īvaṛī ādi purakhu hai dātā āpe sacā soī.
enā akhrā mahi jo gurmukhi būjhai tisu siri lekhu na hoī.2.
-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
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 second couplet, Guru Nanak delivers a message through the letter ੲ (‘īṛī,’ #3) and says, IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), the Primal Being, the Giver, Own-Self is eternal. The being who realizes the message contained in these letters through the Wisdom does not experience their account looming over their head. The One existed before even the beginning of the universe and is the sole Provider of all creation. The One Own-Self is eternal, and everything else is transient and destructible. Why do our foolish minds forget this? Why do we seek other forms of ‘education’ or ‘intellect’ instead of understanding this one deep and inescapable truth? We engage in all kinds of efforts to become educated – we spend time and money, practice and revise, and get things from the learnings we gain and display. We might get certifications, honorific titles, particular roles, jobs, or positions of authority, but none of that means we actually understand anything. If we were to become Wisdom-centered and allow ourselves to be guided by and instructed by the Wisdom, we would understand this mystery logically and experientially. We would know these letters’ meaning, essence, and wisdom. If that happens, the questions about our accounts — what will happen to us when we go, whether we spent our time here in the right way — all disappear. We are freed from this fixation and anxiety. We become Wisdom-centered in life and experience. Will we make an effort to know this mystery? Will we move beyond the mundane and into the experiential? Will we become Wisdom-centered seekers?
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