khakhai khundkāru sāhālamu kari kharīdi jini kharacu dīā.
bandhani jā kai sabhu jagu bādhiā avrī kā nahī hukamu païā.6.
-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 sixth couplet, through the letter ਖ (‘khakhā,’ #7) Guru Nanak says, the Creator of the world is the King of the world too, the Sovereign who, having made the purchase of the beings, has given them money to spend. The word used here is ‘Khundkar’ – the Owner of creation. This is another element of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One) as the Sovereign Creator. Using the extended metaphor of a worldly sovereign of that period, who would buy slaves and provide sustenance to them, the Guru emphasizes IkOankar’s sovereignty, command, and rule over us as creation while also emphasizing IkOankar as the Giver, as the One who provides sustenance, as the One who nurtures all of creation. This can be understood in the context of Semitic and Indic traditions, where importance and weight are placed on becoming a ‘slave’ of the Divine. Whatever is written is written by that Sovereign Creator. According to the system of that One, who ‘bought’ everything, this is how the world operates. It is not operating in any other command — it only operates under that One’s command, in that One’s domain. This idea is easy to understand logically but much more challenging to put into practice. When we are faced with challenges, we often question the Command. When we go through negativity, we might be frustrated at the same Creator who takes care of us. We might have a hard time internalizing the reality that we are always cared for by that One. So the question becomes: will we work to understand this on an experiential level? Not just when it is easy, but when it is hard?
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