kīrati karan saran manmohan johan pāp bidāran kaü.
hari tāran taran samrath sabhai bidhi kulah samūh udhāran saü.
cit ceti acet jāni satsaṅgati bharam andher mohio kat dhaüṁ.
mūrat gharī casā palu simran rām nāmu rasnā saṅgi laü.
hochaü kāju alap sukh bandhan koṭi janamm kahā dukh bhaüṁ.
sikhyā sant nāmu bhaju nānak rām raṅgi ātam siu raüṁ.2.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1387
Savaiye (Mukhbakya Mahala 5– II)
Guru Arjan Sahib
Savaiye (Mukhbakya Mahala 5– II) keyboard_arrow_right Overview arrow_drop_down keyboard_arrow_right Savaiya 2: kīrati karan saran manmohan arrow_drop_down
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In these savaiyas, Guru Arjan Sahib awakens beings to their negligence and ingratitude. Entangled in worldly attachments, the beings stray from the path of connecting with IkOankar (the Divine). Absorbed in the pleasures of the material world, they depart empty-handed, leaving everything behind. This negligence condemns them to endless wandering through countless cycles of birth and death. In contrast, a being who connects with the Nam of IkOankar is freed from attachment to worldly things and departs this world having made their life fruitful. The true purpose of life is to be accepted at IkOankar’s court through devotion. Those who remember the Nam have all their flaws, faults, and the weight of their sorrows lifted.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the second stanza (savaiya), Guru Arjan explores what unfolds in the refuge of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), the same sanctuary sought at the end of the first stanza. While ‘refuge’ may evoke images of a physical space, here it refers to the all-pervasive Hari, an epithet for IkOankar. This highlights that both IkOankar and IkOankar’s refuge exist everywhere. Guru Arjan emphasizes the centrality of singing praise in taking this refuge. IkOankar is also called the Enchanter of the mind, drawing seekers deeper into sanctuary. If the refuge is entered, praise is sung, and enchantment is experienced, Guru Arjan says the burden of transgressions is lifted. This refuge, praise, and enchantment free us from bodily desires and vices discussed in stanza one. In this way, the all-pervasive One becomes the boat that carries beings across the world-ocean. We are no longer stuck in our vices and can move freely by singing the praise of IkOankar. Guru Arjan points out that this freedom is available to all—one only needs to connect with IkOankar and become part of IkOankar’s lineage.
Guru Arjan addresses the ignorant mind—the mind that wanders, forgets its lineage with IkOankar, and remains burdened by vices. He asks rhetorically: Captivated by illusion, darkness, why do you wander? Why do you, engrossed in worldly entanglements, acquire the suffering of wandering through crores of births? Caught up in the illusory sweetnesses, doubts, and fleeting attachments, immense suffering occurs. We wander through crores—tens of millions—of lifetimes in attachment and forgetfulness. Guru Arjan provides the lost mind direction, encouraging us to find sangat, the company of Truth-oriented beings, where remembrance of the all-pervasive One is practiced and lived. This highlights another aspect of refuge in these stanzas. Guru Arjan continues by encouraging a connection with the Nam of Ram, asking us to do so even for a moment or an hour. Nam refers to the creative, pervasive essence of IkOankar, experienced as Identification with IkOankar. Ram is a name that emphasizes IkOankar’s beauty. Guru Arjan advises uttering this Nam with the tongue, showing how physical recitation helps Identification take root in the mind.
Guru Arjan reminds us that worldly entanglement is futile. Speaking through the signature of Guru Nanak, we learn that all Guru embodiments share the same light. Guru Arjan highlights the teachings of the Saint-Guru—those who live fully immersed in Truth. These are the ones who dwell in the refuge of the One. Their example contrasts the futility of worldly pursuits, which only bind and cause suffering. The teachings of the Saint-Guru reinforce the stanza’s message: sing the praise of the all-pervasive One, become drenched in love of the all-pervasive One, cultivate Identification with IkOankar, and enjoy the bliss of union within.
Guru Arjan’s guidance to seek the refuge of the all-pervasive One shows that anyone, regardless of background or life path, can become free. Even when we recognize the futility of our attachments, we may remain stuck in indulgence and struggle to make changes. We often do not realize that our vices, transgressions, and forgetfulness disconnect us from the all-pervasive One—Guru Arjan’s wisdom points us toward a transformation we may not have imagined possible. Everyone is subject to worldly attachments and vices, but IkOankar’s refuge offers freedom. Over time, the mind becomes increasingly enchanted by the One. As we step further into the boat of the One, singing the praise, we find greater balance. The things that once captivated us are left behind as we cross the ocean-like world.
As we progress on this path, as we hatch out of the shell of our attachments, we are like young birds. The companionship of Truth-oriented beings provides us a nest. That is where we are raised. That is where we learn how to navigate the world with Wisdom by observing others. As with anything new, we learn best in the company of those with experience. In such company, our devotion, praise, and love take root and bloom, bringing us deeper into the refuge of IkOankar. Each breath in Identification is another brick in our forever home in this refuge. Each recitation of the Nam is a shingle on our new roof, sheltering us from the storms of the world-ocean. In the refuge of the One is where our divine virtues resprout, green and full of vitality, from the scorched earth of our minds. Our pot becomes baked; fragility and perishability fade as we connect with IkOankar, the Eternal.
Fully surrendering to this experience is challenging, and barriers are inevitable. We may struggle with ingrained habits and find it hard to let them go. Guru Arjan questions why we continue to engage in behaviors that cause us suffering. Perhaps our notions of what it means to live truly are outdated; we may have learned in youth that living means indulgence, extravagance, or recklessness. Guru Arjan corrects this, reminding us that living without remembrance is not truly living—it is to die repeatedly. Disconnected from the eternally-blooming essence of IkOankar, we lose the source of life. When we meet those deeply connected to the eternally-blooming One, wisdom is awakened within us, and we learn to sing praise, step into the boat, and be carried across.
Will we step firmly, with conviction and faith, into IkOankar’s boat? Will we make the company of those who are Truth-oriented? Will we recognize and challenge the pretenses we hold around what is truly fulfilling?
Guru Arjan addresses the ignorant mind—the mind that wanders, forgets its lineage with IkOankar, and remains burdened by vices. He asks rhetorically: Captivated by illusion, darkness, why do you wander? Why do you, engrossed in worldly entanglements, acquire the suffering of wandering through crores of births? Caught up in the illusory sweetnesses, doubts, and fleeting attachments, immense suffering occurs. We wander through crores—tens of millions—of lifetimes in attachment and forgetfulness. Guru Arjan provides the lost mind direction, encouraging us to find sangat, the company of Truth-oriented beings, where remembrance of the all-pervasive One is practiced and lived. This highlights another aspect of refuge in these stanzas. Guru Arjan continues by encouraging a connection with the Nam of Ram, asking us to do so even for a moment or an hour. Nam refers to the creative, pervasive essence of IkOankar, experienced as Identification with IkOankar. Ram is a name that emphasizes IkOankar’s beauty. Guru Arjan advises uttering this Nam with the tongue, showing how physical recitation helps Identification take root in the mind.
Guru Arjan reminds us that worldly entanglement is futile. Speaking through the signature of Guru Nanak, we learn that all Guru embodiments share the same light. Guru Arjan highlights the teachings of the Saint-Guru—those who live fully immersed in Truth. These are the ones who dwell in the refuge of the One. Their example contrasts the futility of worldly pursuits, which only bind and cause suffering. The teachings of the Saint-Guru reinforce the stanza’s message: sing the praise of the all-pervasive One, become drenched in love of the all-pervasive One, cultivate Identification with IkOankar, and enjoy the bliss of union within.
Guru Arjan’s guidance to seek the refuge of the all-pervasive One shows that anyone, regardless of background or life path, can become free. Even when we recognize the futility of our attachments, we may remain stuck in indulgence and struggle to make changes. We often do not realize that our vices, transgressions, and forgetfulness disconnect us from the all-pervasive One—Guru Arjan’s wisdom points us toward a transformation we may not have imagined possible. Everyone is subject to worldly attachments and vices, but IkOankar’s refuge offers freedom. Over time, the mind becomes increasingly enchanted by the One. As we step further into the boat of the One, singing the praise, we find greater balance. The things that once captivated us are left behind as we cross the ocean-like world.
As we progress on this path, as we hatch out of the shell of our attachments, we are like young birds. The companionship of Truth-oriented beings provides us a nest. That is where we are raised. That is where we learn how to navigate the world with Wisdom by observing others. As with anything new, we learn best in the company of those with experience. In such company, our devotion, praise, and love take root and bloom, bringing us deeper into the refuge of IkOankar. Each breath in Identification is another brick in our forever home in this refuge. Each recitation of the Nam is a shingle on our new roof, sheltering us from the storms of the world-ocean. In the refuge of the One is where our divine virtues resprout, green and full of vitality, from the scorched earth of our minds. Our pot becomes baked; fragility and perishability fade as we connect with IkOankar, the Eternal.
Fully surrendering to this experience is challenging, and barriers are inevitable. We may struggle with ingrained habits and find it hard to let them go. Guru Arjan questions why we continue to engage in behaviors that cause us suffering. Perhaps our notions of what it means to live truly are outdated; we may have learned in youth that living means indulgence, extravagance, or recklessness. Guru Arjan corrects this, reminding us that living without remembrance is not truly living—it is to die repeatedly. Disconnected from the eternally-blooming essence of IkOankar, we lose the source of life. When we meet those deeply connected to the eternally-blooming One, wisdom is awakened within us, and we learn to sing praise, step into the boat, and be carried across.
Will we step firmly, with conviction and faith, into IkOankar’s boat? Will we make the company of those who are Truth-oriented? Will we recognize and challenge the pretenses we hold around what is truly fulfilling?
Tags Guru Arjan Sahib pp 1385-1409 Savaiye Sri Mukhbakya (Mahala 5) II
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