chachai chāiā vartī sabh antari terā kīā bharamu hoā.
bharamu upāi bhulāīanu āpe terā karamu hoā tin̖ gurū miliā.10.
-Guru Granth Sahib 433
The Patti composition revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib consists of thirty-five stanzas, each containing two lines. This composition is based on the thirty-five letters of the alphabet prevalent at that time. In this composition the Guru has established a foundational system based on letters. In the rahau line, by addressing his own mind, the Guru provides insights, saying, “O fool! Why do you remain forgetful? You will be considered truly educated only when you are able to settle the account of your deeds in IkOankar’s (the Divine) court.” The Guru goes on to explain the mystery of the letters, enlightening that the limits of IkOankar, the Creator, cannot be known. All beings are under IkOankar’s command, and no one else can exercise authority over them. All-pervading IkOankar is the cause of everything in the creation. An arrogant being who forgets IkOankar and is engrossed in worldly matters continues to suffer. However, if a being recognizes the eternal IkOankar through the Wisdom (Guru), they are freed from suffering. The being who understands the mystery explained through these thirty-five letters becomes one with IkOankar.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
O mind! Why do you forget, O foolish mind? You will be considered learned only when you give the account of your deeds, O sibling! In the tenth salok, the Guru delivers a message through the letter ਛ (‘chacchā,’ #12) and says, O IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One)! The shadow of ignorance has spread throughout creation. The beings are in darkness. The illusion You created has prevailed. Having created this illusion, that One Own-Self has led creation astray. Those who have been graced by You have found the Wisdom. The Guru explores the symbolism of ignorance, describing it as a darkness that the whole world is enveloped in. This is important because in our larger understanding of what it means to become ‘educated’ or ‘learned,’ we might think that there are those who are ignorant and those who are not — that if we were to pursue some kind of learning we could escape the ailment of ignorance. But the Guru shows us that every person, at every mental and intellectual level, is affected by this ignorance, and that this ignorance is itself a creation of the One. We are steeped in doubt — we do not understand how everything is of the One — how even our doubt and ignorance, which cling to us like a ghost, are also of the One. Ignorance is operating everywhere. People are doubting that everything the One does is done by the One – that the One is also responsible for deluding the world and for gracing the beings. Whatever the One’s Command is, that is where beings are able to discover the Wisdom, internalize the Wisdom, and rid themselves of this ignorance and illusion. Here, the central message is not about praise but rather acceptance. This happens through a relationship with the Wisdom, which we are able to cultivate when we feel the Grace of the One. Will we become ‘learned’ in this way? Will we come to understand even ignorance as part of the One’s creation? Will we feel the grace and find the Wisdom? Will our ignorance and illusion be dispelled?
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