jinī sacṛā sacu salāhiā haṁü tin lāgaü pāe.
se jan sace nirmale tin miliā malu sabh jāe.
tin miliā malu sabh jāe sacai sari nāe sacai sahaji subhāe.
nāmu niranjanu agamu agocaru satiguri dīā bujhāe.
andinu bhagati karahi raṅgi rāte nānak saci samāe.
jinī sacṛā sacu dhiāiā haṁü tin kai lāgaü pāe.4.4.
-Guru Granth Sahib 585
In the first stanza of this Alahani, it has been stated that beings who are disconnected from the Wisdom (Guru) continue to wander in the cycle of birth and death. But those who contemplate Nam of IkOankar (the Divine) through the Wisdom are saved from it. The second stanza mentions the seekers who are absorbed in the Nam, always sing the glory of IkOankar, and attain happiness. The third stanza shows that without the awareness of the Wisdom and the company of the Wisdom-oriented ones, beings go astray; they are regretful in the Court. The faces of the seekers imbued with the Nam are radiant in love. They become one with IkOankar. The fourth stanza inspires beings to stay in the company of those seekers who always sing the glory and contemplate the Nam.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the fourth stanza, Guru Amardas says, I bow at the feet of those beings who have praised the embodiment of Truth, the Eternal IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). The Guru shows us how to humbly submit to those who have engaged in the work of praising the One. These are the filth-free ones, the true ones, and meeting them, all our inner filth dissipates. These are the people whose conduct is virtuous, the people we ought to learn from, whose guidance we ought to seek.
The Guru encourages us in this stanza to seek the companionship and mentorship of those who are in constant praise of the One. We are told twice that it is through meeting them that all filth goes away. We cleanse our minds in the pool of Nam (Identification with IkOankar) through meeting them. This is a different kind of cleansing — not the physical purification or washing-off common in the classically religious paradigms we see. It is not a pilgrimage. This kind of ‘bathing’ is about the company we keep — what we are immersing ourselves in, what we are coating ourselves in, what we are surrounding ourselves with. It is through joining the company of these virtuous seekers that we can remove the filth of vices from within us through this internal cleansing. It is through joining their company that we remain intoxicated in the Wisdom and the deep love of IkOankar, the Eternal. This happens intuitively and naturally. The Guru says that the Nam of IkOankar is immaculate, beyond our reach and understanding, and too vast to perceive fully. But the seekers realize this through the company of the virtuous beings, through the guidance of the Wisdom. Through this company and guidance, we can gain some insights on otherwise imperceptible and unfathomable things, all through the name of that one, which is also imperceptible and unfathomable!
The most important thing here is that the Guru shows us how to navigate something that seems impossible. We can find and join the company of those beings who are actively engaged in devotion day and night, and we can realize that this is possible for us, too. We can witness that this is how they become drenched in love and realize this is possible for us, too. We can see that the eternality enters them because they are drenched in love, in the color of the One in every moment, and we can realize that this is possible for us, too. We can see that they are experiencing an understanding of the vast and eternal IkOankar, and we can realize that this is possible for us, too. Will we find that company? Will we join the virtuous beings? Will we humbly submit to the guidance of the Wisdom? Will we come to understand that we do not have to pursue this connection alone?
SUMMARY
In the first stanza of this composition, Guru Amardas reminds us of the body’s frailty, the temporariness of this body, and the slow approach of death in an urging toward spending this time wisely. In the second stanza, the Guru shows us how to make these frail and temporary bodies precious and golden through a relationship with the eternal Wisdom. In the third stanza, the Guru shows us that if we can live in relationship with that Wisdom, then what always operates and in all spaces is the eternality of the One. In the final stanza, the Guru describes the behavior of the ones who are devoted. We are shown that it is possible to follow their example. It is difficult, but we have filth-free companions who can guide us. We can seek that company, and if we join that company, then our songs of death and loss will no longer be songs of grieving and fear — they will be songs of celebration.
The Guru encourages us in this stanza to seek the companionship and mentorship of those who are in constant praise of the One. We are told twice that it is through meeting them that all filth goes away. We cleanse our minds in the pool of Nam (Identification with IkOankar) through meeting them. This is a different kind of cleansing — not the physical purification or washing-off common in the classically religious paradigms we see. It is not a pilgrimage. This kind of ‘bathing’ is about the company we keep — what we are immersing ourselves in, what we are coating ourselves in, what we are surrounding ourselves with. It is through joining the company of these virtuous seekers that we can remove the filth of vices from within us through this internal cleansing. It is through joining their company that we remain intoxicated in the Wisdom and the deep love of IkOankar, the Eternal. This happens intuitively and naturally. The Guru says that the Nam of IkOankar is immaculate, beyond our reach and understanding, and too vast to perceive fully. But the seekers realize this through the company of the virtuous beings, through the guidance of the Wisdom. Through this company and guidance, we can gain some insights on otherwise imperceptible and unfathomable things, all through the name of that one, which is also imperceptible and unfathomable!
The most important thing here is that the Guru shows us how to navigate something that seems impossible. We can find and join the company of those beings who are actively engaged in devotion day and night, and we can realize that this is possible for us, too. We can witness that this is how they become drenched in love and realize this is possible for us, too. We can see that the eternality enters them because they are drenched in love, in the color of the One in every moment, and we can realize that this is possible for us, too. We can see that they are experiencing an understanding of the vast and eternal IkOankar, and we can realize that this is possible for us, too. Will we find that company? Will we join the virtuous beings? Will we humbly submit to the guidance of the Wisdom? Will we come to understand that we do not have to pursue this connection alone?
SUMMARY
In the first stanza of this composition, Guru Amardas reminds us of the body’s frailty, the temporariness of this body, and the slow approach of death in an urging toward spending this time wisely. In the second stanza, the Guru shows us how to make these frail and temporary bodies precious and golden through a relationship with the eternal Wisdom. In the third stanza, the Guru shows us that if we can live in relationship with that Wisdom, then what always operates and in all spaces is the eternality of the One. In the final stanza, the Guru describes the behavior of the ones who are devoted. We are shown that it is possible to follow their example. It is difficult, but we have filth-free companions who can guide us. We can seek that company, and if we join that company, then our songs of death and loss will no longer be songs of grieving and fear — they will be songs of celebration.
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