Barah Maha (Mahala 5)

Guru Arjan Sahib

This composition, Barah Maha (Mahala 5), speaks of the deep yearning of the seeker to reunite with their Source, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), and the bliss that flows from such a union. This longing is framed beautifully within time’s cyclical passage, captured through the twelve months of the Nanakshahi Sikh calendar. Of the fourteen stanzas of this Bani (composition), the first and last highlight its core theme, while the middle twelve stanzas unfold profound teachings through each month. While multiple poetic forms of Barah Maha exist across Panjab and the wider area, this particular one, born from the Majha region, surges with the pulse of folk poetry, blending the rich tradition of the land with a unique musical mode of Rag Majh. Its feeling can be likened to the aching heart of one separated from a beloved, calling out with deep longing. In his youth, Guru Arjan faced a similar separation when he was sent to Lahore, away from Guru Ramdas, and longed to return to Amritsar. Here, we listen carefully to the feminine voice expressing the emotive power of love and separation in these fourteen stanzas. The feeling evoked here is not merely of missing someone physically but of the deep, existential separation from the One—the feeling of being distanced from the Source. When we become attuned to the voice of the seeker-bride in separation from IkOankar, the Divine-Groom, we hear echoes of our own separation from the One resound back to us.

With the beginning of a new year, many turn to resolutions, seeking to improve or change. In this light, this Barah Maha glows as a deeper resolution to find a connection with the One. In the global traditions, the festivals and New Year celebrations are often marked by religious prescriptions or certain cultural practices. Yet, Guru Arjan invites us to rethink these prescribed norms and turn inward, laying a template for inner and meaningful practice. We linger on our tendency to follow cultural or religious prescriptions mindlessly. Can we focus on what the heart truly needs in moments of separation—the longing for the One? The awareness imparted herein is not about just adhering to doctrines but about how we may recognize the pangs of separation we feel. Without this understanding, we may fall into the same traps that connection with the One can free us from, missing the deeper truth hidden beneath the surface of worldly customs and routines.

The creative and all-pervasive IkOankar is One that is unparalleled. IkOankar is realized through the grace of eternal Wisdom (Guru). The composition commences with the invocation to the One and the anchoring of the omnipotence of IkOankar. It is an invitation, a grounding reminder, perhaps even a call to action, urging seekers to center the One grace in their remembrance. 

Guru Arjan draws our attention to the deeds we commit, O dearest true Guru! In accordance with the deeds done, we are separated; having bestowed grace, unite us with Ram. Guru Arjan invokes many culturally relevant synonymous divine names for IkOankar, each highlighting different attributes of the One. Ram highlights the beautiful and charming nature of the One. Our actions are the threads that weave the fabric of our lives. When we come to understand human life as a gift, the result of great deeds performed in previous lives, it offers the precious opportunity to recognize the beautiful One, to awaken to the presence of something greater. Yet, our current actions—the deeds we are performing now—determine the course ahead. Our current actions are invoked, and we consider our accountability and responsibility. We reflect on this idea. Because of our current path and deeds, we find ourselves in separation, longing for the grace of the beautiful One. The grace sought is not of wealth or comfort but the grace to meet the beautiful One and find union. Upon realizing the depth of this aching separation, we find no rest, no solace in the material and temporary world around us. The awareness of this pain grows even more precise, and a quiet truth emerges in that clarity—there is no refuge but in the beautiful One. The search has worn the self thin, the weariness of the journey too great to bear. With this newfound awareness, we seek nothing else but to turn toward the beautiful One. Here, Prabhu is invoked to highlight the sovereign and steadying quality of the One. In the state of separation, we may feel without purpose or worth, like a cow that no longer gives milk or a dry branch that bears no fruit. Guru Arjan then invokes the divine name Hari as the Groom. We can understand this to emphasize the loving, all-pervasive nature of the One, the Divine-Groom we call to in the heat of our longing. The body burns like a furnace, its heat stoked by the endless desires that swirl within, each adding fuel to the fire. Without the cooling touch of the loving and steadying One, this inner unsteadiness rages on, consuming the self with desire. No matter how the body is adorned or how many pleasures the world offers, they are like a fleeting shadow. As their sweetness turns bitter, their allure fades, for in the absence of the One, nothing can quench the thirst that burns within. In this separation, without the Suami, the beloved Sovereign, the One, and even our closest friends seem like messengers of sorrow and death, for they cannot fill the void of separation. In this state of yearning, Guru Arjan calls for the blessing of Nam (Identification with IkOankar). For it is only through the grace of the Identification that the reunion with the true and steadying One becomes possible.

When we prepare for a special moment with someone dear, we dress carefully, set the scene with love, and make everything just right, hoping to share a meaningful connection. But if that person does not arrive, all the preparation, the meal, the setting—everything—feels meaningless. The anticipation dissipates, leaving a lingering emptiness in its wake. Meeting the beloved and steadying One is not unlike preparing for a meeting with a cherished loved one. Just as we prepare our hearts and surroundings for a physical encounter, Guru Arjan gently asks us to reflect on what we must do to prepare for that meeting with the One. Though this meeting is certain, it can only be experienced through grace. What inner readiness is needed to welcome the One who is always near but may feel so far? How might we reflect on a new path toward connection as we set out on another revolution around the sun? Will this be the year we cultivate an intimate relationship with the beloved One?