bhabhai bhavjali ḍubohu mūṛe māiā vici galtānu bhaïā.
gur parsādī eko jāṇai ek ghaṛī mahi pāri païā.11.
-Guru Granth Sahib 435
The Patti by Guru Amardas Sahib comprises eighteen stanzas (couplets), each containing two lines. The first stanza is followed by the rahau, which informs that the study of mere worldly accounting and writing systems is futile unless they help the being to introspect about their deeds in life. The remaining stanzas are addressed to the Pandit, the teacher, and it is stated: O foolish Pandit, you never remember IkOankar. You will regret wasting your life when you depart from this world. You are not on the path and are also leading your students astray. Though you read religious texts, you do not put them into practice. You are consumed by material attachment. This life is an opportunity to connect with the all-pervading IkOankar, but you live in ignorance. Whereas those who connect with the Wisdom (Guru) and sing praises of IkOankar settle all their accounts and are honored in the court of IkOankar.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
O mind! What kind of account have you studied that giving the account of your deeds has remained hanging over your head? Delivering the message through the letter ਭ (‘bhabbhā,’ #29), Guru Amardas says, in the sea of Maya (the allure of transient things and relationships), we, the stones with heavy accounts on our backs, entangled and engrossed in the glittery net, sink deeper and deeper into the murky unknown. We are guided to recognize the Wisdom (Guru) and discover grace in the chaos. We are accustomed to assuming that grace comes from some mythical-looking being in the sky who relieves us of all our problems. But here we learn that grace was never meant to look like an alien. Grace is not external; grace is within us—we are both a product and a sign of grace itself. Grace is the 1-Light, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). Grace has always been, is now, and will forever be. It is ever-present—we only need to recognize it—those who do become the leaves floating effortlessly across the ocean of vices. Grace is the clarity of experiencing, feeling, and connecting with the One in a deeply personal and unique way. When we unite with the One, duality fades away, like rust dissolving from old tools, and we easily cross through life’s challenges. In those moments, we are inspired to let go of the veils and walls that keep us from seeing the One, and in that instant, we are rescued. To discover grace in our lives without searching for the ‘right’ answer, we ought to pause and reflect: What does grace look like to us? When have we felt it? And what was different about those moments?
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