Antam Sanskar | Funeral Ceremony

Sheikh Farid Ji, Guru Angad Sahib, Guru Arjan Sahib, Bhagat Kabir Ji

This salok by Guru Angad is accompanied by another salok and recorded in a var. The pauri states that 1, IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One) is in every mind, but we cannot realize that without becoming Guru-centered. The salok reflects on the nature of the universal call of death that comes in the form of an inevitable message by the supreme sovereign, IkOankar.

Without embellishment, Guru Angad conveys a reflection: it is impossible to ask anything of the 1 who already knows everything. The Guru establishes omniscience and invokes 1-Ness, the state of existence where one realizes there is only the 1 that operates in the mind and body. Any ideas about any separation between us and the 1 are confronted. Guru Angad talks about recognizing, realizing, and embracing 1-Ness while reminding us that attaining this realization ought to be considered a priority and cannot be taken for granted. It is not something we can do after we die, as when it is time, we will have no option but to leave the earthly realm. It is crucial that we understand that this is not an invitation that we will be able to RSVP at our convenience. Efforts towards this realization ought to be made while we are alive. This call is equivalent to a ‘ciri,’ literally, a letter stamped in the court of IkOankar. It cannot be counter-mandated or returned. Both the authority of the 1’s Command and the immediacy of the Command are invoked here. It is established that we go the second we are invited. While confirming the Supreme Sovereign’s authority, it is clarified: If we assume that due to our social status or rank, we will be granted a choice in the matter of staying or leaving, then we are mistaken. 

Guru Angad challenges our fixations on duality, impermanence, and unsubstantiated magnification of social roles. The world we inhabit is akin to an elusive cave, where social hierarchies derive their significance solely from the value assigned to them by their inhabitants. The social roles are subject to a deadline and come with an expiration or retirement date. Today, they exist; tomorrow, they won’t. When summoned by the 1 whose authority transcends all contracts and schedules, be it a laborer, an executive, or a president, all will heed the call. In the world of text messages and emails, we forget about the Supreme summon, which is pre-written for all of us. Our fixations on the constructed hierarchies of the world become a barrier to the realization of the 1-Ness and interfere by creating duality. This makes us ignorant and egoistic. We forget to whom and where we are supposed to voice our desires and questions. We spend our entire lives chasing answers externally, whereas all the answers are always in the 1-Ness, within us. We are guided to pause, reflect, and ponder: If what we see and know is presumed illusive, what must the real look like? Where can we find it? How can we reach it?