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Sukhmani Sahib:11th Ashtapadee:3rd Pauri

Amarpal

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Jun 11, 2004
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Dear Khalsa Ji,
With the Grace of ‘The Sat’ today I share my understanding of 3rd Pauri of 11th Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib with you all.


1. khu mwnuK qy ikAw hoie AwvY ] kaho maanukh tay ki-aa ho-ay aavai.
[/FONT]Tell me - what can a human do?

My understanding:


Guru Sahib had realized ‘The Sat’; he knew all about the operations of the cosmic forces which impact on us as a result of ‘Hukam’ of ‘The Sat’ and make our life what it is. No matter how strong our ego (Ahamkara) is, Guru Sahib knew that individuals are just like the pawns of the chess board – move the way the ‘Master’ makes them move. In our life, this Master is ‘The Sat’. With this knowledge, Guru Sahib says, in the above Tuk, that what a human can do.


2. jo iqsu BwvY soeI krwvY ] jo tis bhaavai so-ee karaavai.
[/FONT]Whatever pleases ‘The Sat’, it gets that done.

My understanding:


We have a separate form and distinct appearance and frame of mind, but all these are under the control of ‘The Sat’. This way we are not a separate independent entity, we are a peck of this cosmic whole. We act and move in accordance with the commands of our brain which is totally links to this cosmic whole. There are large number of varieties in which an individual thinks and acts and thus appear independent, but all this is part of the cosmic drama that is being played here under the direction of its ‘Sutradhaar’ – ‘The Sat’. Whatever one does is result of the command from this ‘Sutradhaar’ which holds the entire garland of this dimension (earth and the life on it) in shape and place. Guru Sahib summarise this in the above Tuk by saying whatever pleases ‘The Sat’ alone happens.


3. ies kY hwiQ hoie qw sBu ikCu lyie ] is kai haath ho-ay taa sabh kichh lay-ay.
[/FONT]If the operations were in our hand, then all that is one would had grabbed for itself.

My understanding:


Guru Sahib further lends strength to his argument by saying that greedy as we are, we would have allocated all that is to ourselves, if it was in our power to do so. We know it cannot be done, even if we try we do not succeed. This proves that there is someone else who is in command. This ‘Sutradhaar’ of creation, we refer to as ‘The Sat’.


4. jo iqsu BwvY soeI kryie ] jo tis bhaavai so-ee karay-i.
[/FONT]The ‘Sat’ does what it considers just and proper.

My understanding:


The ‘Sat’ acts without fear or enmity; its justice is absolute and perfect without any favour, it is never biased. These parameters and other such attributes, as I understand, decide of what ‘The Sat’ wishes i.e. Bhavai (Bwv). The basis of its justice is same to all and is time invariant. This is what I understand from the Tuk under reference. Bhavai is a way to express it.


5. Anjwnq ibiKAw mih rcY ] anjaanat bikhi-aa meh rachai.
[/FONT]Not knowing, the person gets soaked in wrong doings.

My understanding:


World teaches us worldly life; it is easy to learn because it comes from direct experience which we understand right from our childhood. Spiritual life is not common in earthly existence; it needs to be cultivated; it has to grow from within. There are no readymade workout books or exercise books; to evolve one has to be self learner and should have mental acumen to seek, recognize, practice and assimilate the spiritual lessons. Siri Guru Granth Sahib repeatedly tells us that for a person to evolve spiritually, it has to be preordained. In other words our past Karma should have prepared us for this eventuality.


Many of us not even get introduced to it; thus remain ignorant all their life. Not knowing they do the others around it are doing, in a routine way; being ignorant the person gets involved in wrong doings.


6. jy jwnq Awpn Awp bcY ] jay jaanat aapan aap bachai.
[/FONT]If they knew, they, on their own would have saved themselves.

My understanding:


Guru Sahib tells us that had they known the consequences of their wrong doings, then they had the chance to save themselves by not indulging in such acts.


Now the question that comes to my mind is how does one ignorant person even gets inkling that the acts in which it is indulging are bad. The way for it is to have some link with Saadhsangat. The place where such even can take place is Gurdwara. One likes it or not, visiting Gurdwara gives you a typical sensation which has the potential to awaken the natural spiritual tendencies within; then ‘The Sat’ is always within us to guide us and help.


7. Brmy BUlw dh idis DwvY ] bh[/FONT]armay bhoolaa dah dis Dhaavai.
[/FONT]Lost in doubts the follow different paths to achieve their objectives.

My understanding:


The lack of clarity at intellectual level leads to confusion for the decision that one has to take. Felling lost it catches any support which gives it some hope, no matter how flimsy it is. This is how the person runs here and there to different streams of persuasion and gets lost.


8. inmK mwih cwir kuMt iPir AwvY ] nimakh maahi chaar kunt fir aavai.
[/FONT]Thinking, in no time, the mind wanders around in all the corners of the world and comes back.


My understanding:
Not finding the proper ways the individual applies its mind and search for probable solution in the entire space it can scan. In the domain of spirituality, there are not many ways, that too they are not in the open domain, thus the person has to come back to the place from where it started.


9. kir ikrpw ijsu ApnI Bgiq dyie ] kar kirpaa jis apnee bhagat day-ay.
[/FONT]With the blessing of ‘The Sat’ the persons get linked to the Bhagatee of ‘The Sat’.

My understanding:


Guru Sahib says that those who have the blessing of ‘The Sat’, naturally move and seek its protection, through Bhagatee (devotion) in order to get solution for their problems.


10. nwnk qy jn nwim imlyie ]3] naanak tay jan naam milay-ay. ||3||
[/FONT]O Nanak, they get absorbed in ‘Naam’.

My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells us that as the person taken to Bhagatee, progresses with it gets to fully understand what Naam is, and get fully absorbed it it and thus merges with it.


With this I close the post.


With Love and respect for all.


Amarpal Singh
 
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