Karhale

Guru Ramdas Sahib

Karhale 1

Revealed by Guru Ramdas, this composition is set in the mixed musical mode Rag Gauri Purbi. Rag Gauri is a serious, emotional, and intimate musical mode capturing the pain of a prolonged, seemingly permanent separation. This pang of separation is coupled with hope and the understanding that while it is difficult, it can still be overcome when we feel IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One) in our consciousness. Rag Purbi acknowledges the intensity of the pain of separation and the desire to overcome it while encouraging us that closeness with IkOankar, the 1, is possible. The title of this composition translates to ‘camel’ and is used as a metaphor for the human mind. For centuries, camels have been a popular mode of transportation across regions, states, and countries, often carrying loads of weight. Akin to a camel, the human mind traverses varied spaces, bearing considerable burdens and possessing the resilience to endure long, challenging journeys. The Guru invokes the camel’s enduring, sometimes stubborn nature to reflect the mind’s strength and potential. This allusion reminds us of our capacity to overcome the perceived distance from the 1.

The Pause, or Rahau, line of this composition reminds our minds to dwell on the eternal Wisdom (Guru) perpetually. Guru Ramdas says, O my unbridled camel-like mind! Remember the eternal Wisdom at every moment. Guru Ramdas speaks to our untethered mind and asks us always to remember the eternal Wisdom. Just as the unbridled camel wanders disorderly from one location to the next, our minds frequently seek pleasure, love, connection, security, meaning, and purpose. By anchoring ourselves in the remembrance of the Wisdom, the mind discovers stability and direction amidst life’s uncertainties. When we channel the eternal Wisdom, our camel-like minds begin toward the path of bliss and steadiness. In recognition of this eternal purpose, to connect with the 1, we receive a sense of direction, a pulling of the heart. This pulling leads our mind toward the eternal Wisdom. 

The first stanza opens, O my ever-wandering camel-like mind! Guru Ramdas invokes the mind as a foreigner and states that with great fortunes, the Wisdom leads us to a maternal Hari. Hari is synonymous with IkOankar and embodies the qualities of pervasiveness, the elimination of fear, and the removal of suffering. The Wisdom guides us, and we learn that it is the Wisdom that unites us with the embrace of the 1. In the Pause line, Hari is depicted through masculinity, while in this stanza, Hari is ingeniously portrayed as a mother, transcending gender. This transcendence reveals that gender is a mortal construct, whereas Hari embodies all. As the paternal figure, Hari cherishes and guides the wandering mind toward fulfillment and union with the eternal One. 

The second stanza uncovers the path to the 1, a path that was always before us. Guru Ramdas says, O my thoughtful camel-like mind! The mind’s reflective ability is recognized here. By the grace of the Wisdom, our mind’s reflectiveness enables us to contemplate, remember, and reminisce Nam (Identification with IkOankar). The eternal Identification emerges as both our compass and the sustenance for the stubborn human mind. The mind now basks in tranquility and is enveloped in bliss. Once this reflection enters within, superficiality and judgments are shed, and only contemplation remains. The divine essence, the 1, comes to our rescue when the actions are accounted for and protection is sought. In this profound insight, we find solace and guidance, realizing the eternal presence and comfort of the 1. 

The third stanza dissolves the false sense of duality blemishing our camel-like mind: O my intrinsically genuine camel-like mind! Guru Ramdas helps us remember that the mind’s innate nature is free of filth, vices, and negativity. This revelation is revealed to us. The mind was always pristine and immaculate. Over time, ego crusts the mind with filth, and our true nature is obscured by the debris of separation and attachments to the material world. We reflect on the word “partakhi,” literally meaning ‘evidently visible.’ We learn that the mind, clouded in judgment and ignorance, is blind to what lies before it. The pang of separation pains us only so far as we believe we are separated from the Beloved, the 1. Guru Ramdas uncovers this eternal truth about the 1, which can be evident to us. If we seek the Beloved, if we allow the Identification to be our compass, and if we accept the Wisdom as the eternal guide, we can feel the Beloved, see the Beloved, for the Beloved Spouse, the 1, is dwelling within us. 

In the fourth stanza, Guru Ramdas invokes a sense of dearness for the mind: O my dear camel-like mind! We make various efforts to see the All-Pervasive, but those attempts are futile. We ramble through arduous practices after arduous practice, rituals and rituals, and other impressionable or consumerist ceremonies. While these practices temporarily may calm the restless mind, we cannot shake the sense that something profound, the core of what we seek, still eludes us. An increasing sense of compassion towards our mind grows, encouraging us to discover the 1 within us. The eternal guidance emerges—the presence of the All-Pervasive is what we seek. We are reminded that only the Wisdom can lead us to this discovery and uncover the truth for us. By nurturing this compassion and seeking guidance from the Wisdom, we embark on a journey of awakening, to cast off the filth of the mind, towards self-realization of our true purpose in life, and to walk toward the 1.

In the fifth stanza, the understanding of home and belongingness is reframed: O my dear camel-like mind! Our camel-like minds wander the material and virtual world, but we cannot find a true home, a safe and steady space. Guru Ramdas reiterates that union and connection with the 1 is only possible by the grace of the Wisdom. To experience true belonging, we ought to become alert and establish a deep connection with Hari, the Embodiment of the color of love, the 1. Much like seafarers of yore guided by the glittering expanse of the skies above, we, too, must learn to be navigated by the eternal Wisdom. Otherwise, trapped in pleasure and pain cycles, our minds persist in their stumbling. Doubts will continue to conceal the path that is meant for us. We find comfort in this world by perpetually maintaining our complete immersion in the All-Pervasive. The mind is invited to be absorbed and connected with the All-Pervasive, day and night. When that persistent connection is realized with the All-Pervasive, through Wisdom, we enjoy the perpetual bliss in the company of the 1.

In the sixth stanza, friendship and attachments are reimagined. Guru Ramdas says, O my camel-like mind! You are my friend. Guru Ramdas states that those of us who display their wealth are hypocritical and greedy. Lovingly, our dear mind is asked to unload its greed and cleverness, for they are insincere and cause our minds great harm. Guru Ramdas reiterates that those who hide their fear of death behind wealth and status suffer greatly. It raises a crucial question: Is this what the wandering mind tries to distract itself from? They present themselves as materially rich on the surface but carry the weight of filth within their stubborn minds. In truth, we fear death; this fear haunts our minds at every moment. This fear chases us towards material objects and consumption, luring us to engage in behaviors ultimately detrimental to our well-being. This insatiable desire for accumulation and consumption is rooted in hypocrisy; we may even believe the falsehood that our material possessions are of any true meaning. Under this illusion, we bury our minds under mountains of objects and wealth, falsely believing that death cannot touch us. By invoking the intimacy of a dear friend for our mind, we are lovingly and earnestly asked to unburden our infatuation with the attachments. Instead, we ought to let the eternal Wisdom be our only guiding force. This broadens the mind’s understanding; we ought to transcend traditional logic and consumerist culture. And we are finally reminded not to follow down the path of other people’s ideas or opinions about the great beyond. 

In the seventh stanza, we reflect on amrit, the dearest gift of nectar, the gift of immortality. Guru Ramdas says, O camel-like mind, the support of my breath! Our mind is urged to remove doubt, confusion, and hypocrisy. In this stanza, our enduring minds are referred to as the support of our breath, the very instrument by which we function in this world. We are advised to cleanse the body and the mind, the same breath that fills our lungs with air. Guru Ramdas advises us to shed the filth of ego from our minds. We may wonder how we can do such a thing. A serene image captures our attention; The Guru has filled the pool of amrit of Hari, the All-Pervasive, the ambrosial nectar, Nam. This nectar of the All-Pervasive casts off the filth and falsehood from our minds. By immersing ourselves in the immortal nectar of Nam of the All-Pervasive, and that, too, in the company of Wisdom-oriented beings, our vices are washed away. The immortal Identification of the All-Pervasive unsullies our fickle mindsets. When we embrace this path, we align ourselves with divine virtues and cultivate a serene, enlightened existence. This is not a traditional purification process for mere aesthetics or rituals. It is a journey of shedding what keeps us blind to the 1. We come to that which brings us closer to experiencing the Identification of the 1 in every aspect of our living, breathing lives.

In the eighth stanza, the web of entanglements and attachments of Maya (the allure of material things and relationships) are freed from the camel-like mind: O my dear camel-like mind! Nothing will accompany you in the end. We learn that greed, temporary commodities, or worldly relations are all fleeting comforts, impermanent by their very nature. No matter how closely we hold on to the material comforts of this world, these temporary sensations and objects cannot go with us in the end. They only breed attachment, tie us down, and birth doubts and illusions. We learn we can focus and listen to the Wisdom for only the Wisdom can reveal the truth and shed these illusions. When we shed the illusionary entanglements, we are left with clarity in the mind, a mind ripe for the true remembrance of the 1. Guru Ramdas presents this vision of eternal fulfillment here, where we find our ultimate purpose and joy in union with the divine essence, Hari, the All-Pervasive.

In the ninth stanza, Guru Ramdas eloquently portrays the relationship between the being and the 1: O camel-like mind, my friend! The mind is metaphorically addressed as a camel, emphasizing its tendency to wander, seek, and endure, much like a friend on a journey. Those who orient their lives towards Hari, the All-Pervasive, are bestowed with honor in the divine court. We are wrapped by the divine essence, the 1, in a shawl of loving warmth and blessed with the gift of Identification with the 1. A profound imagery of intimacy and nearness is unveiled to us. The 1 envelops us tenderly, like being cocooned in a shawl woven with the love of the 1. This embrace signifies protection, a deep sense of belonging, and closeness as the mother-like Hari, the All-Pervasive, holds our minds dear. This union brings about a profound sense of completeness and fulfillment as we experience solace and permanence in the eternal presence of the 1. 

In the tenth stanza, Guru Ramdas evokes the wise and loyal nature of the human mind: O my Wisdom-entrusted and faithful camel-like mind! Guru Ramdas urges the mind to humbly supplicate before the Wisdom, for a Wisdom-oriented life leads to union with the 1. When we accept the Wisdom by recognizing the Identification, we unite with the 1. We earn it by listening, following, and living the teachings of the eternal Wisdom, allowing nothing else to pull us. Not falsehood, not lies – only the discernment of the infinite Wisdom. Guru Ramdas emphasizes that when we rediscover our inherently genuine minds, we always remain with the Wisdom. This realization is not just an intellectual understanding but a profound experience transforming how we relate to ourselves and the world around us. Where do these insights come from? They spring from our profound experience of the previous stanzas, each growing on the last. We realize that Hari, the Embodiment of the color of love, the Fear-Eliminator, the Remover of Suffering, is the Creator of each path we take, shaping our existence in every step. The maternal Hari, the All-Pervasive, serves as our guiding force, akin to our mother leading us through this fleeting theatrical journey. We supplicate before the Wisdom to make us steadfast and loving servants of the timeless 1. We rejoice. Finally, our enduring, faithful, Wisdom-entrusted, inherently genuine minds are united with the 1.

The allusion to a camel is a powerful reminder of our inherent capacity to bridge any perceived distance from the 1. Guru Ramdas employs the vocative case to illustrate that, amidst the multiplicities of life, the mind progresses through various stages: a foreigner, a reflector, a pristine (filth-free) mind, a beloved, a friend, a breath, a lover, and a revered one. To truly understand the 1 and become Wisdom-oriented, we ought to self-reflect and ask ourselves: How may we fill our genuine minds with the wealth of Identification? What can we unburden from our camel-like minds to make room for the loving presence of IkOankar, the 1Force? Which behaviors bring us closer to the house of the 1, and which make us feel distant?