Scholars have estimated Bhagat Ramanand’s birth date to be between 1296 AD to 1400 AD, much before Nanak’s birth in 1469, and yet he still talks about the creator within and the guru. He found his guru before the Granth was around.
Page 1195Raamaana(n)dh Jee, First House
One Universal Pervasive Force(ikoankaar). By The Grace/ Blessings of my satguru (Bhagat Ramanand Jee’s Satguru) (satigur prasaadh).
Bhagat Ji is telling us that why should l go look for God out there (kat jaieeaai re) when, God is within me. And by reaching this realization he was able to connect with God within and reach a blissful/peaceful state of mind (ghar laago ra(n)g).
Tying everything together, in the Rahao line, he says that once he has reached this blissful/peaceful state of mind, his mind is in a state of stillness. It does not wander around (meraa chit na chalai). There are no doubts in his mind about who God is, where he lives and how to realize him. Just like a crippled person cannot move (pa(n)g), the principles regarding God are so clear in his mind that he will never change his views on them ever again (man bhio pa(n)g). Hence his mind will not move (will not wander) from its current state of understanding/realizing God.
He says one day (ek dhivas) a thought of connecting with God aroused within his mind (man bhiee auma(n)g).
Since he was a brahmin, he started to do things which he was told were essential to connect with God. He started by using Sandalwood to make fragrance. In various cultures and religions (such as Hinduism) sandalwood is considered as one of the most sacred trees. It is considered to have numerous spiritual and magical properties. The wood of this tree (which has a sweet and uplifting fragrance) has been used since ancient times for prayer, meditation, relaxation, healing, protection, cleansing and even for accessing higher states of consciousness. He doused himself with the essence of sandalwood and other perfumes (ghas cha(n)dhan choaa bahu suga(n)dh)
He did this to get himself ready to go worship in front of God in a temple (poojan chaalee braham ttai).
He stopped himself from going to the temple (house of God, braham ttai). He stopped himself because through the lessons of his Guru (bataio gur) he realized that the temple/the house of God (so braham) is within his own mind (man hee maeh).
In these lines he says that all the places of worship (hence temples) he goes to (jahaa jaieeaai teh) there are either idols/stones (pakhaan) or water bodies/rivers (Ganga etc. jal). People consider the idols/stones and waterbodies as Gods or Goddesses of life, death, food, prosperity, health, wealth, blah, blah, blah…
Through the lessons he learned from his Guru, Bhagat Ji realized that God cannot be just limited to temples or waterbodies. Such narratives are all fictitious. He realized that God is omnipresent (too poor rahio hai sabh samaan). Wherever you are currently is a place of God. God does not just live within a specific temple.
There are several religious books such as Vedas and Purana’s that peddle narratives about various Gods, places of God, specific prayers to please specific God’s etc. As said numerous times before, and backed by Aad Granth references, narratives peddled by the Vedas and Purana’s are anti Gurmat (Guru’s wisdom). Bhagat Ji says that he has read/searched/researched religious books like Veda’s and Puranas (bedh puraan sabh dhekhe joi).
He has given up on the fictitious/illogical/baseless ideas/narratives being preached by these books. He says why should he go look for God elsewhere (outside), why should he follow to the narratives of Veda’s and Puranas (uoohaa(n) tau jaieeaai), when everything he needs to realize God is within him (jau ieehaa(n) na hoi).
Throughout this poem it is evident that Bhagat Ji puts his Guru at a pedestal. He puts his Guru on a pedestal as his Guru clarified/simplified/objectified many questions in his life. The clarification of these questions helped him move his life forward in a more meaningful way. He is so impressed with his Guru’s wisdom that he says that he is willing to give away anything that he owns (including his life, satigur mai balihaaree tor) to the Guru for everything that his Guru has done for him. Note: Our Guru never asks for anything in return from us. This is just Bhagat Ji’s way of expressing his gratitude in a poetic sense.
Bhagat Ji is full of gratitude towards his Guru because through the wisdom of his Guru (jin) many of his illogical beliefs (sakal bikal bhram), which were stuck with him for a long time have been transformed/eliminated (kaaTe mor).
One of such illogical beliefs was that God lives in temples in form of idols/stones. His Guru told him, that his God (raamaana(n)dh suaamee) is omnipresent (ramat) within the creation (braham).
His Guru also told him by following the wisdom/life lessons of the Guru (gur kaa sabadh) that everyone can get rid of their illogical beliefs. Everyone can start over in life. No matter how bad your thought process is or has been (kaaTai koT karam), by adopting the qualities of the creator today(har gun), your future life can become better. Bygones will be bygones, there can be new light in your life, if you start living your life according to the wisdom of the Guru within you.
