jini jini nāmu dhiāiā tin ke kāj sare.
hari guru pūrā ārādhiā dargah saci khare.
sarab sukhā nidhi caraṇ hari bhaüjalu bikhamu tare.
prem bhagati tin pāīā bikhiā nāhi jare.
kūṛ gae dubidhā nasī pūran saci bhare.
pārbrahamu prabhu sevade man andari eku dhare.
māh divas mūrat bhale jis kaü nadari kare.
nānaku maṅgai daras dānu kirpā karahu hare.14.1.
-Guru Granth Sahib 136
This stanza summarizes all the stanzas of Barahmaha. Like Guru Nanak Sahib (in Barahmaha Tukhari), Guru Arjan Sahib counsels the being that one who takes the support of IkOankar (the Divine), all days are good and alike for them. All affairs of the beings, who contemplate the Nam of IkOankar, are resolved. By enshrining the Nam within their hearts, they are saved from the influence of excessive material cravings.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the last stanza of the composition, Guru Arjan says, we reflect on our long journey from separation to union over the long twelve months. Whoever, whoever has meditated upon Nam, their affairs have been resolved. We listen carefully as the feminine voice of the seeker-bride brings us back around to both the beginning and the end of the Nanakshahi Sikh year in separation and union with the Divine-Groom, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). We waft down from the dizzying flurry of passing days, months, and seasons and touch down to the essence of the message guiding us toward the heart of Guru Arjan’s Barah Maha. Shared with us in the preceding thirteen stanzas is the captivating grandeur of the One, woven through rich symbolism, proverbs, metaphors, and accessible language. Through these literary devices, the poetry itself becomes a bridge that unites us with the message, making its beauty not just a reflection of the words but of the deeper truth they carry. We yearn for a reunion with the Divine-Groom, who can be found through the Wisdom (Guru). When we enshrine the Sabad (hymn-like stanza that exemplifies the word-sound of the Infinite Wisdom), we are accepted into the embrace of the beloved One. Guru Arjan reminds us that, like the seasons, the weather changes frequently, and each year comes and goes. But when the year ends, we are left with one profound question: Is the separation truly over? Guru Arjan gently points to the root cause of our separation. No matter where we search, it is our actions and deeds that stand in the way. Our deeds are not aligned with the end of our separation, and it is this misalignment that keeps us apart from the One. So, what must we do to change our deeds? How do we shift our behavior? Guru Arjan offers a simple yet profound answer—through the company of virtuous beings and the contemplation of the Nam (Identification with IkOankar). The real desire of our hearts, the desire to end separation, can be fulfilled once we align our actions with our deepest longing. This composition, while a beautiful expression of the passing months, ultimately serves to show us the way—reminding us that it is not the day, the month, or the season that matters. What truly matters is our remembrance of the One and our commitment to living in alignment with the beloved One. All comforts and joys arise from this, surrendering our fear and anxiety to the One. This is the path that helps us cross the world-ocean. When we take refuge in the One, we experience a transformation. The poisons of the mind—fear, attachment, greed, Maya (the allure of transient things and relationships), no longer torment us. We are filled with truth and eternity, and the illusion of duality fades away. When we place Prabhu, the sovereign and protective One, at the center of our consciousness, when we live in constant remembrance of the One, we experience a kind of unwavering stability that transcends time. All days, all months, and all moments are good when we live in the grace of the One. Guru Arjan invites us to ask for only a glimpse of Hari, the all-pervasive One—even if just a moment of connection—and offers that moment as the greatest gift. With this parting thought, we reflect. It is not about choosing the right time or moment; it is about grace, love, and union with the One. We were sent here for this purpose. Without that connection, we remain lost, separated, and deserted within. True union and true connection is not about timing but about tending to, caring for, and loving devotion to the beloved One. When we ask for this gift and contemplate the One with complete devotion, the Oneness will naturally arise within us. This is the real worship that transcends ritual and becomes a living, breathing connection with the One. And how do we know it is real? Because once we are touched by this love and grace, no pain or poison can affect us. We are truly home.
This is the essence of the message: that love, grace, and union are not bound by time or circumstance but are the eternal truths that bring us home to the One. Reflecting on these eternal truths, we might ask ourselves: If we are waiting for the right moment to remember the One who always remembers us, will that moment ever truly come? Or, if any time is good, is it simply about moving toward the Wisdom (Guru)?
Summary
Barah Maha: The Yearning of the Separated Seeker-Bride
The message of Barah Maha offers a profound reflection on our existential journey from separation to reunion with the IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). At its core, Barah Maha reminds us that we were born in eternal union with the beloved One, like two spouses in union. Yet, as life unfolds, we forget this connection, and in that forgetting, we experience the ache of separation. Depicted through the feminine voice of a bride who yearns to be reunited, the changing seasons mirror the cycles of longing, struggle, and eventual reunion with the Divine-Groom, the beloved One, IkOankar. We learn that the pain of separation, though deeply felt, is not an obstacle but a necessary part of the awakening within. True happiness comes not from worldly distractions but from aligning our hearts with the beloved One and remembering the beloved One who is always with us. The bride’s pain is not abstract; it is emotional, cultural, and deeply felt. It reflects the universal human experience of feeling lost and disconnected from the creative and pervasive One, where the distractions of the physical world cause us to forget our true nature. The bride embodies every one of us who struggles and suffers in separation, feeling the rupture within. Each season in the year’ s cycle mirrors the bride’s internal transformation phase. As the months pass, her longing deepens, and with it, her understanding of the true nature of separation. The ultimate teaching of Barah Maha is clear: the key to ending separation lies within. Through inner transformation—sincere devotion, living in alignment with the beloved One will, and Identification with IkOankar—the illusion of separation fades away. As the seeker-bride moves through her journey, she learns that true union comes not from external rituals but from the constant remembrance of the One, through the Wisdom (Guru), and the company of her united female companions, the virtuous beings. When we align ourselves with the One who has always been with us, the distance between the self and the Self, the beloved One, dissolves. In this reunion, we become as One. Once painful and unresolved, the bride’s patient and enduring yearning transforms into a profound and lasting harmony. Through the union of heart and mind with the One, we find true happiness, realizing that the separation was never real—just a veil that obscured the eternal connection. In this realization, we are as the bride, embraced before in the divine love of the Divine-Groom, our beloved One.
This is the essence of the message: that love, grace, and union are not bound by time or circumstance but are the eternal truths that bring us home to the One. Reflecting on these eternal truths, we might ask ourselves: If we are waiting for the right moment to remember the One who always remembers us, will that moment ever truly come? Or, if any time is good, is it simply about moving toward the Wisdom (Guru)?
Summary
Barah Maha: The Yearning of the Separated Seeker-Bride
The message of Barah Maha offers a profound reflection on our existential journey from separation to reunion with the IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). At its core, Barah Maha reminds us that we were born in eternal union with the beloved One, like two spouses in union. Yet, as life unfolds, we forget this connection, and in that forgetting, we experience the ache of separation. Depicted through the feminine voice of a bride who yearns to be reunited, the changing seasons mirror the cycles of longing, struggle, and eventual reunion with the Divine-Groom, the beloved One, IkOankar. We learn that the pain of separation, though deeply felt, is not an obstacle but a necessary part of the awakening within. True happiness comes not from worldly distractions but from aligning our hearts with the beloved One and remembering the beloved One who is always with us. The bride’s pain is not abstract; it is emotional, cultural, and deeply felt. It reflects the universal human experience of feeling lost and disconnected from the creative and pervasive One, where the distractions of the physical world cause us to forget our true nature. The bride embodies every one of us who struggles and suffers in separation, feeling the rupture within. Each season in the year’ s cycle mirrors the bride’s internal transformation phase. As the months pass, her longing deepens, and with it, her understanding of the true nature of separation. The ultimate teaching of Barah Maha is clear: the key to ending separation lies within. Through inner transformation—sincere devotion, living in alignment with the beloved One will, and Identification with IkOankar—the illusion of separation fades away. As the seeker-bride moves through her journey, she learns that true union comes not from external rituals but from the constant remembrance of the One, through the Wisdom (Guru), and the company of her united female companions, the virtuous beings. When we align ourselves with the One who has always been with us, the distance between the self and the Self, the beloved One, dissolves. In this reunion, we become as One. Once painful and unresolved, the bride’s patient and enduring yearning transforms into a profound and lasting harmony. Through the union of heart and mind with the One, we find true happiness, realizing that the separation was never real—just a veil that obscured the eternal connection. In this realization, we are as the bride, embraced before in the divine love of the Divine-Groom, our beloved One.
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