manmukh marahi mari bigtī jāhi.
eku na cetahi dūjai lobhāhi.
acet pinḍī agiān andhāru.
binu sabdai kiu pāe pāru.
āpi upāe upāvaṇhāru.
āpe kītonu gur vīcāru.8.
-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 eighth stanza, Guru Amardas says, the self-centered beings die. Having died, they depart without liberation. They do not remember the One. They remain captivated by other love. Those of us who live our whole lives driven by the self, by our egos, end up squandering our entire lives and passing away without purpose or fulfillment. We leave this world without having experienced freedom. We do not remember IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force the One), and instead are captivated by the love of duality, clinging to transient things and relationships. We die little by little, with each movement and each day.
On whose forehead the Writ is inscribed, in that mind of that being, the one Prabhu has dwelt. Guru Amardas continues, these beings are unaware, unconscious, and ignorant. There is darkness within. We are not thoughtful or mindful! We are wandering without awareness. Without the Wisdom (Guru), how can we cross this world-ocean and make our lives fruitful? Guru Amardas emphasizes that only the teachings of the Wisdom will get us through these lives successfully.
Guru Amardas ends the stanza by re-emphasizing what has been said in many previous stanzas: the Creator Own-Self creates. And that Creator Own-Self has instituted the teachings of the Wisdom. This is the gift IkOankar has given us! This is what is available to all of us! It is through reflection on the Wisdom that we can all make our lives fruitful and experience freedom here and now. We are being urged towards the Wisdom. Will we heed that urging? Will we experience freedom here and now?
On whose forehead the Writ is inscribed, in that mind of that being, the one Prabhu has dwelt. Guru Amardas continues, these beings are unaware, unconscious, and ignorant. There is darkness within. We are not thoughtful or mindful! We are wandering without awareness. Without the Wisdom (Guru), how can we cross this world-ocean and make our lives fruitful? Guru Amardas emphasizes that only the teachings of the Wisdom will get us through these lives successfully.
Guru Amardas ends the stanza by re-emphasizing what has been said in many previous stanzas: the Creator Own-Self creates. And that Creator Own-Self has instituted the teachings of the Wisdom. This is the gift IkOankar has given us! This is what is available to all of us! It is through reflection on the Wisdom that we can all make our lives fruitful and experience freedom here and now. We are being urged towards the Wisdom. Will we heed that urging? Will we experience freedom here and now?
