Barah Maha (Mahala 5)

Guru Arjan Sahib

Delivering the message through the month of Savan (mid-July to mid-August), Guru Arjan describes the vibrant monsoon season as the seeker-bride finds companionship with virtuous beings.​​ Message through the month of Savan: That seeker-bride became happy, who has love with the lotus-feet of Hari. In this month, the cultural landscape is vibrant with joy as women, especially those happily married, gather to celebrate and share in the happiness of the season. The earth is thirsty as the heat of the summer intensifies, making every being yearn for the cooling rains. Within this cultural context of joy and celebration, there is a deeper condition to reflect on—the seeker-bride whose true happiness lies not in the external celebrations but in the union with Hari, the all-pervasive and beloved One, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force). To be at the feet of the One signifies the highest form of love and submission, an intimacy of devotion that leads to transformation. Another vignette unfolds, this time one of love and grace. The seeker-bride is drenched in the eternal color of love, the Nam (Identification with IkOankar) of the beloved One, which is the sole and steadying support of the self. This submission to the beloved One allows the seeker to recognize the mind’s poisons—Maya (the allure of transient things and relationships). Those ash-like false attachments and distractions only bring suffering. When we continue to live in these illusions, they breed poison within our lives. To cleanse ourselves from this poison, we need the antidote—the true nectar, the water of life that brings true joy and liberation. This nectar is received through the Wisdom (Guru), and those who drink it in the company of virtuous beings find the poisons of the mind and body removed. We witness the earth and vegetation bloom in the presence of Prabhu, a divine, synonymous name highlighting the sovereign and protective nature of the One. As the earth blooms, so does our inner being alongside the ones united with the sovereign One. Every blade of grass and tree radiates with the grace of the One, flourishing in union with its Source. The lushness and greenness of the earth become a reminder that we, too, can rejoice in the same way when united with the One. Without this union, the self remains dry, longing for the grace and nourishment only the Beloved can provide. For the one connected to the One, there is no desire other than union with the One. This is the true sustenance, the life-support that nourishes us within. We humbly bow to those suhagans, happily married brides, who are already experiencing the love of the One. Guru Arjan supplicates to the beloved One: Bestow me with grace! You are the One who adorns and refines the seekers through Sabad (the hymn-like stanza that exemplifies the word-sound of the Infinite Wisdom); adorn me as well. In this request, we learn that the Sabad is like a precious jewel—one that only the Ram, the beautiful and charming One, can bestow. It is this jewel, radiant with Divine light, that brings true beauty to the self. And it is this very jewel that transforms the heart, just as the eternal garland of the Identification, woven from the threads of love, devotion, and grace, drapes itself around the seeker-bride’s neck, making her shine with the light of union.

We are all considered the brides of the beloved Divine-Groom, and each of us is ultimately invited into an intimate union. This metaphor calls us to look deeply into our hearts and minds and reflect on our own relationship with the beautiful One. Are we truly united with the One, allowing devotion to bloom and flourish within us like a garden in spring?