Dear Khalsa Ji,
I convey to you my understanding of the 3 Pauri of 2nd Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib.
1. CUtq nhI koit lK bwhI ] chhootat nahee kot lakh baahee.
One cannot get rid of it even by hundreds and millions of helping hands.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib emphasizes that one has to evolve with one’s own efforts; others cannot do it for the individual. It is natural; the changes that one has to make are in the mental make-up. No external agency can reach the deeper layers of the mind in any substantial way; only the individual concerned can do this. To get rid of vices one has to work on oneself and progressively evolve to a level where the individual is free from Kama (desires) Krodh (anger) Lobh (greed) Moh (attachments) and Ahamkara (ego).
2. nwmu jpq qh pwir prwhI ] naam japat tah paar paraahee.
By repeating the ‘Naam’ one evolves and is carried through.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib has given the way to evolve. Once one gets into Jaap, the individual will enter into a mode where its mental space gets occupied by the remembrance (Simran) of ‘The Sat’. Over a period of time this individual the vices will loose grip over the individual and finally get dissolved. The person will be on its way to become a Gurmukh. The person will become pure as the vices are shed. A pure person is always carried through by ‘The Sat’. This pure person lives in accordance with the ‘Hukam’ and becomes the instrument to carry out the will of ‘The Sat’, which is Chardi Kala (all-round evolution).
3. Aink ibGn jh Awie sMGwrY ] anik bighan jah aa-ay sanghaarai.
Many impediments will come in the way to make you deviate.
My understanding:
It is natural; when the person tries to change one form what one is to something new, the task is going to be difficult. The old attachments will always try to pull the person back to the old and familiar ways. These are the ways of Samsara, which keeps the individual embroiled in its schemes.
4. hir kw nwmu qqkwl auDwrY ] har kaa naam tatkaal uDhaarai.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ will immediately rescue you.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib provides the solution to the problem that is created by the old vices which have not been shed. By repetition of ‘Naam’ one fills its mental space by virtues; this space has to be vacated by vices. When ever any vice takes hold of the individual, the person should switch over to Jaap; this way the individual tells its own mind that the suggestion made by the vice is not important. This is the way our brain works; if one deliberates on the thought that the mind projects, the faculty of the mind generating the thought understands that the thought is important; the mind will keep projecting it again and again; it will then become the person’s nature. As the individual follows this practice of switching over to ‘Jaap’, over a period of time, the mind will know that the suggestions from vices are not important to the individual; he or she no longer deliberates on them; the mind will stop projecting them any more. This fact will percolate to the deeper layers of the mind and evict the vices from there. A day will come when the suggestion from vices will cease to arise as there will be no vices in this individual’s being; the individual will become pure. This is what Guru Sahib coveys to me through this sentence.
5. Aink join jnmY mir jwm ] anik jon janmai mar jaam.
Several lives one is born, dies and born.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib in this sentence draws the attention to the cycle of rebirth. Each of us, in past was born in various forms and died. This cycle continues and we are born again in human form.
6. nwmu jpq pwvY ibsRwm ] naam japat paavai bisraam.
By Jaap (repetition) of ‘Naam’ (Waheguru) one gets rest.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells that by doing the Jaap, one can come out of the cycle of rebirths. It is true because through ‘Jaap’ the person becomes pure; a ‘Gurmukh’ a reflection of the illumination from ‘The Sat’.
7. hau mYlw mlu kbhu n DovY ] ha-o mailaa mal kabahu na Dhovai.
The Ahamkara (ego) is filth its dirt cannot be washed.
My understanding:
Ahamkara is very strongly ingrained in us. Its foundation is laid in the childhood itself. ‘I’ and ‘my’ is what the child learns even before its ability to speak and subsequently logical think develops. It is the hard shell impossible to break using worldly methods. This is the dirt we have in ourselves.
8. hir kw nwmu koit pwp KovY ] har kaa naam kot paap khovai.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ makes the person loose millions of sins.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that by Jaap one can dissolve all its sins. It is my understanding that the ‘Laws of Karma’ apply only when the individual has ‘I’ in her or him. When there is no ‘I’ left in the individual, the person who has committed the sin in the past, stands fully dissolved. Even the process that implements the ‘Laws of Karma’ cannot find the ‘I’ who is responsible for the sin. This way the ‘Laws of Karma’ is transcended by the pure individual. The person without ‘I’ is now and instrument of ‘The Sat’. This ‘Gurmukh’ has now merged with cosmic will, only the physical form separates this person from ‘The Sat’. All the physical actions of this individual are selfless. The ‘Gurmukh’ is now reflecting only the light that shines on her or him from ‘The Sat’; there is no ‘I’ or ‘my’ in it. We all know that ‘The Sat’ is ‘Karta Purakh’ yet ‘Karta Purakh’ is above the ‘Laws of Karma’; in the same way the ‘Gurmukh’ gets elevated to a spiritual level, which is beyond the ‘Laws of Karma’. That is how Gurmukh’s past sins get annulled. She or he will not have to be born again; Gurmukh is out of the cycle of birth-death and rebirth.
9. AYsw nwmu jphu mn rMig ] aisaa naam japahu man rang.
The Jaap should colour the mind in such a way.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is referring to the teachings of the earlier sentence. He says that the intensity of Jaap should be such that it has the liberating effect. The mind should get so much imbued with Jaap that it permeates in all the faculties of the brain. The individual becomes God-centered. The individual becomes Gurmukh. The individual reflects the glow received from ‘The Sat’.
10. nwnk pweIAY swD kY sMig ]3] naanak paa-ee-ai saaDh kai sang. ||3||
O’ Nanak this is found in the company of holy.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the frame of mind where the person becomes Gurmukh and is imbued with Naam can happen only in environment of purity. To me it is the company of Siri Guru Granth Sahib and those individuals who have incorporated its teachings into their being and are now resonating with Shabad. These are the individuals whose life has become a living expression of the teachings of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
I convey to you my understanding of the 3 Pauri of 2nd Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib.
1. CUtq nhI koit lK bwhI ] chhootat nahee kot lakh baahee.
One cannot get rid of it even by hundreds and millions of helping hands.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib emphasizes that one has to evolve with one’s own efforts; others cannot do it for the individual. It is natural; the changes that one has to make are in the mental make-up. No external agency can reach the deeper layers of the mind in any substantial way; only the individual concerned can do this. To get rid of vices one has to work on oneself and progressively evolve to a level where the individual is free from Kama (desires) Krodh (anger) Lobh (greed) Moh (attachments) and Ahamkara (ego).
2. nwmu jpq qh pwir prwhI ] naam japat tah paar paraahee.
By repeating the ‘Naam’ one evolves and is carried through.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib has given the way to evolve. Once one gets into Jaap, the individual will enter into a mode where its mental space gets occupied by the remembrance (Simran) of ‘The Sat’. Over a period of time this individual the vices will loose grip over the individual and finally get dissolved. The person will be on its way to become a Gurmukh. The person will become pure as the vices are shed. A pure person is always carried through by ‘The Sat’. This pure person lives in accordance with the ‘Hukam’ and becomes the instrument to carry out the will of ‘The Sat’, which is Chardi Kala (all-round evolution).
3. Aink ibGn jh Awie sMGwrY ] anik bighan jah aa-ay sanghaarai.
Many impediments will come in the way to make you deviate.
My understanding:
It is natural; when the person tries to change one form what one is to something new, the task is going to be difficult. The old attachments will always try to pull the person back to the old and familiar ways. These are the ways of Samsara, which keeps the individual embroiled in its schemes.
4. hir kw nwmu qqkwl auDwrY ] har kaa naam tatkaal uDhaarai.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ will immediately rescue you.
My understanding:
Here Guru Sahib provides the solution to the problem that is created by the old vices which have not been shed. By repetition of ‘Naam’ one fills its mental space by virtues; this space has to be vacated by vices. When ever any vice takes hold of the individual, the person should switch over to Jaap; this way the individual tells its own mind that the suggestion made by the vice is not important. This is the way our brain works; if one deliberates on the thought that the mind projects, the faculty of the mind generating the thought understands that the thought is important; the mind will keep projecting it again and again; it will then become the person’s nature. As the individual follows this practice of switching over to ‘Jaap’, over a period of time, the mind will know that the suggestions from vices are not important to the individual; he or she no longer deliberates on them; the mind will stop projecting them any more. This fact will percolate to the deeper layers of the mind and evict the vices from there. A day will come when the suggestion from vices will cease to arise as there will be no vices in this individual’s being; the individual will become pure. This is what Guru Sahib coveys to me through this sentence.
5. Aink join jnmY mir jwm ] anik jon janmai mar jaam.
Several lives one is born, dies and born.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib in this sentence draws the attention to the cycle of rebirth. Each of us, in past was born in various forms and died. This cycle continues and we are born again in human form.
6. nwmu jpq pwvY ibsRwm ] naam japat paavai bisraam.
By Jaap (repetition) of ‘Naam’ (Waheguru) one gets rest.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells that by doing the Jaap, one can come out of the cycle of rebirths. It is true because through ‘Jaap’ the person becomes pure; a ‘Gurmukh’ a reflection of the illumination from ‘The Sat’.
7. hau mYlw mlu kbhu n DovY ] ha-o mailaa mal kabahu na Dhovai.
The Ahamkara (ego) is filth its dirt cannot be washed.
My understanding:
Ahamkara is very strongly ingrained in us. Its foundation is laid in the childhood itself. ‘I’ and ‘my’ is what the child learns even before its ability to speak and subsequently logical think develops. It is the hard shell impossible to break using worldly methods. This is the dirt we have in ourselves.
8. hir kw nwmu koit pwp KovY ] har kaa naam kot paap khovai.
The ‘Naam’ of ‘The Sat’ makes the person loose millions of sins.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that by Jaap one can dissolve all its sins. It is my understanding that the ‘Laws of Karma’ apply only when the individual has ‘I’ in her or him. When there is no ‘I’ left in the individual, the person who has committed the sin in the past, stands fully dissolved. Even the process that implements the ‘Laws of Karma’ cannot find the ‘I’ who is responsible for the sin. This way the ‘Laws of Karma’ is transcended by the pure individual. The person without ‘I’ is now and instrument of ‘The Sat’. This ‘Gurmukh’ has now merged with cosmic will, only the physical form separates this person from ‘The Sat’. All the physical actions of this individual are selfless. The ‘Gurmukh’ is now reflecting only the light that shines on her or him from ‘The Sat’; there is no ‘I’ or ‘my’ in it. We all know that ‘The Sat’ is ‘Karta Purakh’ yet ‘Karta Purakh’ is above the ‘Laws of Karma’; in the same way the ‘Gurmukh’ gets elevated to a spiritual level, which is beyond the ‘Laws of Karma’. That is how Gurmukh’s past sins get annulled. She or he will not have to be born again; Gurmukh is out of the cycle of birth-death and rebirth.
9. AYsw nwmu jphu mn rMig ] aisaa naam japahu man rang.
The Jaap should colour the mind in such a way.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is referring to the teachings of the earlier sentence. He says that the intensity of Jaap should be such that it has the liberating effect. The mind should get so much imbued with Jaap that it permeates in all the faculties of the brain. The individual becomes God-centered. The individual becomes Gurmukh. The individual reflects the glow received from ‘The Sat’.
10. nwnk pweIAY swD kY sMig ]3] naanak paa-ee-ai saaDh kai sang. ||3||
O’ Nanak this is found in the company of holy.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib says that the frame of mind where the person becomes Gurmukh and is imbued with Naam can happen only in environment of purity. To me it is the company of Siri Guru Granth Sahib and those individuals who have incorporated its teachings into their being and are now resonating with Shabad. These are the individuals whose life has become a living expression of the teachings of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
