Sukhmani Sahib Astpadi 11 Sabad 8 / ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅਸਟਪਦੀ ੧੧ ਸਬਦ ੮

[Ambarsaria]

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
Salok.
Salok (Core theme of eight sabads/hymns in the Astpadi)

ਕਰਣ ਕਾਰਣ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਏਕੁ ਹੈ ਦੂਸਰ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਸੁ ਬਲਿਹਾਰਣੈ ਜਲਿ ਥਲਿ ਮਹੀਅਲਿ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥
Karaṇ kāraṇ parabẖ ek hai ḏūsar nāhī ko▫e. Nānak ṯis balihārṇai jal thal mahī▫al so▫e. ||1||
Creator of creation and doer is one and there is no second. Nanak so such be exalted for which there is water, land and all above it.

ਅਸਟਪਦੀ॥
Asatpaḏī.
Eight stanzas hymn

ਕਬਹੂ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਇਹੁ ਪਾਵੈ ॥ ਉਸੁ ਅਸਥਾਨ ਤੇ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥
Kabhū sāḏẖsangaṯ ih pāvai. Us asthān ṯe bahur na āvai.
At times finds the company of the pious. Such a place one never comes out of.

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਹੋਇ ਗਿਆਨ ਪਰਗਾਸੁ ॥ ਉਸੁ ਅਸਥਾਨ ਕਾ ਨਹੀ ਬਿਨਾਸੁ ॥
Anṯar ho▫e gi▫ān pargās. Us asthān kā nahī binās.
The inside is so enlightened with wisdom. Such a place never is destroyed.

ਮਨ ਤਨ ਨਾਮਿ ਰਤੇ ਇਕ ਰੰਗਿ ॥ ਸਦਾ ਬਸਹਿ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ॥
Man ṯan nām raṯe ik rang. Saḏā basėh pārbarahm kai sang.
Mind and body are so imbued in creator’s understanding. Always living in the company of the supreme creator.

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਮਹਿ ਜਲੁ ਆਇ ਖਟਾਨਾ ॥ ਤਿਉ ਜੋਤੀ ਸੰਗਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਮਾਨਾ ॥
Ji▫o jal mėh jal ā▫e kẖatānā. Ŧi▫o joṯī sang joṯ samānā.
Just as water merges with water. So the one light merges with the supreme light.

ਮਿਟਿ ਗਏ ਗਵਨ ਪਾਏ ਬਿਸ੍ਰਾਮ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੈ ਸਦ ਕੁਰਬਾਨ ॥੮॥੧੧॥
Mit ga▫e gavan pā▫e bisrām. Nānak parabẖ kai saḏ kurbān. ||8||11||
The transformation circles end as abode is found. Nanak forever is an offering to the creator.

ESSENCE: In the salok, Guru ji state that many try to describe the creator but such is limitless. The creator creates with a variety of methods and of different types.

Guru Arjan Dev ji in Astpadi 11, 8th and final sabad describe the state of being in understanding of the creator. Finding company of the pious one is forever linked, once understanding shines inside it is never lost, one’s body and mind get the coloring of the creator and become one with such, just as water merges with water our soul light merges with the creator’s light.

Guru ji conclude that transformations are no more and one is forever in humble dedication to the creator.

NOTE: In this final sabad of the Astpadi 11, Guru ji are focusing on the oneness with creator and creation that one achieves through understanding of the creator and hence creation. All starts to make sense and questions about re-incarnation, etc., fall to the way side.

Conversely if one is searching for the creator’s Jyot and merging with it, thinking of bypassing life and death cycles and incarnations, one really has not achieved the right level of understanding of the creator. So the focus needs to be on understanding and enlightenment thereof and not some physical or merging un-merging or getting mukti/salvation from “joon”/incarnation cycles.

Please note all errors are mine and I stand corrected.

Sat Sri Akal.