Dear Khalsa Jee,
Today, I share with you my understanding of 38th Pauri of Japji Sahib. In this Pauri Guru Sahib has told me how I can become Gurmukh of ultimate purity. Guru Sahib has used the metaphor of pure coin i.e. Gurmukh being made in ‘Taksaal’ i.e. mint (this world).
1. jqu pwhwrw DIrju suinAwru ] jat paahaaraa Dheeraj suni-aar.
Self-control is the furnace and patience the goldsmith.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is telling me that I must have control over my thoughts, my speech and my actions so that I do not drift. The learning which Guru Sahib has imparted me in the earlier Pauris tell me that my thoughts should be such that they direct my five senses only to alight on objects with pure intent only for the purpose for which nature has given me these senses – never to harm or deprive any one of any thing; never for narrow selfish ends. In the same Pauri Guru Sahib has given similar instruction to me regarding my five organs of action. In this very Pauri Guru Sahib has told me that the Guru of my five senses and of my five organs of actions is my thought process. The key to the self-control is in mastering ones own thought process. Guru Sahib is asking me to evolve to a level where my pure Buddhi drives my Mind (the portion of my brain where the thoughts are generated).
In the second part of the sentence, Guru Sahib has asked me to cultivate patience. Guru Sahib has used the example of the goldsmith who by carefully controlled mechanical action over a period of time finally makes the beautiful ornament he wants. In other words Guru Sahib is telling me that Gurmukh is not made over night, it takes time; sustained effort is needed. (This I have already elaborated in that specific Pauri).
2. Ahrix miq vydu hQIAwru ] ahran mat vayd hathee-aar.
Knowledge as anvil, wisdom as the means.
My understanding:
It is clear to me that Guru Sahib wants me to be knowledgeable and wise so that I am able to sift facts from fiction and separate the truth from falsehood. Here it is important to know what is knowledge and what is wisdom.
Real data is always innocent; it is always a statement of facts. When one scans the set of data with some idea in mind the output is information. The same set of data when scanned with different ideas will give different results, consequently, sometimes the information obtained from a set of data can be misleading as the idea used to scan it can corrupt the output; here the human element has entered which is not always reliable. The right information coupled with the context specific ‘know how’ and ‘know why’ for its application to the task in hand is called ‘Knowledge’. When the ‘Knowledge’ lands the individual in multiple options or into gray area the ability to take right decision and to pick up the best option is called ‘Wisdom’. With Knowledge and Wisdom in me I will never get cheated ( Guru Sahib has said in the earlier Pauri) and will move on the path which is true.
Guru Sahib wants me to have both ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Wisdom’ to evolve spiritually; this is in addition to what Guru Sahib has asked me to acquire in the first sentence of this Pauri. I can see the greatness of my Guru Sahib; what science is telling us now, Guru Sahib has told us centuries ago.
3. Bau Klw Agin qp qwau ] bha-o khalaa agan tap taa-o.
Fear of ‘The Sat’ be the bellows, the single minded sustained effort and motivation from within be the heat of the fire.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is preparing me for long sustained effort over long time to become a Gurmukh.
Guru Sahib through these metaphors of bellow and fire has told me that I have to sustain my efforts to become pure. These efforts have to be sustained by my own internal motivation and discipline (bellows). Any disciplined force from outside cannot give the desired result. Such efforts have to come from my own free will, which have to be sustained over a long period of time. By implication Guru Sahib is telling me that the process of becoming pure is gradual, it is not a one shot event. In this process my vices will get burnt and leave me with my natural innocence and without any Ahamkara or any craving for worldly pleasures – I will become pure.
4. BWfw Bwau AMimRqu iqqu Fwil ] bhaaNdaa bhaa-o amrit tit dhaal.
Crucible of love, melt the nectar of Naam.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib has used the word ‘crucible’ and ‘melt’ as metaphors. Crucible is the one that contains the fluid – the melt.
Guru Sahib is telling me that my life, which holds all of me, should be of love. It is within the domain of love my life should evolve. The love, that only knows giving; the love, that does not even thing of getting any thing in return; the pure love.
In this life of love Guru Sahib is asking me to fill it up with the nectar of Naam.
Guru Sahib is telling me that the ambience of my life should be love in which Naam should resonate. It should be filled with Naam – the remembrance of ‘The Sat’.
5. GVIAY sbdu scI tkswl ] gharhee-ai sabad sachee taksaal.
Create the Shabad in the mint of Truth.
My understanding:
Again Guru sahib has used the words Shabad and Taksaal as metaphors. Pure metal coins are produced in Taksaal.
Guru Sahib is asking me to evolve my self and my life in this world (Taksaal), which has the purity in truth similar to that of the Shabad (the words spoken by divines who have realised ‘The Sat’) of my Guru Sahib.
6. ijn kau ndir krmu iqn kwr ] jin ka-o nadar karam tin kaar.
It is such Karmas, which are graced by ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is educating me in the types of Karmas that evoke the grace of ‘The Sat’. Guru Sahib has given me a great clue to spirituality.
7. nwnk ndrI ndir inhwl ]38] naanak nadree nadar nihaal. ||38||
O’Nanak in this way ‘The Sat’ graces those who have evolved and exalts them.
My understanding:
Guru sahib has told me the way to seek his grace, which he has termed as ‘Gurparsadi’ in the Mool Mantra.
Summary of my understanding of this Pauri:
Guru Sahib has asked me to develop my self-control and patience. Guru Sahib wants me to become a knowledgeable person and become wise. Guru Sahib wants me to become pure and live a life based on love that is imbued with ‘Naam’. Guru Sahib has cautioned me that the path is long and sustained effort from the depth of my heart and soul will be needed. It is through perseverance intrinsic motivation, whole heartedness, right living, the purity the truthfulness will come to me. The Karmas of such an individual, who has become pure and truthful i.e. who has become ‘Gurmukh’, gets graced by ‘The Sat’. As a result of such grace the ‘Gurmukh’ evolves further in spirituality on her/his way to divinity.
I my effort to understand Gurbani, I have depended on Scripture of Sikhi and literature and scripture of many other religions. Here I acknowledge that the ‘Siri Guru Granth Sahib’ as available on www.sikhnet.com including its translation and transliteration therein, and the Translation of ‘Siri Guru Granth Sahib’ by Sardar Sahib Sardar Manmohan Singh Jee, which is published by SGPC, has been of great help to me. Without these two references my effort would not have reached you.
With this I close.
Amarpal
Today, I share with you my understanding of 38th Pauri of Japji Sahib. In this Pauri Guru Sahib has told me how I can become Gurmukh of ultimate purity. Guru Sahib has used the metaphor of pure coin i.e. Gurmukh being made in ‘Taksaal’ i.e. mint (this world).
1. jqu pwhwrw DIrju suinAwru ] jat paahaaraa Dheeraj suni-aar.
Self-control is the furnace and patience the goldsmith.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is telling me that I must have control over my thoughts, my speech and my actions so that I do not drift. The learning which Guru Sahib has imparted me in the earlier Pauris tell me that my thoughts should be such that they direct my five senses only to alight on objects with pure intent only for the purpose for which nature has given me these senses – never to harm or deprive any one of any thing; never for narrow selfish ends. In the same Pauri Guru Sahib has given similar instruction to me regarding my five organs of action. In this very Pauri Guru Sahib has told me that the Guru of my five senses and of my five organs of actions is my thought process. The key to the self-control is in mastering ones own thought process. Guru Sahib is asking me to evolve to a level where my pure Buddhi drives my Mind (the portion of my brain where the thoughts are generated).
In the second part of the sentence, Guru Sahib has asked me to cultivate patience. Guru Sahib has used the example of the goldsmith who by carefully controlled mechanical action over a period of time finally makes the beautiful ornament he wants. In other words Guru Sahib is telling me that Gurmukh is not made over night, it takes time; sustained effort is needed. (This I have already elaborated in that specific Pauri).
2. Ahrix miq vydu hQIAwru ] ahran mat vayd hathee-aar.
Knowledge as anvil, wisdom as the means.
My understanding:
It is clear to me that Guru Sahib wants me to be knowledgeable and wise so that I am able to sift facts from fiction and separate the truth from falsehood. Here it is important to know what is knowledge and what is wisdom.
Real data is always innocent; it is always a statement of facts. When one scans the set of data with some idea in mind the output is information. The same set of data when scanned with different ideas will give different results, consequently, sometimes the information obtained from a set of data can be misleading as the idea used to scan it can corrupt the output; here the human element has entered which is not always reliable. The right information coupled with the context specific ‘know how’ and ‘know why’ for its application to the task in hand is called ‘Knowledge’. When the ‘Knowledge’ lands the individual in multiple options or into gray area the ability to take right decision and to pick up the best option is called ‘Wisdom’. With Knowledge and Wisdom in me I will never get cheated ( Guru Sahib has said in the earlier Pauri) and will move on the path which is true.
Guru Sahib wants me to have both ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Wisdom’ to evolve spiritually; this is in addition to what Guru Sahib has asked me to acquire in the first sentence of this Pauri. I can see the greatness of my Guru Sahib; what science is telling us now, Guru Sahib has told us centuries ago.
3. Bau Klw Agin qp qwau ] bha-o khalaa agan tap taa-o.
Fear of ‘The Sat’ be the bellows, the single minded sustained effort and motivation from within be the heat of the fire.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is preparing me for long sustained effort over long time to become a Gurmukh.
Guru Sahib through these metaphors of bellow and fire has told me that I have to sustain my efforts to become pure. These efforts have to be sustained by my own internal motivation and discipline (bellows). Any disciplined force from outside cannot give the desired result. Such efforts have to come from my own free will, which have to be sustained over a long period of time. By implication Guru Sahib is telling me that the process of becoming pure is gradual, it is not a one shot event. In this process my vices will get burnt and leave me with my natural innocence and without any Ahamkara or any craving for worldly pleasures – I will become pure.
4. BWfw Bwau AMimRqu iqqu Fwil ] bhaaNdaa bhaa-o amrit tit dhaal.
Crucible of love, melt the nectar of Naam.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib has used the word ‘crucible’ and ‘melt’ as metaphors. Crucible is the one that contains the fluid – the melt.
Guru Sahib is telling me that my life, which holds all of me, should be of love. It is within the domain of love my life should evolve. The love, that only knows giving; the love, that does not even thing of getting any thing in return; the pure love.
In this life of love Guru Sahib is asking me to fill it up with the nectar of Naam.
Guru Sahib is telling me that the ambience of my life should be love in which Naam should resonate. It should be filled with Naam – the remembrance of ‘The Sat’.
5. GVIAY sbdu scI tkswl ] gharhee-ai sabad sachee taksaal.
Create the Shabad in the mint of Truth.
My understanding:
Again Guru sahib has used the words Shabad and Taksaal as metaphors. Pure metal coins are produced in Taksaal.
Guru Sahib is asking me to evolve my self and my life in this world (Taksaal), which has the purity in truth similar to that of the Shabad (the words spoken by divines who have realised ‘The Sat’) of my Guru Sahib.
6. ijn kau ndir krmu iqn kwr ] jin ka-o nadar karam tin kaar.
It is such Karmas, which are graced by ‘The Sat’.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is educating me in the types of Karmas that evoke the grace of ‘The Sat’. Guru Sahib has given me a great clue to spirituality.
7. nwnk ndrI ndir inhwl ]38] naanak nadree nadar nihaal. ||38||
O’Nanak in this way ‘The Sat’ graces those who have evolved and exalts them.
My understanding:
Guru sahib has told me the way to seek his grace, which he has termed as ‘Gurparsadi’ in the Mool Mantra.
Summary of my understanding of this Pauri:
Guru Sahib has asked me to develop my self-control and patience. Guru Sahib wants me to become a knowledgeable person and become wise. Guru Sahib wants me to become pure and live a life based on love that is imbued with ‘Naam’. Guru Sahib has cautioned me that the path is long and sustained effort from the depth of my heart and soul will be needed. It is through perseverance intrinsic motivation, whole heartedness, right living, the purity the truthfulness will come to me. The Karmas of such an individual, who has become pure and truthful i.e. who has become ‘Gurmukh’, gets graced by ‘The Sat’. As a result of such grace the ‘Gurmukh’ evolves further in spirituality on her/his way to divinity.
I my effort to understand Gurbani, I have depended on Scripture of Sikhi and literature and scripture of many other religions. Here I acknowledge that the ‘Siri Guru Granth Sahib’ as available on www.sikhnet.com including its translation and transliteration therein, and the Translation of ‘Siri Guru Granth Sahib’ by Sardar Sahib Sardar Manmohan Singh Jee, which is published by SGPC, has been of great help to me. Without these two references my effort would not have reached you.
With this I close.
Amarpal
