Dear Members,
In this posting, I share with you all, my understanding of 4th Pauri of Japji Sahib.
As was the case with 3rd Pauri, Guru Sahib continues to dwell on the immenseness of ‘Sat Kartar’. Guru Sahib compares ‘The Absolute’ who is unlimited with we humans who have all the limitations, to convey the difference. Guru Sahib uses examples that are in the common knowledge of we humans to illustrate what he wants to convey to us.
In the end of the Pauri, Guru Sahib makes a very significant statement that what we get in this life is the result of our Karmas. This teaching when understood along with the learning of the previous Pauris tells us a lot. In the previous Pauri, Guru Sahib had said: all that we get is as a result of ‘Hukam’ of ‘Karta Purakh’, here Guru Sahib says that it is because of Karma. It means that our Karmas and the ‘Hukam’ of ‘The Absolute’ are in the chain which impacts on us to give or deny or modify something in our lives. We also know that Karam is from our end; Hukam is from the end of ‘The Absolute’. We all know that ‘Hukam’ is not random and it is individual specific. ‘The Absolute’ who is Just must be having some basis for designing his ‘Hukam’ (please excuse me for using technical language). Here Guru Sahib has provided the link; the Karmas of the individual are the input for the cosmic process that design individual specific ‘Hukam’ the impact of which is felt by the concerned individual.
For me it is a great discovery in spiritual domain. I thank Guru Sahib for giving us Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
With this said I come to details of the Pauri.
swcw swihbu swcu nwie BwiKAw Bwau Apwru ] saachaa saahib saach naa-ay bhaakhi-aa bhaa-o apaar.
Guru Sahib says that ‘The Absolute’ is true, and that is its name and has unlimited positive feeling.
AwKih mMgih dyih dyih dwiq kry dwqwru ] aakhahi mangahi dayhi dayhi daat karay daataar.
Guru Sahib tells us ‘The Sat’ is unlimited. What ever we ask ‘Sat’ is able to give with love. This is to drill into our mind the immenseness of ‘Karta Purakh’.
Pyir ik AgY rKIAY ijqu idsY drbwru ] fayr ke agai rakhee-ai jit disai darbaar.
Guru Sahib once again goes on to illustrate the insignificant position of we human with respect to ‘The Absolute’. Guru Sahib says: what can we keep in front so that we can enter its world. Again, here Guru sahib has use the practice of taking presents to significant individual when some one wanted to see him/her; this is done to be effective in communicating what he wanted to convey.
muhO ik bolxu bolIAY ijqu suix Dry ipAwru ] muhou ke bolan bolee-ai jit sun Dharay pi-aar.
In this sentence also Guru Sahib uses the method we human use to interface with the other individuals. Guru Sahib ponders on the words one can utter, which can evoke his love. All this Guru Sahib is telling us to make us realise that we are limited.
AMimRq vylw scu nwau vifAweI vIcwru ] amrit vaylaa sach naa-o vadi-aa-ee veechaar.
Having raised so many questions Guru Sahib now enters in answering mode. Guru Sahib tells us that during ‘Amrit Vayla’ the individual should think about the greatness of ‘The Absolute’.
Here I want to add what I infer from the term ‘Amrit Vayla’. To me ‘Amrit Vayla’ is not what my elders had been telling me. They tell me it is a time before dawn, some say 5 am, some 4 am and even some suggest 3 am; the older my elder is to whom I ask more the ‘Amrit Vayla’ moves towards midnight. If one asks them why it is so, they have no basis. Today in this knowledge age one must have a basis for every thing.
As I ponder over this issue, I get a feeling that this meaning (as told to me by my elders) probably has come from the practices of the religions to which my ancestors belonged before the arrival of Siri Guru Nanak Dev Jee. In that religion many of the practices where designed to make life difficult in order to curb senses.
If ‘The Absolute’ wanted we human to remain awake during night – during the so-called ‘Amrit Vayla’ - it was within his power to make us nocturnal being; ‘Karta Purakh’ has not done that. In addition Guru Sahib has asked us to be spiritual within the life of a house holder, he has not asked away to run away from normal life, which includes sleeping during night, then why will the ‘Amrit Vayla’ be some where at the middle of the night. Further more why ‘The Absolute’ will make some Vayla poison and some Vayla Amrit?
This leads me to the conclusion that the limitation that makes the Vayla poison or Amrit must be coming form we human. This shift in paradigm gives me a more rational answer.
Amrit Vayla is the time span when my mind is pure; that is the right time for ‘Simran’, no matter what time of the day or night it is. I conclude that there is no fixed time for it.
For any individual, when she/he gets up from sleep, there is a small time span before the mind starts dwelling on worldly affair. During this time span the mind of the individual is pure, that is why it is Amrit (Amrit was available always in small quantities only). One can train oneself to think of ‘Karta Purakh’ during this time. Probably by training one can create this state of mind any time one wants and for relatively longer duration. This is what ‘Amrit Vayla’ means for me.
Now I come back to next sentence of this Pauri.
krmI AwvY kpVw ndrI moKu duAwru ] karmee aavai kaprhaa nadree mokh du-aar.
This a very significant sentence. Guru Sahib is saying that this form (human body), which we have got, is the result of our Karmas. Earlier Guru Sahib has told us that it is the ‘Hukam’ that impacts on our lives. It means that our Karmas and the ‘Hukam’ of ‘The Absolute’ are both contribute to what impacts on us to give or deny or modify something in our lives. We also know that Karam is from our end; Hukam is from the end of ‘The Absolute’. We all know that ‘Hukam’ is not random and it is individual specific. ‘The Absolute’, who is ‘Just’, must be having some basis for designing his ‘Hukam’ (please excuse me for using technical language). Here Guru Sahib has provided the link; the Karmas of the individual are the input for the cosmic process that design individual specific ‘Hukam’ the impact of which is felt by the concerned individual. This understanding gives me the answers to the question that remained unanswered till this time. Now I move to the next sentence.
nwnk eyvY jwxIAY sBu Awpy sicAwru ]4] naanak ayvai jaanee-ai sabh aapay sachiaar. ||4||
In this sentence there is another revelation.
Guru Sahib is telling us that ‘Karta Purakh’ is fully self sufficient; he does not need any thing from us. I hold the view that ‘Karta Purakh’ being Nirakaar has no needs or desires. He is not seeking us; we are seeking him. Guru Sahib tells us to keep this in mind.
This is my understanding of this Pauri.
With Love and Respect for all.
Amarpal
In this posting, I share with you all, my understanding of 4th Pauri of Japji Sahib.
As was the case with 3rd Pauri, Guru Sahib continues to dwell on the immenseness of ‘Sat Kartar’. Guru Sahib compares ‘The Absolute’ who is unlimited with we humans who have all the limitations, to convey the difference. Guru Sahib uses examples that are in the common knowledge of we humans to illustrate what he wants to convey to us.
In the end of the Pauri, Guru Sahib makes a very significant statement that what we get in this life is the result of our Karmas. This teaching when understood along with the learning of the previous Pauris tells us a lot. In the previous Pauri, Guru Sahib had said: all that we get is as a result of ‘Hukam’ of ‘Karta Purakh’, here Guru Sahib says that it is because of Karma. It means that our Karmas and the ‘Hukam’ of ‘The Absolute’ are in the chain which impacts on us to give or deny or modify something in our lives. We also know that Karam is from our end; Hukam is from the end of ‘The Absolute’. We all know that ‘Hukam’ is not random and it is individual specific. ‘The Absolute’ who is Just must be having some basis for designing his ‘Hukam’ (please excuse me for using technical language). Here Guru Sahib has provided the link; the Karmas of the individual are the input for the cosmic process that design individual specific ‘Hukam’ the impact of which is felt by the concerned individual.
For me it is a great discovery in spiritual domain. I thank Guru Sahib for giving us Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
With this said I come to details of the Pauri.
swcw swihbu swcu nwie BwiKAw Bwau Apwru ] saachaa saahib saach naa-ay bhaakhi-aa bhaa-o apaar.
Guru Sahib says that ‘The Absolute’ is true, and that is its name and has unlimited positive feeling.
AwKih mMgih dyih dyih dwiq kry dwqwru ] aakhahi mangahi dayhi dayhi daat karay daataar.
Guru Sahib tells us ‘The Sat’ is unlimited. What ever we ask ‘Sat’ is able to give with love. This is to drill into our mind the immenseness of ‘Karta Purakh’.
Pyir ik AgY rKIAY ijqu idsY drbwru ] fayr ke agai rakhee-ai jit disai darbaar.
Guru Sahib once again goes on to illustrate the insignificant position of we human with respect to ‘The Absolute’. Guru Sahib says: what can we keep in front so that we can enter its world. Again, here Guru sahib has use the practice of taking presents to significant individual when some one wanted to see him/her; this is done to be effective in communicating what he wanted to convey.
muhO ik bolxu bolIAY ijqu suix Dry ipAwru ] muhou ke bolan bolee-ai jit sun Dharay pi-aar.
In this sentence also Guru Sahib uses the method we human use to interface with the other individuals. Guru Sahib ponders on the words one can utter, which can evoke his love. All this Guru Sahib is telling us to make us realise that we are limited.
AMimRq vylw scu nwau vifAweI vIcwru ] amrit vaylaa sach naa-o vadi-aa-ee veechaar.
Having raised so many questions Guru Sahib now enters in answering mode. Guru Sahib tells us that during ‘Amrit Vayla’ the individual should think about the greatness of ‘The Absolute’.
Here I want to add what I infer from the term ‘Amrit Vayla’. To me ‘Amrit Vayla’ is not what my elders had been telling me. They tell me it is a time before dawn, some say 5 am, some 4 am and even some suggest 3 am; the older my elder is to whom I ask more the ‘Amrit Vayla’ moves towards midnight. If one asks them why it is so, they have no basis. Today in this knowledge age one must have a basis for every thing.
As I ponder over this issue, I get a feeling that this meaning (as told to me by my elders) probably has come from the practices of the religions to which my ancestors belonged before the arrival of Siri Guru Nanak Dev Jee. In that religion many of the practices where designed to make life difficult in order to curb senses.
If ‘The Absolute’ wanted we human to remain awake during night – during the so-called ‘Amrit Vayla’ - it was within his power to make us nocturnal being; ‘Karta Purakh’ has not done that. In addition Guru Sahib has asked us to be spiritual within the life of a house holder, he has not asked away to run away from normal life, which includes sleeping during night, then why will the ‘Amrit Vayla’ be some where at the middle of the night. Further more why ‘The Absolute’ will make some Vayla poison and some Vayla Amrit?
This leads me to the conclusion that the limitation that makes the Vayla poison or Amrit must be coming form we human. This shift in paradigm gives me a more rational answer.
Amrit Vayla is the time span when my mind is pure; that is the right time for ‘Simran’, no matter what time of the day or night it is. I conclude that there is no fixed time for it.
For any individual, when she/he gets up from sleep, there is a small time span before the mind starts dwelling on worldly affair. During this time span the mind of the individual is pure, that is why it is Amrit (Amrit was available always in small quantities only). One can train oneself to think of ‘Karta Purakh’ during this time. Probably by training one can create this state of mind any time one wants and for relatively longer duration. This is what ‘Amrit Vayla’ means for me.
Now I come back to next sentence of this Pauri.
krmI AwvY kpVw ndrI moKu duAwru ] karmee aavai kaprhaa nadree mokh du-aar.
This a very significant sentence. Guru Sahib is saying that this form (human body), which we have got, is the result of our Karmas. Earlier Guru Sahib has told us that it is the ‘Hukam’ that impacts on our lives. It means that our Karmas and the ‘Hukam’ of ‘The Absolute’ are both contribute to what impacts on us to give or deny or modify something in our lives. We also know that Karam is from our end; Hukam is from the end of ‘The Absolute’. We all know that ‘Hukam’ is not random and it is individual specific. ‘The Absolute’, who is ‘Just’, must be having some basis for designing his ‘Hukam’ (please excuse me for using technical language). Here Guru Sahib has provided the link; the Karmas of the individual are the input for the cosmic process that design individual specific ‘Hukam’ the impact of which is felt by the concerned individual. This understanding gives me the answers to the question that remained unanswered till this time. Now I move to the next sentence.
nwnk eyvY jwxIAY sBu Awpy sicAwru ]4] naanak ayvai jaanee-ai sabh aapay sachiaar. ||4||
In this sentence there is another revelation.
Guru Sahib is telling us that ‘Karta Purakh’ is fully self sufficient; he does not need any thing from us. I hold the view that ‘Karta Purakh’ being Nirakaar has no needs or desires. He is not seeking us; we are seeking him. Guru Sahib tells us to keep this in mind.
This is my understanding of this Pauri.
With Love and Respect for all.
Amarpal
