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Sukhmani Sahib: 8th Ashtapadee: 7th Pauri: My Understanding

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 7th Pauri of 8th Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib with you.
Please note that the English sentence after the Transliteration is not the exact literal translation of the text of the Tuk of Siri Guru Granth Sahib under reference, it is the meaning of the tuk as understood by me.
First the Summary:
Guru Sahib in this Pauri explains to us the nature of the person who is Braham-Gyani.
Few words of Caution:
It is important to understand what Braham-Gyani means. This term Guru Sahib has taken from the common parlance among the spiritually evolved pure people.
Brahma, as per Hindu mythology is the creator. Bhagavatam, the compilation of Ved Vyas, elaborates on Brahma. According to this elaboration, Brahma was born and will get dissolve after some time. His life time too is given in Bhagavatam. This, according to Sikhi makes Brahma part of the creation as he takes birth, lives a life and then dies; ‘The Sat’ according to Gurbani never takes birth i.e. ‘Ajuni’; it is beyond the clutches of time i.e. ‘Akaal Murat’. Since Brahma takes birth and dies it cannot be taken to be the creator according to Gurbani. The ‘Karta Purakh’ does not take birth. This ‘Karta Purakh’ is the creator according to Gurbani, which I refer to as ‘The Sat’. According to Gurbani between ‘Karta Purakh’ i.e. ‘The Sat’ and his creation, including us, there is no one – Each one of us has direct link to ‘The Sat’. Thus we, Sikhs, have nothing to do with Brahma, an entity of Hindu Mythology.
Thus when Guru Sahib use the term ‘Braham-Gyani’ it means the person who has Gyan (intrinsic knowledge and wisdom obtained through personal experience of ‘The Sat’) regarding ‘The Sat’ and is not referring to the person who has the knowledge of the Hindu mythological figure ‘Brahma’ obtained through reading scripture, who is any way part of the creation and is not ‘The Absolute’. Brahma of Hindu Mythology is not part of Sikhi.
1. bRhm igAwnI kI kImiq nwih ] barahm gi-aanee kee keemat naahi.
Braham Gyani does not have equivalence in any other entity of creation.

My understanding:
All the tangibles and most of the intangibles in this creation of ‘The Sat’ can find equivalence in one way or the other in some other entity - mostly money. One can purchase any item in the domain of tangibles by paying its cost. Similarly attributes in the intangible domain one can be hired by selecting the person who has these attributes e.g. intelligent, honest, diligence etc. But it is not possible to own or buy by any means a person who is Braham Gyani.
Braham Gyani totally belongs to ‘The Sat’; there is nothing in creation which can be equated with it.
This is what Guru Sahib is conveying to his Sikhs.
2. bRhm igAwnI kY sgl mn mwih ] barahm gi-aanee kai sagal man maahi.
’The Sat’ resides I the functioning brain of the Braham Gyani.

My understanding:
In this Pauri we concentrate on the word ‘Sagal’ used by guru Sahib. Sagal means sum, total, all. As I understand the entity that is total on its own is ‘The Sat’. Thus I conclude that ‘The Sat’ resides in the functioning brain of the Braham Gyani. This means that all the commands issued by the functioning brain of the Braham Gyani are the one issued by ‘The Sat’. This way the Braham Gyani becomes the instrument of ‘The Sat’. Now one must also understand how ‘The Sat’ can reside in the functioning brain of the person. As I understand, it is possible when the formatting of the brain of the person is such that there is no place for ‘I-ness’ in it i.e. the ego of the person is totally dissolved and does not exist any more. The person has achieved the state of purity where nothing can pollute it in other words the person has become ‘Puneet’. In such a state the person belongs to and lives for the good of the creation of ‘The Sat’. This person is Godly.
3. bRhm igAwnI kw kaun jwnY Bydu ] barahm gi-aanee kaa ka-un jaanai bhayd.
Who can ever know the secrets of the Braham Gyani?

My understanding:
Guru Sahib through this Tuk conveys to us that no one can ever decipher the ways of the Braham Gyani. This person is very close to ‘The Sat’ who cannot be comprehended through intellect. Though ‘The Sat’ can be experienced mentally, yet it cannot be deciphers and explained fully to any other person. Each individual has to experience ‘The sat’ on its own. The same level of incomprehensiveness applies to Braham Gyani also.
4. bRhm igAwnI kau sdw Adysu ] barahm gi-aanee ka-o sadaa adays.
In front of Braham Gyani one has to bow with reverence and obedience.

My understanding:
Guru Sahib has very clearly said that ‘The Sat’ resides in the functioning brain of the Braham Gyani. This means that all that the Braham Gyani says, thinks or does is under the orders from ‘The sat’. As a result Braham Gyani’s utterances become the orders for us and we must obey and carry them out with a deep sense of involvement, reverence and purpose in the interest of the creation of ‘The Sat’.
5. bRhm igAwnI kw kiQAw n jwie ADwK´ru ] barahm gi-aanee kaa kathi-aa na jaa-ay aDhaakh-yar.
The being of the Braham Gyani cannot be described in words.

My understanding:
The Braham Gyani has a body which can be described but the being of the Braham Gyani which reflects its functioning brain in which ‘The Sat’ resides cannot be deciphered and thus cannot be described in words. The difficulty is very similar to the one that comes in describing ‘The Sat’ itself. This is so because the Braham Gyani is not an ordinary person it is an instrument of ‘The Sat’ and consequently a reflection of ‘The Sat’ itself.
6. bRhm igAwnI srb kw Twkuru ] barahm gi-aanee sarab kaa thaakur.
Braham Gyani is the lead person of all.

My understanding:
In this Tuk, Guru Sahib is telling his Sikhs that Braham Gyani by virtue of its evolved spirituality stands head and shoulders above all in the creation id ‘The Sat’ and consequently has the stature, wisdom and the capacity to lead all of us and also act as guardian of creation of ‘The Sat’.
7. bRhm igAwnI kI imiq kaunu bKwnY ] barahm gi-aanee kee mit ka-un bakhaanai.
Who can elaborate on the limits of Braham Gyani.

My understanding:
Guru Sahib has said that Braham Gyani is ‘Sat Like’ person. As a results Braham gyani’s limits are not which apply to a commoner living a worldly life. The spirituality of the Braham Gyani has made it much wider because such a person has become a refection and instrument of ‘The Sat’. Thus no one can describe the limits of Braham Gyani.
8. bRhm igAwnI kI giq bRhm igAwnI jwnY ] barahm gi-aanee kee gat barahm gi-aanee jaanai.
The state of Braham Gyani only the Braham Gyani knows.

My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells us to know what Braham Gyani’s state of being; one has to be Braham Gyani itself. This is very true. The state of being is an abstract entity; it is in the domain of intangibles, which cannot be perceived by our senses; it can only be perceived mentally, that to is possible if the abstract entity has been experienced by the person. Thus the person who is Braham Gyani itself alone can understand the state of another Braham Gyani. To know what it means to give birth to a baby, one has to be a mother herself; men will never know it. The same applies to Braham Gyanis – To know the state of a Braham Gyani one has to be Braham Gyani itself.
9. bRhm igAwnI kw AMqu n pwru ] barahm gi-aanee kaa ant na paar.
The limits of Braham Gyani cannot be determined.

My understanding:
With ‘The Sat’ residing in the functioning brain of Braham Gyani, this person remains permanently latched to ‘The Sat’. As I understand, this makes the Braham Gyani totally empowered by ‘The Sat’ to act on its behalf for the common good of the creation of ‘The Sat’ Braham Gyani has unlimited access to the ‘Cosmic Intelligent Energy’ i.e. ‘The Sat’. In a way Braham Gyani becomes unlimited. This makes it impossible for anyone to phantom Braham Gyani’s depth and measure its spread.
10. nwnk bRhm igAwnI kau sdw nmskwru ]7] naanak barahm gi-aanee ka-o sadaa namaskaar. ||7||
O’ Nanak, always respect, revere and bow to Braham Gyani.||7||

My understanding:
Guru Sahib tells himself and to us that always pay respect to the Braham Gyanis from the depth or our heart and soul; revere them and demonstrate this inner feelings by bowing in front of them. In other words Guru Sahib wants us to conduct ourselves physically and mentally in the manner that is befitting this evolved soul of Braham Gyani who is almost equal to ‘The Sat’.
With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
 

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