari-aa.
This craving is a dreaded disease, which make the person forget about the approaching death.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib, in this sentence makes it clear to me that I should not get afflicted by this dreaded disease i.e. craving. I should always keep in mind that my life is just a temporary existence in time, separated by two events outside my control – birth and death. In other words, I am nothing, just a bubble in water. This realisation will prevent Ahamkara to grow in me and take command of my life.
Craving is a mental disposition. The individual wants more than what she or he has. She or he is driven by desires after the objects of its gratification. The gratification of desire gives this individual what we call ‘thrill’, the ego feels elated and becomes stronger. Next time it demands more and then still more; they never get satisfied. Such a person is no longer in command of herself or himself. The pursuit of objects of sense gratification absorbs the person so much that this individual forgets that she or he has to depart from this world sometime. That is why Guru Sahib has called it a dreaded disease.
Senses and ego control and command the live of such persons. We can see for ourselves, such individuals move away from the path of nobles, the path of pure, the path of spirituality. They are driven on their paths only for self-gratification and to destruction. They are diseased; their lives are getting consumed in tasks that will not go with them. Awareness of the approaching death, which can have stablising effect, is totally lost for such individuals. When the time comes, the individual realises how helpless she or he is, cannot go back in time and has not much time in future to make the corrections.
What a great teaching from my Guru Sahib. Wah-e-Guru.
4. vydw mih nwmu auqmu so suxih nwhI iPrih ijau byqwilAw ] vaydaa meh naam utam so suneh naahee fireh ji-o baytaali-aa.
Among the Vedas the Naam is the best, those who do not understand this, keep wandering
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells me that among the methods used to escape contacting this dreaded affliction, the method of ‘Naam’, i.e. Simran, is the best. I should not forget this fact otherwise I will keep searching and wandering about without accumulating any worthwhile asset in spirituality.
5. khY nwnku ijn scu qijAw kUVy lwgy iqnI jnmu jUAY hwirAw ]19] kahai naanak jin sach taji-aa koorhay laagay tinee janam joo-ai haari-aa. ||19||
Says Nanak; those persons who discarded the truth and get involved with filth they lose their birth in human form in gamble.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib in this sentence summarises the teachings of the earlier sentences and asked me to live with truth following the path of ‘Naam’.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
