Din Raini

Guru Arjan Sahib

The second stanza ended with Guru Arjan saying he adores those beings who keep IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One) enshrined in their consciousness day and night. In this next stanza, we can imagine a seeker-sister leaning in, desiring to learn more about how to be in remembrance, how to be one of those whom Guru Arjan adores in this way. Guru Arjan clarifies who it is that embodies this way of being, saying, the saintly beings always, always, worship the Bestower of all. Saintly beings are understood as those who experience and exemplify Truth. They always remain immersed in remembrance and contemplation of the One who bestows blessings. The Bestower of all, IkOankar, is familiarized further through the name Hari, bringing the all-pervasiveness of IkOankar to the forefront. Guru Arjan lovingly reminds us that the all-pervasive One is the Creator of the body, the being, and the life within us. Guru Arjan uses the word jind to refer to the life within us, a word that carries an endearing connotation, as it is used colloquially to describe someone we hold in sincere love.

Guru Arjan brings into focus that Sabad is central to this relationship between the Truth-exemplifiers and IkOankar. Through the Sabad, meaning the Word of the Wisdom-Guru, one can come to worship the all-pervasive One, IkOankar, and become one of those beings whom Guru Arjan adores. Through the Word of Wisdom, one experiences Nam (Identification with IkOankar). Guru Arjan refers to this Identification as the mantra we are meant to recite. In Indic culture, mantras are often employed as a means to an end; different mantras are prescribed for different kinds of goals and outcomes. Here, Guru Arjan overturns this idea, offering a foundational step rather than a series of formulas, guiding us to a single mantra. This mantra of Identification is described as the purest mantra, meaning there is no mantra worth reciting other than this one. This mantra of Identification, which we arrive at through the Word of Wisdom, is what we are meant to dwell upon and instill within us.

After arriving at Identification, where a seeker-sister themself comes to experience and feel IkOankar’s presence, Guru Arjan reiterates that the value of IkOankar, here referred to as Parmeshvar, the Supreme Being, cannot be stated, as IkOankar is limitless. IkOankar is then invoked as Narayan, the steady One, the abode of steadiness. Guru Arjan says those in whose minds the steady One comes to dwell, they are the fortunate ones, and they are the ones who are to be called fortunate. Becoming one of these fortunate ones, all shortcomings of the being are eliminated, and one’s deepest, most inner desire is fulfilled. These ones have met and wedded the Divine-Husband.

Bringing the composition to a close, Guru Arjan, invoking the signature of his beloved Guru, Guru Nanak, says that he lives by reciting the name of the all-pervasive One, IkOankar. In this, Guru Arjan is telling us, the sister-seekers, that a devotee’s very life comes to depend on being in remembrance of IkOankar. Upon remembrance of the One, all fear and the flaws and transgressions rooted in that fear turn to dust. For a Wisdom-oriented one, this remembrance becomes as vital to their survival as their breath. Guru Arjan says that those who do not forget the One, day or night, become green, flourishing, and filled with life.

Here, Guru Arjan helps us see that to be virtuous is to remain in love and devotion, to instill no prescription or technique within other than Identification with the steady, all-pervasive Supreme Being, IkOankar. Guru Arjan brings our awareness to the near and intimate, reminding us that the all-pervasive One dwells within and creates our very body, being, and the life within us. The sister-seekers who devote to this One are the ones Guru Arjan adores, and Guru Arjan guides us to the Word of Wisdom to pave the way for this transformation; through the Word of Wisdom, connection with IkOankar blooms. Experiencing this connection is possible for all of us. All can experience Identification through the Word of Wisdom. The value of this connection is too expansive to be assessed, judged, or pinned down with any words, price, or praise, making those who dwell within the stable One truly fortunate. The truly fortunate are not those with money, status, looks, or superior physical or mental abilities—they are the ones who live immersed in this invaluable connection. Guru Arjan unequivocally affirms that true fortune and true treasure are experiencing IkOankar, for only those beings are truly free, fulfilled, and stable regardless of what they possess, who their friends are, or how they are recognized by society. Experiencing IkOankar eliminates the pain, fear, and shortcomings within. The fortunate ones experience a fulfillment of all desires, as connection with IkOankar overshadows all other pleasures.

Through Identification, we reconnect with the essence of life in its purest sense, and our mind aligns with the purest source of nourishment there is. Identification is as central to our vitality as water is to a plant’s life. Without Identification with IkOankar, we may still survive, but not without becoming hardened, thorny, and lacking lusciousness, like a cactus which survives only off the bare minimum. In the absence of Identification, we latch onto other things to sustain us temporarily, whether that be relationships, possessions, social recognition, a sense of accomplishment, or whatever else it is we derive temporary satisfaction from. Guru Arjan tells us that after living in these ways, the experience of Identification enlivens us, as a dehydrated plant rejuvenates after receiving water. We become supple, vital, tender, and resilient. No matter how much we experience Identification, we can never be too immersed in it. In fact, through Grace we come to long for that Identification until we drink its sustaining essence in all moments, day and night.

Do we want to reconnect to our very essence, becoming lush, green, and vibrant like a deeply rooted tree, as Guru Arjan says? Are we coming to the Word of Wisdom to find that truly nourishing essence of Identification? Will we challenge our cultural notions of who is fortunate and recognize that it’s those experiencing IkOankar who are truly fortunate?