iki sevak iki bharami bhulāe.
āpe kare hari āpi karāe.
eko vartai avaru na koi.
mani rosu kījai je dūjā hoi.
satiguru seve karṇī sārī.
dari sācai sāce vīcārī.6.
-Guru Granth Sahib 842
This composition highlights that IkOankar (the Divine) is the Creator of the entire creation. It explains how beings attached to transient things and relationships remain bound by the cycle of birth and death. The rahau line highlights the significance of the Writ inscribed on each being’s forehead—a Writ determined by IkOankar in accordance with the beings’ deeds. The being who remembers and enshrines the eternal Wisdom (Guru) in their heart recognizes IkOankar as both the doer and the cause of all that transpires in the world. For such a being, IkOankar becomes a protector from vices. Guided by the Wisdom, they transcend the cycle of birth and death, freeing themselves from worldly sufferings.
The composition concludes that a being who realizes IkOankar remains deeply immersed in the Nam of IkOankar. Such beings find all days and dates pleasant and meaningful. On the other hand, those who disregard Wisdom remain stuck in the binary of good and bad beliefs and continue to wander in ignorance.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
On whose forehead the Writ is inscribed, in that mind of that being, the one Prabhu has dwelt. In the sixth stanza, Guru Amardas says that some are servants or devotees of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), and some are deluded in illusion. Both things, which one might understand to be opposite states, happen within the Will of IkOankar. It is only in accordance with the Will that some remain devoted and immersed in remembrance of IkOankar, while others wander in their delusion, attached to transient things and relationships. Hari, the all-pervasive IkOankar, Own-Self, does and causes the beings to do. There is no one else operating.
On whose forehead the Writ is inscribed, in that mind of that being, the one Prabhu has dwelt. Guru Amardas continues by repeating: the One alone pervades; there is no one else. It is only IkOankar who pervades and operates in all beings. We may logically understand this, but it is harder to put into practice. We still tend to separate ourselves from others, categorize and make judgments, and assess others based on our perceptions. Guru Amardas urges us to understand that if IkOankar alone is the Doer, we ought not to harbor resentment or grievances against others. We ought not to complain or protest. We ought not to be so hard on ourselves and others! Maybe we have not yet served the Wisdom (Guru) we are looking to serve. Maybe we have not yet been able to resolve this Oneness for ourselves. Maybe we are still serving other things—knowledge, people, and power that we think will bring us some sort of accomplishment or comfort, things that fascinate us and entice us. We ought to have empathy and patience for ourselves and others on this path.
Guru Amardas ends the stanza by saying that the being who serves the eternal Wisdom, who remembers and contemplates on the Wisdom, becomes noble and virtuous. It is through their reflection on the eternal Wisdom that they are accepted at the eternal door of IkOankar. This door is not physical, but a mystical threshold into a new way of being—into feeling the presence of IkOankar always, in every moment, in every place. It is a state of being in deep connection with the One. We were presented with two opposing paths at the beginning of the stanza: we can either serve or be full of illusion. We can practice virtuous deeds of devotion and remembrance, or wander, full of doubt. These are the kinds of people we are witnessing, and both are within the domain of the One. If we can reflect for ourselves on what path we are walking instead of looking at others and blaming or judging them, if we can foster empathy for ourselves and others, we will start to get closer to that lived experience of Oneness. If we make an effort to serve the Wisdom, the things that pain us will begin to disappear. We will come to understand that whatever the One does is good, even if we don’t understand it. If we can reflect on the Wisdom, we can come out of these confusions and illusions, and we can enter that door to the One, no matter where we are. How can this be? Because this reflection on the Wisdom is eternal, and the presence of the One is eternal, here and now. Will we become devoted and immersed in the One? Will we rid ourselves of resentment? Will we always feel the presence of the One in all places?
On whose forehead the Writ is inscribed, in that mind of that being, the one Prabhu has dwelt. Guru Amardas continues by repeating: the One alone pervades; there is no one else. It is only IkOankar who pervades and operates in all beings. We may logically understand this, but it is harder to put into practice. We still tend to separate ourselves from others, categorize and make judgments, and assess others based on our perceptions. Guru Amardas urges us to understand that if IkOankar alone is the Doer, we ought not to harbor resentment or grievances against others. We ought not to complain or protest. We ought not to be so hard on ourselves and others! Maybe we have not yet served the Wisdom (Guru) we are looking to serve. Maybe we have not yet been able to resolve this Oneness for ourselves. Maybe we are still serving other things—knowledge, people, and power that we think will bring us some sort of accomplishment or comfort, things that fascinate us and entice us. We ought to have empathy and patience for ourselves and others on this path.
Guru Amardas ends the stanza by saying that the being who serves the eternal Wisdom, who remembers and contemplates on the Wisdom, becomes noble and virtuous. It is through their reflection on the eternal Wisdom that they are accepted at the eternal door of IkOankar. This door is not physical, but a mystical threshold into a new way of being—into feeling the presence of IkOankar always, in every moment, in every place. It is a state of being in deep connection with the One. We were presented with two opposing paths at the beginning of the stanza: we can either serve or be full of illusion. We can practice virtuous deeds of devotion and remembrance, or wander, full of doubt. These are the kinds of people we are witnessing, and both are within the domain of the One. If we can reflect for ourselves on what path we are walking instead of looking at others and blaming or judging them, if we can foster empathy for ourselves and others, we will start to get closer to that lived experience of Oneness. If we make an effort to serve the Wisdom, the things that pain us will begin to disappear. We will come to understand that whatever the One does is good, even if we don’t understand it. If we can reflect on the Wisdom, we can come out of these confusions and illusions, and we can enter that door to the One, no matter where we are. How can this be? Because this reflection on the Wisdom is eternal, and the presence of the One is eternal, here and now. Will we become devoted and immersed in the One? Will we rid ourselves of resentment? Will we always feel the presence of the One in all places?
