paüṛī
jiu jiu terā hukamu tivai tiu hovaṇā.
jah jah rakhahi āpi tah jāi khaṛovaṇā.
nām terai kai raṅgi durmati dhovaṇā.
japi japi tudhu niraṅkār bharamu bhaü khovaṇā.
jo terai raṅgi rate se joni na jovaṇā.
antari bāhari iku naiṇ alovaṇā.
jin̖ī pachātā hukamu tin̖ kade na rovaṇā.
nāu nānak bakhsīs man māhi parovaṇā.18.
-Guru Granth Sahib 523
In this pauri, it is said that everything happens in accordance with the will of IkOankar (the Divine). The beings who recognize the will of IkOankar always remain content with the will of IkOankar; they never wail or weep. Through the contemplation of Nam of IkOankar, they remove flawed understanding, fear, illusion, etc., from their minds. They see IkOankar alone as pervading everywhere.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
Revealed by Guru Arjan, this composition is set in Rag Gujari, a musical mode that evokes a compassionate and thoughtful sense of mortality and awareness of our own temporariness. It is often used to communicate messages about what we ought to do with our lives in awareness of our own deaths.
Guru Arjan begins by describing the condition of those devoted beings who are drenched in the love of IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One). We learn that this love is the grace of the 1– it is a ‘bakhsis,’ a gift. We cannot demand or force this gift, making it invaluable. Guru Arjan weaves the message sequentially akin to steps in a pauri. We take one more step on this journey, and with each step, we move closer and deeper into love with the 1. As the love deepens, it continually transforms the lives of those blessed with this gift from the Guru. The Hukam, or the Divine Command, becomes a lived reality for those immersed in love. Embracing the Divine Command of the 1 and everything that comes with it, including death, comes naturally. Like beads on a string, the pearl of Nam (Identification with IkOankar) threads the beings’ minds together with the 1 in love. Duality dissolves, and the being becomes conscious of the imaginary fear of death. As Nam continues to seep within the devoted beings, they become more deeply imbued with the love of the Divine. Every cell and every vein reverberates in love; Nam is etched in the fabric of the mind and consciousness, removing all fears, dilemmas, judgments, and confusions. The color of Nam washes over the negativity in the mind, opening the doors to freedom—freedom from worrying about birth and death and many more freedoms. These beings who see the 1 everywhere are no longer perturbed by their fleeting and temporary existence. Death is no longer the great unknown because to know the 1 is to know and accept the nature of death. The magnification of an impermanent existence shatters, fostering continuous remembrance of the 1. Such love transcends death, becoming an enduring experience for those who embrace it.
Guru Arjan says, The beings who have recognized Your Command never grieve. We comprehend that love for Nam is the key to unlocking the crypts of fear that engulf us when a loved one passes away. We have normalized transactional love, falsely believing that mourning someone’s departure ensures others will mourn for us when our time arrives. This conditioning has led us to presume that our relationship with the 1 is transactional. The Guru shatters this misconception and reminds us that love was never conditional, especially not love for the 1. We learn that genuine love is transformative and all-encompassing. Such profound love deepens our devotion and fosters acceptance. It is a love that no longer elicits cries or laments. Once love blossoms and 1-Ness flows, our self-centeredness dissolves, and we become IkOankar-centered. Duality vanishes, and all illusions about death dissipate. Surrender prevails, and everything, including death, unfolds according to the will of the 1, embraced with love. Reflecting on our understanding of love serves as a pathway to liberation from the fear of death. We can begin by pondering: How can we cultivate a love that transcends the fear of death, leading to acceptance and surrender to the will of the 1? What transformations occur when we shift from self-centeredness to being centered on IkOankar in the face of death? How does unconditional love for the 1 aid us in confronting and overcoming the fear of death?
Guru Arjan begins by describing the condition of those devoted beings who are drenched in the love of IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One). We learn that this love is the grace of the 1– it is a ‘bakhsis,’ a gift. We cannot demand or force this gift, making it invaluable. Guru Arjan weaves the message sequentially akin to steps in a pauri. We take one more step on this journey, and with each step, we move closer and deeper into love with the 1. As the love deepens, it continually transforms the lives of those blessed with this gift from the Guru. The Hukam, or the Divine Command, becomes a lived reality for those immersed in love. Embracing the Divine Command of the 1 and everything that comes with it, including death, comes naturally. Like beads on a string, the pearl of Nam (Identification with IkOankar) threads the beings’ minds together with the 1 in love. Duality dissolves, and the being becomes conscious of the imaginary fear of death. As Nam continues to seep within the devoted beings, they become more deeply imbued with the love of the Divine. Every cell and every vein reverberates in love; Nam is etched in the fabric of the mind and consciousness, removing all fears, dilemmas, judgments, and confusions. The color of Nam washes over the negativity in the mind, opening the doors to freedom—freedom from worrying about birth and death and many more freedoms. These beings who see the 1 everywhere are no longer perturbed by their fleeting and temporary existence. Death is no longer the great unknown because to know the 1 is to know and accept the nature of death. The magnification of an impermanent existence shatters, fostering continuous remembrance of the 1. Such love transcends death, becoming an enduring experience for those who embrace it.
Guru Arjan says, The beings who have recognized Your Command never grieve. We comprehend that love for Nam is the key to unlocking the crypts of fear that engulf us when a loved one passes away. We have normalized transactional love, falsely believing that mourning someone’s departure ensures others will mourn for us when our time arrives. This conditioning has led us to presume that our relationship with the 1 is transactional. The Guru shatters this misconception and reminds us that love was never conditional, especially not love for the 1. We learn that genuine love is transformative and all-encompassing. Such profound love deepens our devotion and fosters acceptance. It is a love that no longer elicits cries or laments. Once love blossoms and 1-Ness flows, our self-centeredness dissolves, and we become IkOankar-centered. Duality vanishes, and all illusions about death dissipate. Surrender prevails, and everything, including death, unfolds according to the will of the 1, embraced with love. Reflecting on our understanding of love serves as a pathway to liberation from the fear of death. We can begin by pondering: How can we cultivate a love that transcends the fear of death, leading to acceptance and surrender to the will of the 1? What transformations occur when we shift from self-centeredness to being centered on IkOankar in the face of death? How does unconditional love for the 1 aid us in confronting and overcoming the fear of death?
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