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findingmyway

Writer
SPNer
Aug 17, 2010
1,665
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World citizen!
My advise to you is do not get stuck at a few words of Gurubani approach it with its collective wisdom. For example Bani states " Sukh Dukh dono sum kar Jano', these are very simple and straightforward words with clear meaning. Knowing the meaning would not help at all, after reading you will never be able to practice, it must be contemplated constantly over time to reap its benefit. An old song by Mohammad Rafi states " gum aur khusi mein fark na mehsus ho jahan, mein dil ko us MAKAAM pey laata chala gaya. It is the Makaam you want not the meaning.

Good Post.

Without meaning you cannot follow the instructions. Without following you cannot be a Gurmukh as you would not know how!
 

Rupinder.Singh

Writer
SPNer
Mar 11, 2009
47
158
Brisbane Australia
In my opinon, somewhere in back of our minds we are fearful. We dont want to believe, we dont want

to accept, we want to oppose, we want to be distinct, we want to stand out and we want others to

say that we are the only ones who know GOD. ( whereas 'WE' is used for human beings, not just

sikhs)

Does not all these desires and wantings contradict the very basic thoughts in Sri Guru Granth Sahib

ji?

The moment we start agreeing to one thought that is the moment we start disagreeing to other

thought. And in this process of proving, we loose track of our real motive, the motive to realise

GOD.

Poetry is limitless expression of thoughts, lay language can never do justice to it as translation.

As we all know poetry uses metaphors, so to understand poetry we should have a basic knowledge of

metaphor and its imagery. It is used to express the situations without using complete words.

As the imagery is diffrent from person to person, so does the reflections of thought and Thus

translations to Lay language also differ.


Probably this is one of the reasons why our Gurus instructed us to read Bani everyday. Repeatedily

reflecting on the same verses again and again, the thought process expands so does the meaning.

For me Prof Sahb Singh's explanation makes more sense as he has taken into account the metaphor

while translating it, where as other authors have tried to translate word to word.

Saying this I never mean that others are blocking me in any way, because as a whole, taking Soch as "thinking" does not either divert me from my primary goal to realize GOD, except repetation of

thought in "Sahas Sianpaa....."

However reading through the explanation of Jasleen Ji, It has further firmed my belief that SOCH here means physical cleansing.


I would say that there are many things that get clearer as we go through the complete

bani, There are many verses that we need to rethink again and again for better understanding.


As long As we are moving forward, we will get somewhere, so keep flowing.

Rupinder Singh

mundahug
 

jasi

SPNer
Apr 28, 2005
304
277
83
canada
SS AKal ji.


Fom me as Gurbani is wrtten in most simplestic way where very one can understand with little knowldge.


ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥
sochai soch n hovee jae sochee lakh vaar ||

One can not help it happen even one thinking hundred times!!


ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥
chupai chup n hovee jae laae rehaa liv thaar ||

Even by keeping a long silences in spit of all efforts


ਭੁਖਿਆ ਭੁਖ ਨ ਉਤਰੀ ਜੇ ਬੰਨਾ ਪੁਰੀਆ ਭਾਰ ॥
bhukhiaa bhukh n outharee jae bannaa pureeaa bhaar ||

your hunger will never vanish even you have a unlimited food in in front of you


ਸਹਸ ਸਿਆਣਪਾ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਤ ਇਕ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥
sehas siaanapaa lakh hohi th eik n chalai naal ||

millions of wisdom get together nothing will work


ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ ॥
unless one is true to keep truth as one 's motive

kiv sachiaaraa hoeeai kiv koorrai thuttai paal ||

he who folows the truth shall be free from all evils .


ਹੁਕਮਿ ਰਜਾਈ ਚਲਣਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੧॥
hukam rajaaee chalanaa naanak likhiaa naal ||1|

As Guru nanak dev ji suggested that evey thing is going to happen as per Hukam of Ek Onkar.|

Jaspi

Jaspi ji forgive me. There were some very odd links at the bottom of this and including links to my profile. I have removed them. Some kind of software glitch. Most odd. spnadmin
 

seeker3k

SPNer
May 24, 2008
316
241
canada
This is the problem with bani. It is written in poetry. Only the writer knows what he means. We all trying to understand the meaning according to our faith.
The word shoch is different from such. Sosh can not be such. Here he is trying to say just by thinking one can not understand the creator. If we read we can see it is written differently shoch n such.
In same pauri he tells us how we can be suche. The writer do not try to explain one thing twice in same verse. That will not be good poetry.

I am sorry my comp can not show the gurmukhi. That’s why I can not copy n paste the bani.
 

Santsingh

SPNer
Oct 13, 2008
1
4
Gur Fateh

The first translation obviously looks the meaningful if we look at the those times in India when people were involved in all kinds of rituals and so on. Shree Guru Nanak Patshah ji guided every one to come out of such rituals and focus on living under the ONE Supreme. i.e Hukam Rajai Chalna Nanak Likheya Naal.

Just recall What Baba ji said in ASA Di Var.
Kaho Nanak Sach DhyaeeyeII
Such howe tan Sach PayeeyeII

and in Sukhmani Saheb ji Mahl 5 Said

Soch kare dinas ar raat, Man ki mail na tan te jaatII

and trying to understand the meaning of

Soche Soch na howai je sochi lakh var,

it will be crystal clear that the first explanation is the right one as I understand by the good grace of Waheguruji.

Bhul chuk di muaphi bakshni

Sant Singh Marwaha, P. Eng., PMP
Whitby Ontario
Canada
 

kawalsin

SPNer
Jan 6, 2009
14
12
Gur Fateh to all.

For all those who believe soch is for thought process, please read the following verse by Guru Arjun Dev Ji in Sukhmani Sahib:

Soch karai dinas ar raat
man ki mail na tan te jaat

(He) bathes day and night
(but) the filth of mind is not washed off by cleansing the body

I hope this lays to rest all spaculation about how Prof. Sahib Singh arrived at the meaning of Soch as purity.

Gur Fateh

Daas

Kawaljit Singh

P.S. Sorry for not putting the verse in Gurmukhi. The computer I am using does not have Gurbani fonts.
 

manes_palam

SPNer
Nov 5, 2006
7
6
Sat Sri Akal

Hi everyone

I've started this thread as a place to gather questions specifically relating to translations of Japji Sahib.

Here's a question from the first line after Mul Mantar:

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ
Socẖai socẖ na hova▫ī je socẖī lakẖ vār.

The English translation by H. McLeod (and another I have but don't have the author with me) translates the above as:
"Never can you be known through ritual purity thought one cleanse oneself a hundred thousand times."
Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa and the majority of other translations I've seen translate it like this:
"By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times."
So my questions is: which translation is right? And how can there be such discrepancy between translations?

Any insight is much appreciated.

Ishna



hello ishna ,

their can be many interpretations coz human mind can choose to be different at many times. one thing is very clear that it can never be understood by mind ....as mind is very shallow (it doesn't understand deep and never will be )
another thing which is clear is that it's about god(param- atma) onkar.

another thing is ...as they say body is temple of god .....meaning god will one day reside in this temple.

now the question is how this will happen ???

guru nanak is answering the above mentioned question
and he says
--- it will never happen by thinking ... if you think thousands of times ... .......
---- this means gods is always their .... we are not allowing it to enter in ...as our ego becomes the barrier...... as long as you are their he cannot be ....

now what makes your ego
-------------brain ( you can think whatever .... u have complete freedom)
-------------mind (which want to acquire everything in the world)

nanak is saying that u can be smartest person in the world ....can acquire lots of things (property/fame ) ...alll worldly materials .....which makes your ego ( and your mind is still hungry).....but you can never attain salvations(mukti or god) by the same means.

and this you can achieve by ....... submitting to his hukam or command... that means everything happened in your life or in whole cosmos is coz of him ... he was the doer you was only the medium ...( like boat floats on water coz of water and driven by wind .... put boat on piece of land it wont move even if the wind is their.... you r like water / medium ... through you god achieves his goals)
the moment you have that submission ..... your ego vanishes .....as your r not the doer anymore .... which means that god is doing everything...... this might sound silly ( that inside you god is doing it .....and you are god ).....there is great paradox as when you reach that stage you cannot say so .....this will make you egoistic and you lost it again ........
thats why nanak in whole japji repeated that when someone in that state of mind it cannot be described ...... as you will regret it as you will loose it..as ego is like a shadow always follow you....

je ko kahe pichey pachtaye

to remain in that state of mind ...he refers to dhian and naam simran(rememberance) and you have to go deeper and deeper in that feeling ...................................and one day it will happen (union with god / when their is no difference between you and god ....... your self(atma) merges with god(param atma)

sikh religion or any other religion is nothing more than that ......

waheguru
 

Aulakh

SPNer
Mar 24, 2010
12
30
It is nice that SPN has raised a fundamental question.Actually if one looks up the whole Pauri in the relevant context it will be very easy to understand the meaning.The four issues raised by Satguru Nanak Dev ji in this Pauri refer to four schools of thought prevelant at that time
1.Those who believe that by taking bath at holy places one will become Sachiara(Tirath ishnan was resorted to by this group)
2.Those who believe that by entering Samadhi and not speaking anything one will attain that state(Sachiara)(Going silent and entering into samadhis was the way of this group)
3.By eating and enjoying wordly things, one's hunger will not be satiated and one will not enter in the world of Sachiar(Eat drink and be merry was the aim of this group)
4.By reading a lot of religious books and collecting knowledge(sianpa) one can not become sachiara(Those who resort to reading lot of religious books to become sachiara belonged to this group)
These four schools were predominant at the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji
But Guru says that only comming under HUKUM one can attain the stage of being a Sachiar
Humbly
Gian Singh Aulakh
 

Naam

SPNer
Oct 15, 2010
30
25
Dear members Fetah
I have read and answered many questions to the best of my given mind by satguru
The translation of the bani can be done by anybody
How deep the translation depends on how high the person is sitting ( which "lam" first second third or four ) these are the gurbani "lama" sang at someones wedding ( I am sorry I don't have punjabi font on my phone)
The translation is only right once a person reaches " satguru"
Thus how the gurbani came through our gurus and bhagats
Once at this stage the translation will be right
Anything under this stage the translation "sounds"right
Eg ... Like the shabad " divus" sounds or translates to day in some cases but the vouls have to be carefully looked at if the "s" has a okanr under it then it translates to inside the body "day...gian.." eg the word kirtan in cases used has a onkar under the "n" and in some cases not. This will effect the translation
The one with the "n" is the kirtan inside a person "gurmanter" and the one with out is the Hindu or outside one
I hope this clears some confusion

Humble servant
 
May 24, 2008
546
887
Dear members Fetah
I have read and answered many questions to the best of my given mind by satguru
The translation of the bani can be done by anybody
How deep the translation depends on how high the person is sitting ( which "lam" first second third or four ) these are the gurbani "lama" sang at someones wedding ( I am sorry I don't have punjabi font on my phone)
The translation is only right once a person reaches " satguru"
Thus how the gurbani came through our gurus and bhagats
Once at this stage the translation will be right
Anything under this stage the translation "sounds"right
Eg ... Like the shabad " divus" sounds or translates to day in some cases but the vouls have to be carefully looked at if the "s" has a okanr under it then it translates to inside the body "day...gian.." eg the word kirtan in cases used has a onkar under the "n" and in some cases not. This will effect the translation
The one with the "n" is the kirtan inside a person "gurmanter" and the one with out is the Hindu or outside one
I hope this clears some confusion

Humble servant

Dear Naam Ji ,
Following is the exact translation of four Laavans sung during Sikh marriage as per Guru Granth Darpan by Prof Sahib Singh Ji

http://dalbirk.blogspot.com/2010/01/anand-karaj.html
SUHI MAHALLA 4
(Page-773)
Her(i) pehalrhi la(n)v parvirti karm drirhaia,
Bal(i) ram jio.
Bani Brahma Ved(u) dharm(u) drirhauh,
pap tajaia Bal(i)ram jio.
Dharm(u) drirhauh Her(i) nam(u) dhiavauh
simrit(i) nam(u) drirhaia.
Sat(i)gur(u) gur(u) pura aradhauh
sabh(i) kilvikh pap gavaia.
Sahaj anand(u) hoa vadbhagi
Man(i) Her(i) Her(i) mitha laia.
Jan kahai Nanak(u) la(n)v pehli
arambh(u) kaj(u) rachaia.1.


Meanings of Difficult Words : Her(i) pehalrhi lav(n)-The First la(n)v circumambulation of a (seeker) bride for her marriage with the Lord; Parvirti karm-indulging in the meditation of the Lord’s name; Drirhaia-(Guru has) instilled it resolutely; Bani-the utterances of Guru; Drirhauh-reaffirm in the mind; Tajaia-are forsaken; Simrit(i) nam(u) drirhaia-(The Guru) has re-determined the seeker to meditate on the name of the Lord; Kilvikh-sins; Sahaj anand-the pleasure and comfort of spiritual stability; Arambh-in the beginning; Kaj(u)-marriage.

Meaning : O Lord! I am sacrifice upto you. By Your Grace, the kind Guru has instilled in the heart of his Sikh to remain attached with the name of the Lord perpetually. He has re-affirmed it. And this is the beautiful first circumambulation of a seeker with the Lord-husband. O brother! the holy utterances of Guru (Gurbani) are the Vedas of Brahma for a Sikh. By the grace of this bani, instill and rehabilitate the Lords name in your mind and adopt it as a matter of religion in your life. Meditation on Lord’s name removes dross of all the sins from one’s life. O brother! keep remembering the Lord. instill this routine of a human birth in your life. the re-affirmation of meditation on Lord’s name that the Guru has done is his sermon for life that should never be forsaken at any time. Remember this sermon of the complete Guru and this blessing with remove and destroy all sins and vices from your life.
Hey brother! one who feels the love of Lord’s name in his mind, that fortunate person enjoys the spiritual stability. Slave Nanak says-meditating Lords name is the first La(n)v circumambulation of the marriage of the seeker with the Lord husband. The marriage event of a seeker and his/her Lord husbands commences with the Simran of Lords name.

Her(i) dujarhi la(n)v sat(i)gur(u) purkh(u) milaia,
Bal(i)ram jio.
Nirbhai bhai man(u) hoey,
haumai mail(u) gavaia Bal(i)ram jio.
Nirmal(u) bhao paia Her(i) gun gaia,
Her(i) vekhai Ram(u) hadurey.
Her(i) atam Ram pasaria suami,
sarb rahia bharpurey.
Antar(i) bahar(i) Her(i) brabh(u) eko,
mil(i) Her(i) jan mangal gaey.
Jan Nanak duji la(n)v chalai,
anhad sabad vajaey.2.


Meaning of Difficult Words : Her(i) dujarhi la(n)v-The second la(n)v; circumambulation of the marriage of the seeker bride with the Husband Lord; Sat(i)gur(u) purkh(u) milaia-The true Guru brought the Greatman in the contact with the she-being (Seeker), Bal(i)ram jio-O Lord! I am sacrifice unto You; Bhai-all worldly fears; Gavaia-Guru removes unto You; Bhai-all worldly fears; Gavaia-Guru removes them all; Nirmal bhao-reverential fear; Vekhai-sees; Hadurey-ever present nearby; Atam Ram pasaria-God is spreading His self all around; Bharpurey-present; Eko-one only; Mil(i) Her(i) jan-by meeting the saints and servants of the Lord; meeting the Sadh sangat; Mangal-songs of praise; Chalai-commenced; Anhad-unstruck music; Sabad vajaey-as if instruments of praise and eulogy has been sounded.

Meaning : Hey Lord! I am sacrifice unto You. By showering of Your grace, the seeker whom You meet with Guru, the holiest of holy, is mind becomes free of all the worldly fears. Guru removes all the dross of ego (haumai) from his mind. This then is the second la(n)v of the union of the seeker and the Lord.
O brother ! with the removal of ego (haumai), the seeker being then sings the paeans of the Lord. He/She develops a reverential fear of the Lord in his/her mind. He/She sees the Lord dwelling by his/her side. Such a seeker is convinced that all this worldly expanse is the spread of Lord Himself. The Lord is dwelling in the body of every creation that He has created. Such a seeker bride sees the presence of the Lord in and outside of everything of the world. Such a bride joins the holy gathering of His beloveds (Sadh Sangat) and keep singing the paeans and glory of the Lord.
Hey slave Nanak! say-by coming into the refuge of the Guru, by removing the ego and involving the bride in the singing of praises of the Lord and sensing His presence all around in everything, the Lord has commenced the second la(n)v of the marriage of the seeker being. The seeker who reaches this state experiences perpetual singing of the praises of the Lord in his/her mind.

Her(i) teejarhi la(n)v,
man(i) chao bhaia bairagia(n) Bal(i)ram jio.
Sant Jana Her(i) meyl(u) Her(i) paia
vadbhagia(n) Bal(i)ram jio.
Nirmal(i) Her(i) paia,
Her(i) gun gaia, mukh(i) boli Her(i) bani.
Sant jana vadbhagi paia,
Her(i) kathiaia akath kahani.
Hirdai Her(i) Her(i) Her(i) dhun(i) upji,
Her(i) japiai mastak(i) bhag jio.
Jan Nanak(u) boley tiji la(n)vai,
Her(i) upjai man(i) bairag(u) jio.3.


Meaning of Difficult Words : Teejarhi la(n)v-beautiful third la(n)v; Man(i)-in the mind; Bairagia(n)-In the mind of those who have detached themselves with the world; Chao-excitement of meeting the Lord; Meyl(u)-meeting; Vadbhagia(n)-fortunate people; Her(i) bani-the utterances of praise of the Lord; Kathiai-we should recite; Akath-indescribable; Akath kahani-the praise of the indescribable Lord; Hirdai-in the heart; Dhun(i)-attachment with the rhythm, engrossed; Japiai-should be remembered; Mastak(i)-On the forehead; Bhag(i)-good fortune; Nanak(u) bolai-Nanak says; tiji la(n)vai-during the third circumambulation of the marriage of the seeker being with the Lord; Man(i)-in the mind of the jeev-istari (seeker bride); Her(i) bairag-strong desire for the union with the Lord; Upjai-gets generated, grows.

Meaning : O Lord! I am sacrifice unto You. Those detached with the world are blessed with a desire to unite with you by Your grace. this spiritual state is the third la(n)v (circumambulation) of the marriage of the seeker with the Lord.
O brother! those fortunate who are able to enjoy the company and association of saintly persons are also able to realise the Lord. they unite with the Lord God who purifies the life of a person. They ever indulge in the singing of Lord’s paeans. They utter words in the glory of the Lord. Such fortunate people unite with the Lord in the company of saintly souls.
O brother! we should keep praising and eulogizing the indescribable Lord for ever. One who remains attached with the memory of Lord, gets blessed with the perpetual love of the Lord and he remains engrossed in it. But one can remember and meditate on God’s name if one becomes fortunate and blessed person.
Slave Nanak says ! that during the third circumambulation (la(n)v) of the marriage of seeker with the Lord, a strong desire of meeting with the Lord gets generated in the heart of a seeker being.

Her(i) chautharhi la(n)v man(u) sahaj bhaia
Her(i) paia, bal(i)ram jio.
Gurmukh(i) milia subaey,
Her(i) man(i) tan(i) mitha laia, Bal(i)ram jio.
Her(i) mitha laia, merey Prabh bhaia,
andin(u) Her(i) liv lai.
Man chindia Phal(u) paia suami,
Her(i) nam(i) vaji vadhai.
Her(i) Prabh(i) Thakur(i) kaj(u) rachaia,
dhan hirdai nam(i) vigasi.
Jan(u) Nanak(u) boley chauthi la(n)vai,
Her(i) paia Prabh(u) avinasi.4.2.


Meaning of Difficult Words : Chautharhi la(n)v-fourth beautiful la(n)v; Man(i)-in the mind (of seeker being); Sahaj(u)-spiritual stability; Gurmukh(i)-by becoming Guru conscious; Subhaey-by engrossing in the love of the Lord; Man(i)-in the mind; Tan(i)-in the body; Prabh(u) bhaia-Lord loved it; Andin(u)-all the time; Liv lai-remained engrossed; Man Chindia-as desired by the heart; Nam(i)-through the name; Vaji vadhai-a state of prosperity came into being; Prabh(i)-The Lord Himself; Thakur(i)-God Himself; Kaj(u)-all the arrangements of the marriage of the seeker bride, Rachaia-commenced; Dhan-bride, Hidrai-in the heart; Nam(i)-by the blessings of the Lord’s name; Vigasi-bloomed and blossomed; Chauthi la(n)vai-during the fourth la(n)v of the seeker bride with Lord husband; Avinasi-one who is indestructible.

Meaning : O bewitching Lord! I am sacrifice unto You. By Your grace the seeker bride who develops spiritual stability, gets to meet you. This spiritual state is the fourth stage of union of the seeker bride with the Lord husband.
O brother! take the refuge of the Guru, the seeker bride who then gets to unite with the Lord experiences His love in mind and body. Then God also starts loving that seeker more intensely. Such a person remains engrossed in the memory of the Lord. Such a person then receives the much desired fruit of Lords union. By the blessings of the Lord’s name, his mind remains in a state of prosperity and progress.
O brother! the arrangements of the marriage of the seeker bride that the Lord commenced, the mind of that bride remains in a state of ecstasy with the perpetual Simran of Lords name. Slave Nanak says-in the fourth la(n)v (circumambulation) of the marriage between seeker bride and the Lord husbands, the bride achieves the union with the indestructible Lord God.
 
May 24, 2008
546
887
Dear members Fetah
The translation is only right once a person reaches " satguru"
Thus how the gurbani came through our gurus and bhagats
Once at this stage the translation will be right

Dear Naam Ji ,
I hope you are not suggesting what I seem to grasp . But the Gurbani can be translated easily exactly the same way even if ten thousand persons translate it based upon GURBANI GRAMMER ( Gurbani Vyakaran ) first introduced by Guru Angad Dev Ji & finally completed by Guru Arjan Dev Ji . Prof Sahib Singh Ji translated it in GURU GRANTH DARPAN based upon Gurbani Grammer only which is why it is still regarded as the most authentic & accurate translation by 99.99999% of scholars & religious authorities till today even 45 years after it was completed .
 
May 24, 2008
546
887
The Satguru of a Sikh is the Guru ( Teacher ) who is complete is all respects , following whom a Sikhs get to meet Lord God . In the case of Sikhs a Satguru is the WORD OF GOD enshrined in holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib which was revealed by all Sikh Gurus ( also practised by them in daily lives ) , Bhagats , Bhatts & all those enlightened humans who got the revealation from God Himself . This is to be kept in mind that the Sikh Satguru is unlike Semitic Prophets who stand as witnesses to save their followers only . The Sikh Satguru is capable of making a Sikh achieve liberation & merger of soul with God if he/she follows the path prescribed by the Satguru . The Sikh Satguru does not act as middlemen between God & Sikh , the Gurmatt way is a GADDI RAH ( A SUPER HIGHWAY ) as Gyani Ji calls wherein there are no stoppages , no deviations , no tolls just cruising at top speed to living emancipation ( Liberation while living )
 

Naam

SPNer
Oct 15, 2010
30
25
Yes you are right to the point were you say " the sikh satguru does not act as a middleman"
The gurbani say " jaysa satguru soni tha taso he ma deet vista mala purbo har dargaa KA bits"

As you know how to translate there IS a
Middle Satguru you must cross before meeting god

Jis no tum mala sadsangth KA pasaa

Even this line says you must meet with the saad ( satguru)
With out satguru you cannot meet god and satguru is NOT guru granth Ji as most believe. It is our life and our gian
If we believe it takes the place of satguru then who was kabirs satguru and the other bagths before guru Granth ji please don't mistake me I believe in the guru Granth ji but it is not satguru
 

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