chāḍi man hari bimukhan ko saṅgu.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1253
In this one-line Sabad, the mind is asked to renounce the company of those who have turned away from IkOankar (the Divine).
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
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Bhagat Surdas, one of the 15 bhagats (devoted beings) whose contributions are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, revealed this Sabad. This composition is not accompanied by any official title in the Guru Granth Sahib and consists of a single line. It is sung in the Sarang rag (musical mode). This melody evokes a mood of simplicity, carrying within it the ability to narrate simple messages rather than deeply philosophical arguments. This musical mode is typically associated with folk culture and the late summer afternoon, when the day ’s heat weighs heavily upon us, and our minds are at rest. In this state, with our guards down and our energy spent, we become more receptive to the harder truths about our choices.
Bhagat Surdas begins and ends by opening the mind to a message, O mind! Renounce the company of those who have turned away from Hari. This idea jolts our mind–what does it mean to forsake? To give up? While the request appears simple enough, encapsulated in a single line, the message is stirring and demands our attention. Bhagat Surdas draws our attention with the word bimukhan, popularly understood as disregardful and colloquially referred to as vemukh or bemukh. He asks the mind to simply give up the company of those who have turned away from Hari, the 1-Light, the All-Pervasive, the Fear-Eliminator, the Remover of Suffering, a name synonymous with IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). However, a vemukh is not necessarily parallel to a manmukh. This person follows their mind and may be ignorant or non-commitant to the Wisdom (Guru). Vemukh signifies someone who has turned away from the Wisdom, implying the cessation of following. This individual once faced the Wisdom but, at some point, stopped doing so and turned away. Bhagat Surdas’s line calls precisely to those who have turned away from the 1-Light. The subtleties of his message carry with it the cessation of following those who had once faced the 1-Light, only to turn away later. Giving clarity to the mind, Bhagat Surdas emphasizes his thought is for the self: I don’t need to be in the company of the ones who have broken their commitments to the One. As we contemplate the relevance of this thought to our lives, it gently illuminates our hearts, refracting in countless ways. For some, it becomes a gentle nudge, an invitation to guide the mind without judgment or condemnation—offering direction for self-reflection and a chance to thoughtfully consider who we choose to spend our time with. The focus turns inward, encouraging us to reflect on what we may need to renounce. With closer observation and introspection, we may recognize and embrace the cyclicity of our nature and life itself. Perhaps we have been, or may cross paths with, someone who has strayed from companionship with the 1-Light—whether once or a thousand times. Bhagat Surdas’s message, free from value judgments, offers the mind a hidden opportunity—an opening to observe and reflect on the nature of our personal and social commitments. Are we prioritizing relationships with those for whom the 1-Light is not a priority? Are we at peace with those choices, or do they invite us to reconsider the path we tread? What does the return look like?
Bhagat Surdas begins and ends by opening the mind to a message, O mind! Renounce the company of those who have turned away from Hari. This idea jolts our mind–what does it mean to forsake? To give up? While the request appears simple enough, encapsulated in a single line, the message is stirring and demands our attention. Bhagat Surdas draws our attention with the word bimukhan, popularly understood as disregardful and colloquially referred to as vemukh or bemukh. He asks the mind to simply give up the company of those who have turned away from Hari, the 1-Light, the All-Pervasive, the Fear-Eliminator, the Remover of Suffering, a name synonymous with IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). However, a vemukh is not necessarily parallel to a manmukh. This person follows their mind and may be ignorant or non-commitant to the Wisdom (Guru). Vemukh signifies someone who has turned away from the Wisdom, implying the cessation of following. This individual once faced the Wisdom but, at some point, stopped doing so and turned away. Bhagat Surdas’s line calls precisely to those who have turned away from the 1-Light. The subtleties of his message carry with it the cessation of following those who had once faced the 1-Light, only to turn away later. Giving clarity to the mind, Bhagat Surdas emphasizes his thought is for the self: I don’t need to be in the company of the ones who have broken their commitments to the One. As we contemplate the relevance of this thought to our lives, it gently illuminates our hearts, refracting in countless ways. For some, it becomes a gentle nudge, an invitation to guide the mind without judgment or condemnation—offering direction for self-reflection and a chance to thoughtfully consider who we choose to spend our time with. The focus turns inward, encouraging us to reflect on what we may need to renounce. With closer observation and introspection, we may recognize and embrace the cyclicity of our nature and life itself. Perhaps we have been, or may cross paths with, someone who has strayed from companionship with the 1-Light—whether once or a thousand times. Bhagat Surdas’s message, free from value judgments, offers the mind a hidden opportunity—an opening to observe and reflect on the nature of our personal and social commitments. Are we prioritizing relationships with those for whom the 1-Light is not a priority? Are we at peace with those choices, or do they invite us to reconsider the path we tread? What does the return look like?
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