rāgu āsā mahalā 1 paṭī likhī
ikoaṅkār satigur prasādi.
sasai soi srisṭi jini sājī sabhnā sāhibu eku bhaïā.
sevat rahe citu jin̖ kā lāgā āiā tin̖ kā saphalu bhaïā.1.
man kāhe bhūle mūṛ manā.
jab lekhā devahi bīrā taü paṛiā.1. rahāu.
-Guru Granth Sahib 432
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
This composition is revealed by Guru Nanak in the rag or musical mode of Asa. Asa is a mood of hope, expectation, and devotion. It inspires and encourages the listener to take on something that might seem dichotomous at its surface—an element of transcending duality threads through these couplets (saloks). Patti is a slate or tablet one writes on to learn the alphabet or study something that involves repetition and memorization. In the larger global context, alphabets impart wisdom and understanding. Letters are seen as more than just what is written but vehicles for deeper knowledge transfer. Each couplet features alliteration of the particular letter it begins with. There is a rich tradition of using various alphabets to explore the divinity within the letters and impart understanding. In this composition, Guru Nanak uses the letters to impart knowledge that transcends rote memorization and repetition and moves into the experiential. The ordering of this composition does not correspond with the current organization of the Gurmukhi alphabet that might be familiar to readers. This is because the alphabet was not standardized until Guru Angad. For reference, we have provided the standardized Gurmukhi alphabet below and will refer to the central letter of each couplet to orient readers.
In the first couplet, Guru Nanak says, 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! Delivering the message through the letter ਸ (‘sassā,’ #4), the Guru says the ‘Sahib,’ the Sovereign of all, is solely the One. That Sovereign created creation. Seekers who stay steadily engaged with the Sovereign and serve successfully spend their time here. IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), the Sovereign created creation. That One alone is the Sovereign of all. Those seekers whose consciousness is attached to the Creator, who serve the Creator continuously, make their coming into this world fruitful. When our minds are connected and absorbed with that One, we make these lives a success. To serve the Creator is to contemplate the Creator in every moment. This is how we fulfill the real objective of life. It is important to note in this first couplet that though the cultural paradigm referenced in Patti is of a student and a teacher or a mentor and a mentee, the first ‘positional’ address in this couplet is of siblinghood. The Guru speaks to us as equals, encouraging us to understand that it is only when the accounts are given and when we are to reflect on how we spend our time here that we will really know who is learned or educated. This is different from literate or book astute – this is about understanding the principles and ideas that the Guru will delve into in the proceeding couplets. Our purpose is to get to a culture of Nam (Identification with the One). The question we will continue to ask ourselves as we move through the couplets is whether we understand these ideas and principles experientially, not just intellectually. Do we want to move past rote and repetitive learning into the abstract? Into the personal? Will we become seekers who serve and find success in this life?
| ੳ | ਅ | ੲ | ਸ | ਹ |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| ਕ | ਖ | ਗ | ਘ | ਙ |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| ਚ | ਛ | ਜ | ਝ | ਞ |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| ਟ | ਠ | ਡ | ਢ | ਣ |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| ਤ | ਥ | ਦ | ਧ | ਨ |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| ਪ | ਫ | ਬ | ਭ | ਮ |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| ਯ | ਰ | ਲ | ਵ | ੜ |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
In the first couplet, Guru Nanak says, 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! Delivering the message through the letter ਸ (‘sassā,’ #4), the Guru says the ‘Sahib,’ the Sovereign of all, is solely the One. That Sovereign created creation. Seekers who stay steadily engaged with the Sovereign and serve successfully spend their time here. IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), the Sovereign created creation. That One alone is the Sovereign of all. Those seekers whose consciousness is attached to the Creator, who serve the Creator continuously, make their coming into this world fruitful. When our minds are connected and absorbed with that One, we make these lives a success. To serve the Creator is to contemplate the Creator in every moment. This is how we fulfill the real objective of life. It is important to note in this first couplet that though the cultural paradigm referenced in Patti is of a student and a teacher or a mentor and a mentee, the first ‘positional’ address in this couplet is of siblinghood. The Guru speaks to us as equals, encouraging us to understand that it is only when the accounts are given and when we are to reflect on how we spend our time here that we will really know who is learned or educated. This is different from literate or book astute – this is about understanding the principles and ideas that the Guru will delve into in the proceeding couplets. Our purpose is to get to a culture of Nam (Identification with the One). The question we will continue to ask ourselves as we move through the couplets is whether we understand these ideas and principles experientially, not just intellectually. Do we want to move past rote and repetitive learning into the abstract? Into the personal? Will we become seekers who serve and find success in this life?
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