Dear Members,
In this post, I share with you my understanding of the 20th Pauri of Japji Sahib.
I have given serial numbers to the sentences of this Pauri for easy reference.
1. BrIAY hQu pYru qnu dyh ] bharee-ai hath pair tan dayh.
When one covers the hands, feet, and body by dirt.
2. pwxI DoqY auqrsu Kyh ] paanee Dhotai utras khayh.
With water one can wash it away.
3. mUq plIqI kpVu hoie ] moot paleetee kaparh ho-ay.
When the clothes are soiled and stained by urine.
4. dy swbUxu leIAY Ehu Doie ] day saaboon la-ee-ai oh Dho-ay.
Soap can wash them clean.
5. BrIAY miq pwpw kY sMig ] bharee-ai mat paapaa kai sang.
When we occupy our brain with sins.
6. Ehu DopY nwvY kY rMig ] oh Dhopai naavai kai rang.
That can only be washed by becoming imbued with the thought of ‘The Sat’ i.e. ‘Naam’.
7. puMnI pwpI AwKxu nwih ] punnee paapee aakhan naahi.
Any statement does not create the individual who are pure and those who are sinners.
8. kir kir krxw iliK lY jwhu ] kar kar karnaa likh lai jaahu.
By repeating the act it becomes engraved (it becomes a habit).
9. Awpy bIij Awpy hI Kwhu ] aapay beej aapay hee khaahu.
The individual reaps what she/he sows.
10. nwnk hukmI Awvhu jwhu ]20] naanak hukmee aavhu jaahu. ||20||
O’ Nanak, we come and go in accordance with order (Hukam).
My understanding of this Pauri:
Guru Sahib is telling me that all the filth that is external to the thought process can be removed very easily. The sinful thinking cannot be erased easily; for this to happen one may have to change the thinking, which can occur by ‘Simran’. The vices are formed by the repeatedly acting in immoral way. What ever we sow the same we reap as Karmas are the input for the design of ‘Hukam’ by ‘Karta Purakh’. Guru Sahib tells us that what we are or what we will be is all due to our Karmas; that is why we come and go.
It is very important to master our thinking process, so that, we go where we want to be and not to the domain where our vices take us.
Discussion:
Here I am diverging a little, but in support of Gurbani and in the interest of those who read it.
What Guru Sahib said some 500 years ago is now being said by science also? It says:
‘We are what we think’: why it is said is explained below.
What we repeatedly think, one day we act it out. What we repeatedly do, becomes our habit (engraved). A set of habits gives us a character. Character leads to destiny.
This brings out the cause and effect relationship.
How repeated thinking and acting gets engraved and becomes part of our being is very well explained in the book ‘Mechanics of Mind’ written by ‘Edward de Bono. I am of that opinion that each one of us should read this book and apply the learning to one self and use the knowledge in bringing up the children.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal
In this post, I share with you my understanding of the 20th Pauri of Japji Sahib.
I have given serial numbers to the sentences of this Pauri for easy reference.
1. BrIAY hQu pYru qnu dyh ] bharee-ai hath pair tan dayh.
When one covers the hands, feet, and body by dirt.
2. pwxI DoqY auqrsu Kyh ] paanee Dhotai utras khayh.
With water one can wash it away.
3. mUq plIqI kpVu hoie ] moot paleetee kaparh ho-ay.
When the clothes are soiled and stained by urine.
4. dy swbUxu leIAY Ehu Doie ] day saaboon la-ee-ai oh Dho-ay.
Soap can wash them clean.
5. BrIAY miq pwpw kY sMig ] bharee-ai mat paapaa kai sang.
When we occupy our brain with sins.
6. Ehu DopY nwvY kY rMig ] oh Dhopai naavai kai rang.
That can only be washed by becoming imbued with the thought of ‘The Sat’ i.e. ‘Naam’.
7. puMnI pwpI AwKxu nwih ] punnee paapee aakhan naahi.
Any statement does not create the individual who are pure and those who are sinners.
8. kir kir krxw iliK lY jwhu ] kar kar karnaa likh lai jaahu.
By repeating the act it becomes engraved (it becomes a habit).
9. Awpy bIij Awpy hI Kwhu ] aapay beej aapay hee khaahu.
The individual reaps what she/he sows.
10. nwnk hukmI Awvhu jwhu ]20] naanak hukmee aavhu jaahu. ||20||
O’ Nanak, we come and go in accordance with order (Hukam).
My understanding of this Pauri:
Guru Sahib is telling me that all the filth that is external to the thought process can be removed very easily. The sinful thinking cannot be erased easily; for this to happen one may have to change the thinking, which can occur by ‘Simran’. The vices are formed by the repeatedly acting in immoral way. What ever we sow the same we reap as Karmas are the input for the design of ‘Hukam’ by ‘Karta Purakh’. Guru Sahib tells us that what we are or what we will be is all due to our Karmas; that is why we come and go.
It is very important to master our thinking process, so that, we go where we want to be and not to the domain where our vices take us.
Discussion:
Here I am diverging a little, but in support of Gurbani and in the interest of those who read it.
What Guru Sahib said some 500 years ago is now being said by science also? It says:
‘We are what we think’: why it is said is explained below.
What we repeatedly think, one day we act it out. What we repeatedly do, becomes our habit (engraved). A set of habits gives us a character. Character leads to destiny.
This brings out the cause and effect relationship.
How repeated thinking and acting gets engraved and becomes part of our being is very well explained in the book ‘Mechanics of Mind’ written by ‘Edward de Bono. I am of that opinion that each one of us should read this book and apply the learning to one self and use the knowledge in bringing up the children.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal
