In the seventh stanza (
savaiya), Guru Arjan described that the true Court, Throne, and Justice in this world are those established by
IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), as only IkOankar holds the sovereign authority to establish such things. In this eighth stanza, Guru Arjan brings us back to the ineffability of the One, affirming devotion, praise, and love as the ultimate path to connect with that sovereign One. Through rhetorical questioning, Guru Arjan tells us there is no specific discipline, strategy, or school of thought that leads to union. Invoking
Prabhu, the Sovereign, as an epithet for IkOankar, Guru Arjan asks:
Which is the yogic practice for union with Prabhu? By which method should one praise? This challenges popular spiritual trends of the time, which still exist today, suggesting there is a particular disciplined methodology to attain union with the divine, such as a regimen of yoga postures, meditation, or breathing techniques.
Guru Arjan then lists various beings considered great, using these personalities to show how, despite their greatness, none have come to realize the value of the One. Even the most culturally idolized figures have not grasped the greatness of IkOankar. The
Siddhas are described as the most experienced and ‘proven’ yogis, as well as many other seekers and countless deities believed to remain in deep meditation on the divine. He says not a single one of them has been able to grasp even a speck of IkOankar’s value. Then the even greater, most supreme deities in the Hindu world: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma’s sons, and also
Sheshnag, the thousand-headed serpent who is said to recite a new name of the divine each day are invoked. Still, none of these gods and masters, who symbolize a perfect, sustained union with IkOankar, have truly grasped the vastness of the One. This vast, unreachable One is within us, pervading all, yet building a connection with this One cannot be calculated, simplified, or reduced to a technique.
If not by certain disciplines, if not through the example set by these deities, then how ought one unite with IkOankar? Guru Arjan illuminates the way forward. He says:
Whose noose the kind Prabhu has cut, those beings have engaged in devotion. The noose here speaks to people’s bondages. We may understand these as the transient things, relationships, or both, to which people develop attachment. These attachments keep us oriented to our own selves more than anything else, creating a disconnect from IkOankar. The things people develop attachments to are illusory, yet they lead to fixation. Prabhu, the Sovereign, graciously cuts these bondages, and only then may we truly engage in loving devotion and unite with IkOankar. This crystallizes the centrality of Grace in this journey of connection with the Sovereign. The next line clarifies:
Those who have touched Guru Nanak, the embodiment of Hari, are forever liberated here and hereafter. Guru Arjan, invoking the all-pervasiveness of IkOankar through the epithet
Hari, tells us
that the teachings of Guru Nanak are also central to this journey. Through assimilating the wisdom revealed by Guru Nanak, through living by the teachings and the path illuminated by Guru Nanak, people experience liberation. They are Graced, and ultimately, eternally free, beyond life and death.
Spiritual commodification is pervasive. This includes aesthetic commodification, the selling of goods promising spiritual powers, and even certain foods or supplements said to offer spiritual benefits. Beyond these overtly materialist distortions, there are also promises of spiritual growth through yogic, breathwork, or meditation techniques taught at workshops, retreats, or online courses. When Guru Arjan asks,
Which is the yogic practice for union with Prabhu?—he is really telling us there is no such mechanical
yogic practice. There is no technique. There is no crystal, supplement, number of recitations, or yoga series that promises union with the Sovereign. If we know none of our human relationships are made fulfilling and vibrant through transactional reciprocity alone, why would we approach our relationship with our Sovereign that way? Building this connection is a journey that engages the heart and mind. This path is one of care, remembrance, and devotion, where the end goal is not a perfect, all-encompassing understanding but a sustained love. IkOankar is
ungraspable and
beyond reach, so why are
we grasping at straws to understand? Instead, we can remember and embrace the supportive connection inherent in the Sovereign, IkOankar. This is the beauty of connection—it is there for us so long as we keep it alive through our devotion, praise, and love of the One. It’s clear this approach is unique—no regimented technique offers what this path does.
Will we move past any tendencies to engage transactionally with the Sovereign, IkOankar? Rather than a complete and full understanding, will we seek connection? Will we seek that connection and receive the Grace of connection through the teachings of Guru Nanak?
