jini kītī so mannaṇā ko sālu jivāhe sālī.
dharamrāi hai devtā lai galā kare dalālī.
satiguru ākhai sacā kare sā bāt hovai darhālī.
gur aṅgad dī dohī phirī sacu kartai bandhi bahālī.
nānaku kāiā palaṭu kari mali takhatu baiṭhā sai ḍālī.
daru seve umati khaṛī maskalai hoi jaṅgālī.
dari darvesu khasamm dai nāi sacai bāṇī lālī.
balvanḍ khīvī nek jan jisu bahutī chāu patrālī.
laṅgari daülati vanḍīai rasu ammritu khīri ghiālī.
gursikhā ke mukh ujale manmukh thīe parālī.
pae kabūlu khasamm nāli jāṁ ghāl mardī ghālī.
mātā khīvī sahu soi jini goi uṭhālī.3.
-Guru Granth Sahib 967
Rai Balvand Ji and Sata Dum Ji praise Guru Angad Sahib and his wife, Mata Khivi Ji. Guru Nanak Sahib passed Guruship to Bhai Lahina Ji (later Guru Angad Sahib) based on his loving devotion to IkOankar (the Divine). Seekers of the Nam (Identification with IkOankar) at the door of the Guru become radiant by virtue of the eternal Wisdom (Guru) and Nam. The pauri (stanza) describe beings living per the command of the Guru as honorable.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the third stanza, Satta and Balvand say that the one who earned the Guru’s command is the one who became acceptable. Because Guru Angad is following the command and the sons and other disciples did not, he has become acceptable. The one who has followed the command, how can anyone be above that? The Bards then bring in the symbolism of Dharamraj, the deity who administers justice in Hindu mythology. Guru Angad is so great that even Dharamraj is left behind — the one considered by many to be next to the Divine, helping dole out judgment. This points to the vastness and power of the Guru. The bards continue emphasizing this when they say that whatever the true Guru utters, the True One does. This happens instantly. The Guru is equated with the Divine, seen as being one with the Divine, whereas even with Dharamraj, there is a separation in relation to the Divine. Dharamraj enforces a system that is given to him. The Guru is doing as the Divine is doing. This is why Guru Angad is known everywhere, the glory has spread, and the Guruship is eternal, established by the Creator, IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One).
Guru Nanak is referred to as the one having hundreds of branches, the one who is nurturing and guiding, and providing for the seekers and the nation, the Sikh collective. The hundred branches are the ones who are serving the Gurus. What has entered the throne of a hundred branches is because of the service of the Guru, not because of some right or sense of entitlement. Bhai Lahina became Guru Angad because of the service he did at the door of the Divine. Among those following the Raj of Guru Nanak, Guru Angad stands first at that door because his mind, his strength, and his wealth are all being used toward that Raj at all levels. Guru Angad is serving with loving devotion. The rest of those following the Raj — the seekers, the collective nation-builders — are also standing at that door. This populace, the community of the Guru, stands and serves at the door of the Guru and engages in this community and nation-building through their service. And it is through that service that they become clean like rusty metal is scrubbed with a scraper. The scraper being referred to is like rough carbon paper. It requires careful and constant scraping and lots of iterations before it works to remove the rust. This is not a quick or easy process. It requires much effort and discipline, and time. In this creation, the people living in Identification with the One are standing and serving the One, serving the Guru, scraping away at their filth, chiseling themselves, and their faces are radiant. The first among them is Guru Angad.
The Bards continue to praise the service of the Guru by invoking Mata Khivi, the wife of Guru Angad, saying, Khivi is a virtuous woman whose shade is very leafy. In the langar (community kitchen), wealth is distributed along with the essence of Amrit (Immortal Elixir) and kheer (rice and milk pudding) enriched with ghee (clarified butter). In that shift of seva (service), in the way that seva has been reimagined, Khivi is playing a major role. Khivi is amazing and virtuous because she provides this great shade, this motherly nurturing, an image similar to the one invoked in reference to Guru Nanak and his hundreds of branches. Seva takes place at the door of the Guru, so whatever langar is coming from her, of wealth or Amrit or kheer or ghee, comes from that service. Yogis, in renunciation, go to simple foods; they renounce enjoyment and flavor as a form of discipline. But Khivi’s langar is complicated and rich, full of flavors to enjoy and be satisfied by. This kind of service is about serving with flavor, not serving as a form of punishment. This is born out of service at the door of Guru Angad’s throne, channelized through a woman to the people. This is important to note because langars were historically very male-driven in the larger Indic context. Khivi is a virtuous woman, furthering the mission of the Guru, providing shade and service-oriented meals rich in content and offering and flavor.
The ones who are Guru-oriented are radiant. They are living in the enjoyment of the flavors of service in the court of the Guru. The ones who are self-centered are like paddy straw, dull and yellow, pale when in their deprivation. These Sikhs are the ones who are acceptable, have done serious deeds, and engaged in rich service in discipline and devotion. Bhai Lahina became accepted by his sovereign when he performed this heroic and courageous deed of service, devotion, and cultivation of virtues. And he is not the only one who has served the mission of the Guru’s Raj. The composition ends with Satta and Balvand once again invoking Mata Khivi, saying, the husband of Khivi is that who has uplifted the universe. Mata Khivi’s importance is emphasized in this line, as she is named, and Guru Angad is referenced in relation to her as her husband, who is freeing the earth. There is a clear pointing to the externalization of seva in this composition — what are the ways we serve physically? What are the things we serve? Is our langar service-oriented, or is it something else? Is it giving the richness and flavors of Mata Khivi’s langar? Does the preparation and distribution of our langar have this immortalizing effect? Is it rooted in the Sabad, the Word of the Guru? Is it an extension of Guru Nanak’s Raj?
Guru Nanak is referred to as the one having hundreds of branches, the one who is nurturing and guiding, and providing for the seekers and the nation, the Sikh collective. The hundred branches are the ones who are serving the Gurus. What has entered the throne of a hundred branches is because of the service of the Guru, not because of some right or sense of entitlement. Bhai Lahina became Guru Angad because of the service he did at the door of the Divine. Among those following the Raj of Guru Nanak, Guru Angad stands first at that door because his mind, his strength, and his wealth are all being used toward that Raj at all levels. Guru Angad is serving with loving devotion. The rest of those following the Raj — the seekers, the collective nation-builders — are also standing at that door. This populace, the community of the Guru, stands and serves at the door of the Guru and engages in this community and nation-building through their service. And it is through that service that they become clean like rusty metal is scrubbed with a scraper. The scraper being referred to is like rough carbon paper. It requires careful and constant scraping and lots of iterations before it works to remove the rust. This is not a quick or easy process. It requires much effort and discipline, and time. In this creation, the people living in Identification with the One are standing and serving the One, serving the Guru, scraping away at their filth, chiseling themselves, and their faces are radiant. The first among them is Guru Angad.
The Bards continue to praise the service of the Guru by invoking Mata Khivi, the wife of Guru Angad, saying, Khivi is a virtuous woman whose shade is very leafy. In the langar (community kitchen), wealth is distributed along with the essence of Amrit (Immortal Elixir) and kheer (rice and milk pudding) enriched with ghee (clarified butter). In that shift of seva (service), in the way that seva has been reimagined, Khivi is playing a major role. Khivi is amazing and virtuous because she provides this great shade, this motherly nurturing, an image similar to the one invoked in reference to Guru Nanak and his hundreds of branches. Seva takes place at the door of the Guru, so whatever langar is coming from her, of wealth or Amrit or kheer or ghee, comes from that service. Yogis, in renunciation, go to simple foods; they renounce enjoyment and flavor as a form of discipline. But Khivi’s langar is complicated and rich, full of flavors to enjoy and be satisfied by. This kind of service is about serving with flavor, not serving as a form of punishment. This is born out of service at the door of Guru Angad’s throne, channelized through a woman to the people. This is important to note because langars were historically very male-driven in the larger Indic context. Khivi is a virtuous woman, furthering the mission of the Guru, providing shade and service-oriented meals rich in content and offering and flavor.
The ones who are Guru-oriented are radiant. They are living in the enjoyment of the flavors of service in the court of the Guru. The ones who are self-centered are like paddy straw, dull and yellow, pale when in their deprivation. These Sikhs are the ones who are acceptable, have done serious deeds, and engaged in rich service in discipline and devotion. Bhai Lahina became accepted by his sovereign when he performed this heroic and courageous deed of service, devotion, and cultivation of virtues. And he is not the only one who has served the mission of the Guru’s Raj. The composition ends with Satta and Balvand once again invoking Mata Khivi, saying, the husband of Khivi is that who has uplifted the universe. Mata Khivi’s importance is emphasized in this line, as she is named, and Guru Angad is referenced in relation to her as her husband, who is freeing the earth. There is a clear pointing to the externalization of seva in this composition — what are the ways we serve physically? What are the things we serve? Is our langar service-oriented, or is it something else? Is it giving the richness and flavors of Mata Khivi’s langar? Does the preparation and distribution of our langar have this immortalizing effect? Is it rooted in the Sabad, the Word of the Guru? Is it an extension of Guru Nanak’s Raj?
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