O God, mercifully unite with Thee those who by their past acts are separated from Thee !
Weary of wandering in the four corners of the world and in every direction, we have come to Thy protection.
A cow without milk is of no avail :
Without water the tree withereth and beareth no fruit.
If we meet not the Lord God, the Friend, how shall we find rest ?
The city or village or house where God is not seen is as a furnace.
All decorations, betel, and tasteful viands are unstable together with the body.
Without the Lord God all friends are as the god of death.
Nanak’s supplication is, ‘ Mercifully grant me Thy name ;
‘O Lord God, whose abode is immovable, unite me with ‘Thee.’
In Chet worship God and you shall greatly rejoice.
You shall obtain Him by meeting saints and repeating His name.
It is only those who have found their God, whose advent into the world is of account :
Vain is his birth who liveth even for a moment without Him.[ p. 125 ]
God is equally contained in sea and land, the nether regions, the firmament, and the forests.
With how much pain shall man reckon if God enter not his heart ?
They who repeat God’s name are very fortunate.
Nanak, my mind desireth, my mind thirsteth for a sight of God.
I shall touch his feet who causeth me to meet God in the month of Chet.
In Baisakh how can they find consolation who are separated from God, in whose hearts there is no love,
Who forget Him the Friend, and attach themselves to deceitful mammon ?
Son, wife, wealth remain not ; God alone perisheth not.
The whole world is strangled in its love of false occupations.
All but the name of the one God shall be lost on man’s last journey.
He who forgetteth God is ruined; there is none but Him.
Pure is the fame of those who are attached to the feet of the Beloved.
Nanak’s prayer, O God, is—‘ Unite me with Thee that I may obtain Thee.’
Baisakh is then delightful when the saints cause man to meet God.
In Jeth man should unite with God before whom all bow.
He who clingeth to the skirt of God, the Friend, shall never be bound by any one.
God’s name is like gems and pearls which none may steal.
In God are all the loves which delight the mind.
What God desireth He doeth, and creatures act according to His will.
They whom God hath made His own are blest.
Could men on their own account[1] meet God, why should they weep in separation ? [ p. 126 ]
Nanak, God is obtained by association with the saints; and they who obtain Him are happy.
In Jeth the playful God is obtained by the fortunate for whom it hath been so recorded.
Asarh?[2] is a burning month for him to whom the Lord God is not near.
He who forsaketh God the life of the world and resteth his hopes on man,
Shall be ruined by his love of mammon, and shall wear Death’s halter around his neck.
As man sowed, in a previous life, so was the destiny recorded on his forehead, and so hath he reaped.
When the night of human life hath passed, man regretteth and departeth without hope.
They who meet the saints shall be released in God’s court.
O God, show Thy mercy unto me that I may thirst for a sight of Thee.
Nanak representeth—O God, there is none but Thee.
Asarh is pleasant for him in whose heart dwell God’s feet.
In Sawan happy is the woman who loveth God’s lotus feet.
Her mind and body are imbued with true love, and her one support is the Name.
The love of worldly pleasures is false ; everything we see shall become ashes.
Pleasant are the drops of God’s nectar; he shall drink them who meeteth saints.
The woods and glades rejoice with God the omnipotent and unequalled.
My mind longeth to meet God; His favour shall cause me to meet Him.
I am ever a sacrifice to my companions who have met God.
Nanak, God mercifully regenerateth men with the Word.[ p. 127 ]
Sawan is pleasant for those who clasp God’s name to their hearts.
In Bhadon she who loveth mammon is lost in doubt.
Though she have hundreds of thousands of decorations, they are of none avail.
They whom man loved leave him in a moment.
He wringeth his hands, his body trembleth, and changeth from black to white.
On the very day his body perisheth men call out ‘ ghost !’
The myrmidons of Death seize and take away the soul, and tell no one their secret.[3]
As man soweth, so shall he reap the field of his works.
Nanak, God giveth His feet as a boat to him who hath sought His protection.
They who love the Guru, their saviour, shall not go to hell in Bhadon.
In Assu ariseth the pang of love—how man can meet God.
The mind and body greatly thirst for a sight of some one to come and cause us to meet God.
I fall at the feet of the saints who support me in my love.
How can any one obtain happiness but in God ? there is no place beside.
They who have tasted the juice of love are satiated and cloyed.
Humbling thyself make this supplication, ‘O God, attach me to Thy skirt !’
They whom God the Spouse united with Himself shall never be separated from Him.
Nanak, there is no other shelter than God.
In Assu they dwell happy to whom God showeth mercy.
In Kartik they who do bad acts cannot impute the blame to others. They who forget God suffer from every disease. [ p. 128 ]
They who have turned their faces from God, are separated from Him at every birth.
All the sweets of mammon become bitter for them in a moment.
No one will mediate for them; to whom shall they make their daily complaints ?
Nothing resulteth from man’s own efforts ; he obtaineth what was recorded in his original destiny.
My Lord is found by good fortune ; then shall all pains of separation depart.
O God, save Nanak, and release him from this prison.
If in Kartik man obtain the society of the saints all his anxieties shall depart.
The month of Maghar is beautiful for those who sit with their beloved God.
How can their glory be told whom God blendeth with Himself ?
The bodies and minds of those who have the saints for their companions rejoice in the Lord.
They who are deprived of the society of the saints dwell alone ;
Their pain never departeth ; they are bound in the thrall of Death.
They who have enjoyed their Lord are seen ever standing in His service.
Their necklaces are set with God for gems, jewels, and rubies.
Nanak desireth the dust of the feet of those who fall for shelter at God’s door.
They who worship God in Maghar shall never be born again.
In Poh cold shall never be felt by those whom the Lord God hath embraced. God’s lotus feet have entered my heart, and I desire to
behold Him. Take shelter in God and His service shall be thy gain.[ p. 129 ]
On meeting the holy sing God’s praises and sin shall not affect thee.
Thou shalt be blended with what thou hast sprung from; wherefore be absorbed in true love.
He whom the Supreme Being hath taken by the hand shall never be separated from Him.
I am a hundred thousand times a sacrifice to God the Friend, the unapproachable and unfathomable.
Nanak hath fallen at God’s door: it is to His honour to protect him.
Poh is agreeable and bringeth all happiness to him whom God pardoneth.
In Magh bathe in the dust of the saints’ feet ;
Meditate on God’s name, and bestow it upon all ;
So shall the filth of the sins of births be washed away, and pride vanish from thy heart.
Lust and anger shall not seduce, and the dog covetousness shall be destroyed.
The world praiseth those who walk in the true way.
Mercy to human beings is more acceptable than bathing at the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage, and than all alms offered there :
He on whom God mercifully bestoweth it is a wise man.
Nanak is a sacrifice to those who have met their Lord.
In Magh they to whom the perfect Guru is kind are called the pure.
In Phagun they enjoy happiness to whom God hath manifested Himself.
The saints who render man assistance with God have mercifully blended me with Him.
Since then my couch is beautiful ; I possess all happiness, and there is no room for sorrow.
My desires have been fulfilled ; I am very fortunate in having obtained God as my Spouse.
My companions, come to me, sing a song of rejoicing, and chant the hymns of the Lord.
Nobody appeareth like God; no one is equal to Him.[ p. 130 ]
He hath prepared for me this world and the next, and given me a stable position.
He hath rescued me from the ocean of the world, and I shall not again have to run through births.
My tongue is but one, while manifold are His attributes : Nanak is saved by falling at His feet :
In Phagun ever praise Him who hath not a particle of avarice.
The affairs of those who meditated on the Name have been adjusted.
They who adore God the perfect Guru shall be found genuine in His court.
God’s feet are the basis of all comforts; through them man crosseth over the terrible and dangerous ocean.
They who have obtained love and devotion burn not in sin.
Their falsehood hath vanished, their worldliness hath disappeared, and they are filled to the brim with the truth.
They serve God the supreme Being, and put Him alone in their hearts.
All months, days, and minutes are good for him on whom God looketh with favour.
Nanak craveth the boon of a sight of Thee, O God; be Thou merciful unto him.
An inquirer asked the Guru in the first two lines of the following how final rest and God were obtained. The Guru duly replied :—
How is comfort found, O my brother ?
How shall God the helper be obtained ?
There is no comfort in the house whose master saith ‘All this wealth is mine’ ;
Nor in dwelling in a lofty and beautifully built mansion.
In such deceptive avarice man loseth his human life.
He is pleased on beholding his elephants and his horses,
The assemblage of his army, his mace-bearers, and his servants ;[ p. 131 ]
But on their account, there is a halter of pride round his neck.
Were man to rule over the whole world,
Enjoy pleasures and embrace many women,
It would be as if a beggar became a king in a dream.
One comfort the true Guru hath pointed out to me—
‘Whatever God doeth is pleasing to His saints.’
Slave Nanak, he who destroyeth his pride shall be absorbed in God.
In this way comfort is found, O my brother ;
Thus God the Helper is obtained.
Since God is everywhere contained, man may lead a holy life as a householder :—
Why wander ? Who would wander
When God is contained in the water, dry land, the earth, and in the firmament ?
The holy are saved ; the perverse lose their honour.
None can equal him
Whom the merciful God protecteth.
Since the one infinite Being pervadeth all things,
Be thou free from care and sleep happy :
God knoweth everything which happeneth.
The perverse are dying of thirst for mammon ;
They wander through many births on account of their destiny writ from the beginning.
As man soweth, so shall he eat.
On beholding God, the heart delighteth ;
The light of God is everywhere manifested.
God hath fulfilled all Nanak’s desires.
Man after long transmigration having obtained human birth, ought to endeavour to utilize it and work out his deliverance :—
In how many births wert thou a worm or a moth !
In how many births an elephant, a fish, or a deer !
In how many births a bird or a serpent !
In how many births wert thou yoked as‘a horse or an ox![ p. 132 ]
Meet the Lord of the world—this is the time to meet Him.
After a long period this human body hath been formed ror thee:
In how many births wert thou created in rocks and mountains !
In how many births wert thou aborted from the womb !
In how many births wert thou born as a vegetable !
Thou didst wander through the eighty-four lakhs of existences.
Human birth having now been obtained by thee, associate with the saints,
Perform service, repeat God’s name under the guidance of the Guru,
And renounce pride, falsehood, and insolence.
If thou be dead when alive, thou shalt be acceptable in God’s court.
O God, whatever hath been or shall be is Thy work.
There is none other fit to perform it.
Man shall meet Thee, O Lord, if Thou cause him to do so.
Saith Nanak, sing God’s praises.
Man in his present state of probation ought to practise holiness :—
Sow the Name in this productive soil,[4]
And thy desires shall be accomplished ;
Thou shalt obtain the fruit of thy labour and the fear of Death shall be dispelled.
Ever sing God’s attributes and praises ;
Clasp His name to thy heart,
And thou shalt quickly attain thine object.
Fix thine attention upon God,
And thou shalt obtain honour at His court.
Abandon all thy tricks and devices of speech,
And cling to the feet of holy men.
He in whose power all men are,
Shall never be separated from us, but shall be with us alway.[ p. 133 ]
Abandon shifts; grasp His protection,
And in a moment thou shalt obtain deliverance. Know that He is ever near thee.
Receive God’s commands as true and obey them. Under the Guru’s instruction efface thyself
And repeat God’s name, O Nanak.
Man ought to show gratitude to God for His many favours :—
During the eight watches of the day meditate on that God
Who made thee a jewel out of earth,
Who carefully preserved thee in the womb,
And who bestowed on thee renown and greatness.
O All-pervading, may I obtain the dust of Thy saints’ feet !
O men, meet the Guru and meditate on my Lord.
My mind forgetteth not that God,
Who turneth a foolish man into a preacher,
Who turneth a senseless into a sensible man,
And by whose favour the nine treasures are obtained.
May I day and night at every breath remember Him
Who giveth a home to the homeless,
Who giveth honour to the unhonoured,
Who fulfilleth all desires,
And by whose favour the chains of mammon are cut oft !
By the favour of the Guru poison hath become nectar.
saith Nanak, nothing is accomplished by man—
Praise ye the Preserver.
The advantages of devotion :—
Hear the Word of God and thy uncleanness shall depart ;
Thou shalt become very pure and obtain enduring [5] happiness.
By good fortune the society of holy men is obtained,
And love to the Supreme Being produced.
God saveth His servants who repeat His name,
And conducteth them across the great sea of fire.[ p. 134 ]
By singing God’s praises the heart is refreshed,
And the sins of many births blotted out.
I behold in my heart God’s whole treasure ;
Why should I now go searching for it abroad ?
When the Master is kind,
His servant’s labour is already accomplished.
Remember, remember, remember the attributes of Him,
Who having cut off thy shackles hath made thee His servant.
There is but one God in the heart and in every place :
He filleth the whole world.
The perfect Guru hath dispelled all my doubts.
By remembering God, Nanak hath obtained comfort.
The human race tends to degenerate :—
They who are dead have passed away ;
They who survive stand with their loins girded :
Looking to the occupations in which the former were engaged,
The latter have contracted twice their load of mammon.
They are entangled in things which are perishable,
And think not of the last hour.
The foolish person is bound by desire,
And involved in lust, anger, and worldly love :
Dharmraj standeth over him :
He eateth poison deeming it to be sweet, and saith
‘I shall take mine enemy captive and punish him ;
Who shall dare set foot on my soil ?
I am a pandit, I am clever and wise.’
Attached to the world man knoweth not the Creator :
Only God knoweth His own state and condition.
What can one say ? How can any one describe Him ?
Man is engaged in whatever duties God appointed for him.
Every one prayeth to secure his own advantage.
Everything is Thine ; Thou art the Creator.
Thou hast no end or limits.
Bestow this boon upon Thy slave Nanak,
That he may never forget Thy name.
[ p. 135 ]
They who without service to God are attached to mammon shall regret when it is too late :—
Man is not satisfied with vast wealth.
It is not sufficient for him to see many phases of life ; he desireth to see more ;
He is entangled with children and wife, deeming them his own ;
But his wealth shall perish, and his children and wife become heaps of ashes ;
Then shall you behold him lamenting without God’s name.
Accursed the bodies, accursed the wealth of the lovers of mammon.
All wealth is God’s; it is but given to man for brief use :—
As when one putteth a bag of money on the head of a forced labourer ;
The money reacheth the master’s house, but the labourer suffereth pain.
As when a beggar in a dream sitteth on a king’s throne,
On opening his eyes he findeth it a baseless phantom.
As when a watchman is placed over another’s field,
The field belongeth to its owner, and the watchman leaveth when his business is done.
Even though the watchman strive vigorously,
He shall not become owner of the field.
He to whom the empire of the world belongeth hath sent it as a dream. |
He who made Maya hath infused avarice into mankind.
God Himself destroyeth, He Himself restoreth.
Nanak, offer thy supplication unto Him.
Men in previous births held high positions, but are not now happy until saints tell them of God :—
I have seen many forms and species of mammon ;
With my pen I have written ingenious things on paper ; I have known what it is to be a chief, a king, a lord ; But with all that my mind was not satisfied.[ p. 136 ]
O, ye saints, show me that comfort,
By which my thirst may be quenched and my mind satisfied.
I had fleet horses and elephants to ride on,
Distilled aloe wood, sandal, couches, and beautiful women.
Actors sang for me at performances in the arena,
Yet with all that my heart was not satisfied.
Mine were thrones, courts, jewels, and carpets,
All fruits, beautiful gardens,
And the occupation of the chase, the sport of kings,
Yet my heart was not happy ; all was illusion and deception.
The saints of their kindness told me of the True One,
And in Him I found all comfort and joy.
Sing God’s praises in the company of the saints ;
Saith Nanak, they are met by great good fortune.
He who hath God as his wealth is happy.
By God’s mercy the company of the saints is obtained.
Men are entangled in mammon as birds in a net :—
Man thinketh that his body is his own ;
Again and again he clingeth to it.
Children, wives, and household are entanglements
Which prevent man from becoming the servant of God.
What is that way by which God’s praises may be sung ?
What is that skill by which man may escape from mammon ?
What is for man’s good he deemeth evil.
If one tell him the truth, he regardeth it as poison.[6]
He knoweth not what is for his profit or his loss.
That is how the infidel is entangled in the world.
The fool drinketh what is deadly poison for him,
And deemeth bitter the ambrosial Name.
He never approacheth the company of the saints ;
He wandereth through the eighty-four lakhs of existences.
Birds after enjoying pleasures of various descriptions,[ p. 137 ]
Are all caught in the same net.[7]
Saith Nanak, the perfect Guru hath cut the net
For whomsoever he is merciful.[8]
God’s mercy and man’s supplication :—
By Thy mercy, O God, the way is found ;
By Thy mercy the Name is meditated on ;
By Thy mercy man is released from his fetters ;
By Thy mercy pride is dispelled.
If Thou appoint me to Thy service I will perform it.
I can do nothing of myself, O God.
If it please Thee, I sing Thy word ;
If it please Thee, I call Thee the True One ;
If it please Thee, the true Guru is kind.
All happiness, O God, is obtained from Thy mercy.
Pure is the act which pleaseth Thee ;
True is the faith which pleaseth Thee.
The treasury of all excellences is with Thee.
Thou art the Lord, Thy servant maketh Thee this supplication—
‘May my soul and body become pure through the love of God !
May I obtain all happiness in the society of the saints !
May my soul be dyed with Thy name!’
This Nanak deemeth supreme happiness.
Of all relishes none so sweet as God’s name :—
O my tongue, thy thirst departeth not for an instant, However many sweets thou tasteth.
If thou now taste the sweetness of God,
Thou shalt be astonished on tasting it.
My beloved tongue, drink the nectar of God’s name:
Steeped in this relish thou shalt be satiated.
O my tongue, sing thou God’s praises ;
Every moment meditate on God.
The association of the saints is obtained by good fortune :[ p. 138 ]
Go to none but them, and hear no words but theirs.[9]
During the eight watches, O my tongue, adore
The supreme God, the unfathomable Lord,
And thou shalt be ever happy in this world and the next.
By singing His praises, O my tongue, thou shalt be beyond all price.
Plants and trees may burst into flower and fruit and sweet may be their flavour,
But God’s name once tasted thou shalt never forsake.
No other relish[10] can equal it.
Saith Nanak, the Guru hath become my succourer.
God who resides in the heart is the great merchant with whom the saints deal :—
The heart is a building, the body is a fence constructed round it ;
Within it are countless things ;
Within it, we hear, dwelleth the Merchant.
Who are the dealers who enjoy credit with Him ?
Few there are who deal in the precious Name,
Who eat its nectar as food,
And devote their soul and body to God’s service.
What is the way by which God will be pleased ?
Who is the man who will introduce me to that traffic ?
I will touch his feet and renounce all ideas of mine and thine. |
How shall I reach the Merchant’s palace ?
How shall I be invited to enter it ?
Thou art the great Merchant who hast millions of dealers.
Who is that benefactor who will associate me with them ?
Searching and searching I have found my home.
The true one hath shown me the priceless jewel.
Saith Nanak, by faith in the Guru
He will mercifully blend us with the Merchant.
[ p. 139 ]
The saints’ occupation, attributes, and praises :—
Night and day the pious abide in the love of the one God.
They believe God ever with them ;
They make the repetition of God’s name their occupation ;
They are satisfied and comforted by His sight.
On entering the asylum of the perfect Guru
They become enamoured of God, and their minds and bodies grow happy.
God’s lotus feet are the support of their souls.
They behold Him alone and carry out His orders ;
They deal in only one thing, they occupy themselves with only one thing ;
They think of nothing but the Formless One ;
They are free from both joy and sorrow ;
They are ever separated from the world, and devoted to religion ;
They are seen among the crowd, but are not of it ;
They fix their attention on the supreme God.
How can I describe the glory of the saints ?
Their wisdom is unfathomable, and cannot be sounded.
O supreme God, have mercy on me,
And bestow on Nanak the dust of Thy saints’ feet.
The general prevalence of mammon :—
Maya is contained in the rejoicing and mourning diffused throughout the world ;
She is contained in heaven, hell, and the incarnations ;
She is contained in the rich, the poor, and those who are conspicuous for their splendour ;
She is contained in covetousness which is the root of trouble ;
She is contained in the world in various forms.
O God, the saints live by Thy protection, and are not subject to Maya.
Maya is contained in him who is intoxicated with intellectual pride ;
She is contained in him who is attached to children and wife ;
She is contained in elephants, horses, and other animals ;[ p. 140 ]
She is contained in him who is intoxicated with the wine of beauty and youth ;
She is contained in kings, in the poor, and in those addicted to pleasures ;
She is contained in the songs and musical instruments heard at assemblies ;
She is contained in couches, in palaces, and their ornaments ;
She is contained in the evil passions which render man blind ;
She is contained in him who performeth religious ceremonies prompted by pride ;
She is contained in the family man; she is contained in the anchoret ;
She is contained in human occupations and conduct ; she is contained in caste ;
She is contained in everything except in those who are imbued with God’s love.
God hath cut off the entanglements of the saints ;
How can she be contained in them ?
Saith Nanak, Maya approacheth not those
Who have obtained the dust of the saints’ feet.
While the senses are asleep, the deadly sins rob the body :—
The eyes sleep[11] while coveting others’ property ;
The ears sleep on hearing tales of slander ;
The tongue sleepeth in the desire for the relish of sweet things ;
The mind sleepeth admiring mammon.
In this world few are watchful ;
They who are receive their boon whole.
All the senses are intoxicated with their own pleasures,
And take no thought of the body they inhabit ;
Wherefore the five plunderers and highway robbers
Fall upon its unguarded citadel to plunder it.
Neither father nor mother can protect man from them ;
Neither friend nor brother can protect man from them ; [ p. 141 ]
They are not restrained by bribes or diplomacy ;
They are only controlled by the society of the saints.
Have mercy on me, O God ;
Grant me the dust of the saints’ feet for all my treasure.
He who meeting the true Guru is awake in the love of God,
O Nanak, hath the capital stock of his human life intact.
He to whom God is merciful is awake ;
His capital stock, wealth, and property remain whole.
God’s praises and glory and the advantages of remembering Him :—
There is none besides Him
In whose power are lords and emperors ;
In whose power is the whole world ;
Who hath created everything.
Address thy supplication to the true Guru,
That he may arrange all thine affairs.
His court is the most exalted of all ;
His name is the prop of all the saints.
The Lord whose glory shineth in every heart,
Is contained in everything, and filleth creation.
By remembering Him the abode of sorrow is demolished ;
By remembering Him Death molesteth us not ;
By remembering Him what is withered becometh green ;
By remembering Him the sinking stone floateth ;
Victory be ever to the society of the saints !
God’s name is the support of the lives of His servants.
Saith Nanak, hear, O God, my supplication—
By the favour of the saints, grant me to dwell in Thy name.
The advantages of repeating and writing God’s name :—
Ever repeat God’s praises with thy tongue,
And thou shalt obtain happiness, O my brother and friend. Write with pen, paper, and ink
The ambrosial word of God’s name.
Thy hand shall then become pure,[ p. 142 ]
And the entanglements of Maya shall be destroyed.
By thus acting all thy sins shall depart.
By remembering God Death shall not punish thee ;
The myrmidons of Dharmraj shall not look at thee ;
And even though engaged with the world it shall not fascinate thee.
Thou shalt be saved thyself, and shalt save the world
By repeating the name of the one God.
When God’s name hath entered thy heart,
Make use of it thyself and advise others to do so.
He on whose forehead the wealth of the Name
Hath been written, shall repeat it.
Sing God’s praises throughout the day :
Saith Nanak, I am a sacrifice unto Him.
Men act perversely :—
What belongeth to another we deem our own ;
Our hearts are attached to what ought to be abandoned. Say how shall the Lord of the earth be found.
We love what is forbidden ;
What is false we deem true.
The heart is in no wise attached to what is true.
We go crookedly by the left way ;
Leaving the straight way we wend backwards.
God is the Lord of the two worlds—
Nanak, he who meeteth Him shall be saved.
The Guru in his humility feels himself unequal to worthily adoring God :—
What form of Thine shall I adore ?
By what science of Jog shall I discipline my body ?
What art is that by which I can sing Thy praises ?
What speech is that, O supreme God, by which I may please Thee ?
What worship of Thine shall I perform °
What way is that by which I may cross the terrible ocean ?
What is that penance by which I may become penitent ?
What is that Name by which the filth of pride may be washed away ?[ p. 143 ]
Skill, worship, divine knowledge, meditation, and the fruit of all his toil
Are obtained by him, O Nanak, whom the compassionate true Guru kindly meeteth.
It is such a man who possesseth excellence ; it is he who knoweth God ;
And the Giver of comfort granteth his prayers.
The Guru exhorts his soul to practise devotion :—
O my soul, desire Him
In whom there is no deficiency :
O my soul, make that beloved God thy friend,
And ever remember Him who is the support of life.
O my soul, serve Him
Who is the primal Being and infinite God.
O my soul, place thy hope in Him
Who is the trusted of every age.
Nanak, on meeting the Guru, singeth the praises of God, Whose love ever conferreth happiness.
Who are the really great :—
They who appear to be very great in this world
Suffer from the malady of anxiety.
Who is great by reason of the greatness of his wealth ?
He is great who devoteth his love to God.
Landowners ever strive for land ;
Their covetousness is never extinguished ; but they must leave their lands and depart.
Saith Nanak, the real thing I consider is,
That without repeating God’s name there is no deliverance.
A man without piety is less useful than a beast :—
Man eateth many species of food like a beast ;
He is bound like a thief by the rope of worldly love ; His mortal body without the company of the saints
Is tortured in the womb by transmigration.
He weareth beautiful clothes of various sorts
Like a scarecrow in the fields to frighten animals away.[ p. 144 ]
The bodies of all creatures are of use,
But man’s is useless unless he utter the Name.
Saith Nanak, he to whom God is merciful
Uttereth God’s name in the company of the saints.
The Guru’s mission is accomplished :—
The word of the Guru hath dispelled all trouble and affliction ;
Transmigration is at an end, and all happiness attained.
By meditating on the Fearless God, fear is extinct.
I have sung the praises of God in the company of His saints.
I have put his lotus feet within my heart.
The Guru hath taken me across the sea of fire:
The perfect Guru extricated me when I was drowning :
The Guru united me with God, though separated from Him in various births.
Saith Nanak, I am a sacrifice to that Guru
By meeting whom my salvation hath been accomplished.
The following is repeated by Sikhs over a sick person :—
Things which were withered God in a moment maketh green.
His ambrosial glance irrigateth and reviveth them.
The perfect God removeth all affliction.
When He bestoweth His service on His servant,
Anxiety is removed and the heart’s desires fulfilled.
When the true Guru, who is an embodiment of good qualities, showeth mercy,
Sorrow fleeth away, and happiness taketh its place—
In this there is no delay—when God giveth the order.
Our desires are fulfilled when the true Guru is found ;
Nanak, they who find Him bear good fruit.
They who seek God aright have no fear :—
The whole world is sunk in fear ; But he who hath the Name for his support hath no fear. He, O Lord, who taketh Thy protection feareth not :[ p. 145 ]
What pleaseth Thee must be done.
They who mourn and rejoice suffer transmigration, While they who are pleasing to the Lord obtain comfort. Maya pervadeth this fiery ocean of the world :
They who have found the true Guru have recovered.
O God, the Preserver, preserve me !
Saith Nanak, what a poor creature am !
Worthless is the body without the Name :—
Mouths without the Name are empty
Like husks devoid of grain.
O mortal, ever repeat God’s name :
Without it woe to the body, which shall then become Death’s [12] prey ;
Without it the countenance loseth its lustre.[13]
Without her spouse where is the wife ? [14]
When through devotion to the pleasures of the world man forgetteth the Name,
His desires are never fulfilled.
Saith Nanak, O God, mercifully grant me the favour
Of repeating Thy name day and night.
Man’s sins cannot be concealed from God :—
Man doeth evil but pretendeth to do good :
For this he shall be bound like a thief in God’s court.
He who uttereth the Name is a saint of God—
Who is equally contained in sea, land, the nether regions, and the firmament—
He who uttereth words of nectar while in his heart is poison,
Shall be bound and punished in Death’s city.
The sins which man committeth behind many screens
Shall in a moment be laid bare to the world.
Nanak, God will be merciful to him[ p. 146 ]
In whose heart is the truth, and who is dyed with the love of the Name.
Man ought to show his gratitude to God by remembering Him :—
Why should we show neglect to Him, O mother,
Who hath bestowed on us raiment and food ?
He who forgetteth the Lord and attacheth himself to others,
Exchangeth a gem for a kauri.
Man may forsake God, fascinated by other deities ;
But who hath honour by saluting a slave instead of his master ?
Man taketh food and drink tasting like nectar ;
But the dog knoweth not Him who gave them.
Saith Nanak, we are ungrateful ;
Pardon us, O God, Thou Searcher of hearts.
The advantage of meditation on God :—
Meditation in my heart on God’s feet
Is for me equal to bathing and ablutions at all places of pilgrimage.
Remember God every day, O my brethren,
And the impurity of millions of births shall be washed away.
Piety is for man’s advantage :—
Men have made God their friend for their own advantage ;
He fulfilleth all their desires and granteth them the dignity of salvation.
Let all so make God their friend
That none may depart in vain.
God removeth the sorrows, pains, and maladies of those
Who for their own objects hold Him in their hearts.
All their desires are fulfilled,
Who practise repetition of God’s name with their tongues.
Nanak is many times a sacrifice unto them—
Profitable is a sight of my God.
[ p. 147 ]
The advantage of listening to divine instruction :—
Hear the story of God in the company of the saints,
And millions of obstacles to deliverance shall be removed in a moment.
By drinking the nectareous juice of God’s excellences and praises
And adoring His feet, hunger and thirst shall depart.
He in whose heart God dwelleth,
Possesseth the complete treasure of happiness, comfort, and peace.
Medicines, charms, and spells are all in vain:
Clasp the Creator to thy heart.
Abandon all doubts, repeat the name of the Supreme Being ;
And such religion, saith Nanak, shall be unshaken.
God is omnipotent to save :—
The deadly sins like robbers were with me all day long,
But God mercifully dispersed them.
Let every one repeat with love the name of God
Who is full of all resources.[15]
God in a moment causeth man to cross over
The very seething ocean of the world.
Man’s many shackles can only be burst
By remembering the Name; thus he obtaineth the reward of salvation.
Man can accomplish nothing by tricks or devices of speech.
Saith Nanak, show mercy to me, O God, that I may sing Thy praises.
Meditation on God and obedience to His word are potent for salvation :—
The mortal, whether learned or unlearned,
Who meditateth on God, attaineth the supreme state. In the company of the saints remember God. Without the Name false is wealth and property.
He who obeyeth the voice of God
Is handsome, clever, and wise.[ p. 148 ]
Profitable is his advent into the world
Who recognizeth his Lord in every heart
Saith Nanak, he who is very fortunate
Applieth his mind to God’s feet.
Incongruities :—
Infidels consort not with God’s servants ;
The former are sinful; the latter love God.
The association would be as unmeet as if one who cannot ride were put astride a thoroughbred [16] mare ;
As if an impotent man were to caress a woman ;
As if a spancel were put on an ox to milk him ;
As if a man were to mount a cow and chase a lion;
As if one were to worship a sheep instead of the cow Kamdhen, which granteth all desires ;
As if one were to pursue trade without capital.
Nanak, repeat God’s name in thy heart ;
Remember a friend like the Lord God.
The saints’ love of God illustrated by familiar examples :—
As a wife is delighted on beholding her spouse,
As God’s servant liveth by remembering His name,
As a mother reviveth on beholding her son,
So God’s servant loveth God who is the warp and woof.
As an avaricious man rejoiceth on acquiring wealth,
So God’s servant’s heart is attached to His lotus feet.
They who bear such love to God
Enjoy the greatest good fortune: He blendeth them with Himself.
May I not forget Thee even for a moment, Thou beneficent One !
Nanak’s God is the support of the soul.
The following was addressed to a hypocritical Brahman :—
Thou openest thy waistcloth, and spreadest some of it beneath thee ;[ p. 149 ]
Thou loadest thy belly like a donkey ;
But without good works, deliverance is not obtained—
The boon of deliverance is granted to meditation on the Name.
Thou performest worship and ablutions, and appliest sacrificial marks to thy forehead ;
Thou pullest out a knife to threaten suicide if alms be not given thee ;
Thou recitest the Veds with tuneful voice.
Shrinkest thou not from killing creatures,[17] O mortal ?
Saith Nanak, he to whom God showeth mercy
Is pure in heart and meditateth upon Him.
The condition of those who are imbued with God’s love :—
They who are imbued with God’s love burn not in the flames ; [18]
They who are imbued with God’s love are not deceived by Maya ;
They who are imbued with God’s love are not drowned in the water ;
They who are imbued with God’s love bear good fruit :
By God’s name all their fear is dispelled ;
They meet the society of the saints, and sing God’s praises.
He who is imbued with God’s love is freed from all anxieties ;
He who receiveth the Guru’s spell becometh attached to God ;
He who is imbued with God’s love hath no fear of Death ;
He who is imbued with God’s love hath his desires fulfilled ;
He who is imbued with God’s love suffereth not misery ;
He who is imbued with God’s love is watchful night and day ;
He who is imbued with God’s love abideth in the abode of happiness ; [ p. 150 ]
He who is imbued with God’s love is preserved from doubts and fears ;
He who is imbued with God’s love obtaineth the highest wisdom ;
He who is imbued with God’s love is pure.
Saith Nanak, I am a sacrifice to those
Who forget not my God.
God helps and cherishes His servants :—
He Himself is His servant’s helper.
Like a father and mother He ever cherisheth him.
Every one is saved by entering God’s sanctuary.
It is He who acteth and causeth to act; He is omnipresent and true.
The Creator now dwelleth in my heart.
Fear is extinct and my soul hath obtained all happiness.
God mercifully preserveth His servants,
And their sins of many births fall off.
The glory of God cannot be described :
The slave Nanak is ever in His sanctuary.
Helpless man utters his wail to the Almighty :—
O strong-armed puissant God, ocean of happiness, I am falling into the pit ; take Thou my hand.
Mine ears hear not; mine eyes see not; afflicted and crippled I cry at Thy gate.
Patron of the poor and patronless, full of mercy, friend, father, mother.
Thou who causest Thy saints to cross over the ocean of fear—Nanak holdeth Thy lotus feet within his heart.
Without the Guru man has not wherewithal to recommend him to God :—
By what virtue shall I meet the Lord of the soul,[19] O my mother ?
I possess no beauty, no understanding, no strength; I am a stranger come from afar.[ p. 151 ]
I have not wealth or the glory of youth ; friendless that I am, unite me, O God, with Thee.
Searching and searching I have renounced the world ; I wander thirsting for a sight of Thee.
Compassionate to the poor, O merciful God, Nanak prayeth—quench my thirst with the society of the saints.
Instruction and supplication :—
Depart, bird of the soul, and make remembrance of God thy pinions ;
Meet the saint, embrace his society, put God’s perfect jewel into thy heart.
Superstition is a pit, the thirst for pleasure its mire ; very entangling is the noose of worldly love.
He who cutteth it is God, the world’s Guru; dwell at His lotus feet.
O God, beloved Master, Lord of the poor, mercifully hear my supplication.
O Nanak’s Lord, take my hand; the soul and body are all Thy capital.
Though God is in every heart, some men are good and others evil ; the reason is known only to God :—
O immortal King,
We dwell fearlessly with Thee ; whence cometh this fear ?
In one person Thou appearest proud, in another lowly ;
In one person Thou art haughty, in another humble ;
In one person Thou art a pandit and preacher, in another Thou art stupid ;
In one person Thou graspest at everything, in another Thou acceptest nothing.
What can man the poor wooden puppet do? He who setteth the puppet in motion knoweth its condition ;
It playeth the part for which the Player dressed it.
He hath made various chambers of many descriptions within it, and He Himself guardeth it.
The soul must remain in whatever body it is placed ; what can the wretched thing do? [ p. 152 ]
He who made something, namely, all the contrivance of the body, knoweth its construction.
Nanak, the infinite God knoweth the value of His own work.
Amid the pleasures of sin man thinks not of death :—
Abandon, abandon, the pleasures of sin :
O fool and madman, thou art entangled with them, and shalt be punished like cattle which fall upon crops.
What thou considerest thine advantage shall not go with thee an inch.[20]
Naked didst thou come, naked shalt thou go: thou shalt become a morsel for Death, and return to a body again and again.
Beholding the short-lived sports of the world, thou art absorbed in them, and laughest while they last.
The string of life weareth away day and night; thou hast not done aught for thy soul.
Amid vain works old age hath come upon thee ; thy speech faileth and thy body wasteth away.
Since that fascinating woman bewitched thee, thy love for her hath in no wise diminished.
When the Guru showed me that such was the world, I abandoned pride and entered Thy sanctuary, O God.
The saints showed me the way to God; the slave Nanak hath adopted God’s service and praises.
Thanksgiving :—
Whom have I but Thee,
My Beloved? Thou art the support of the soul.
Only Thou knowest the state of my heart; Thou art my friend and companion.
I have obtained all happiness from Thee; Thou art intangible and unequalled.
I cannot describe Thy play, O ocean of merits, Bestower of happiness.
The unapproachable, invisible, and imperishable God is known by means of the perfect Guru.[ p. 153 ]
Since I have destroyed pride, God hath banished my doubts and fears, and made me completely happy.
By showing me the company of the saints Thou hast put an end to my anxiety regarding transmigration.
I wash their feet; I serve the Guru and offer myself a sacrifice a hundred thousand times to him
By whose favour the slave Nanak hath crossed the terrible water and met the Beloved.
The bliss of the holy :—
I am a sacrifice to them
Whose sole support is the Name.
How shall their greatness be estimated who are imbued with the love of the supreme Being ?
Happiness, peace, and joy are with them; there are no others generous as they.
They who thirst for a sight of God, have come to save the world.
They who have sought their protection have been saved, and all their desires fulfilled in the company of the saints.
If I fall at their feet I shall survive ; I am happy in the company of the saints.
O God, be merciful to me that my heart may become the dust of the saints’ feet.
Empire, youth, and life—-whatever is seen in this world decreaseth.
Nanak hath earned the treasure of the Name which is ever new and pure.
A Jogi came to the Guru and asked him if he had learned the science of Jog. The following was the Guru’s reply :—
The way of Jog I have heard from my Guru ;
The true Guru hath communicated to me the Word.
Every moment I bow before Him who is contained in the nine regions of the earth and in this body.
I have made the Guru’s instruction mine earrings, and have set up the one God in my heart.[ p. 154 ]
The five pupils collectively I have placed under the control of One.[21]
When the organs of perception and action were obedient, then I became a pure Jogi.
I burnt superstition and applied its ashes to my body ; the sight of the one God I made my sect.
I have resignedly and gladly accepted that as the portion which God destined for me.
Where there was no fear, there I assumed my devotional attitude, and the ecstatic sound was my Jogi’s horn.
I have made meditation on God my staff, and love of the Name my rule of life.
The fetters of mammon shall be struck off that fortunate person who meeteth such a Jogi.
Nanak serveth and worshippeth such a person and licketh his feet.
A prayer to the Lord of life :—
O Lord of my hfe, show me compassion and mercy ; I helpless have entered Thy sanctuary.
Give me Thy hand, and extricate me from the blind well ;[22] I have no device or spell to assist myself.
Causer of causes, everything art Thou; Thou art omnipotent ; there is none beside Thee.
Only Thou Thyself knowest Thine own state and condition ; they who are so destined [23] become Thy worshippers.
Thou, O God, lovest Thy worshippers: Thou art contained in them as the warp and woof.
They long for Thy very beloved name and a sight of Thee, as the chakor longeth for the moon.
There is no difference between God and His saints; but out of hundreds of thousands and millions there is only one real servant of God.[ p. 155 ]
He in whose heart God is manifested repeateth His praises night and day.
O God, Thou art omnipotent, infinite, the Most High, the Giver of comfort and the Prop of life.
O God, mercifully grant Nanak the companionship of the saints.
Relations and worldly wealth avail not without devotion to God :—
There is no happiness without devotion to God ;
Win for thyself the priceless jewel of human life by repeating His name even for one moment in the company of saints.
Several people have left
Sons, wealth, wives, and pleasures after enjoying them.
Fools have departed naked leaving behind them
Excellent horses and elephants, and even the pomp of empire.
The bodies which were perfumed with distilled aloe wood and sandal,
Have been blended with the dust.
Infatuated by worldly love they deemed God distant,
But, saith Nanak, He is ever present.
Contempt for the body :—
O body, great thy pride from such an origin.
Transitory art thou, however much thou grasp at worldly things.
Thou lovest those things which learned saints have forbidden thee.
As a gambler who while losing remaineth attached to play, so thy senses conquer and hold thee in bondage.
Thou art not imbued with love for the lotus feet of Him who destroyeth and createth all things.
The Treasure of mercy gave me, Nanak, the company of the saints by which I am saved.
Man, groping in the darkness of worldlylove, desires the light of divine knowledge to dawn for him :—
Is there any one who will dispel man’s pride,
[ p. 156 ]
And turn his heart away from sweet mammon ?
Man hath become spiritually ignorant ; he desireth what existeth not.
His night is dark and gloomy ; how can morning dawn for him ?
I have grown weary wandering and searching in every way ;
But at last God hath been merciful, and I have obtained the treasure of the company of the saints.
Man should think of his soul, not of his short-lived body :—
O my soul, seek God’s protection, and thou shalt be happy.
The days in which the Giver of life and happiness is forgotten, pass away in vain.
Thou hast come as the guest of one night, yet thou extendest the hope of living for many ages.
Houses, palaces, wealth, everything that is seen is like the shadow of a tree.
This body of mine, my entire wealth, gardens, and property shall all pass away.
Thou hast forgotten God, the Giver; in one moment these things shall become another’s.
Lhou bathest and puttest on clean clothes, and perfumest thyself with distilled aloe wood and sandal.
Thou thinkest not of the Fearless, the Formless One ; thou art as an elephant which throweth dust on itself after being bathed.
When God is merciful, He will cause thee to meet the true Guru ; all happiness abideth in God’s name.
Nanak, by singing God’s praises the Guru shall unlock thy fetters, and thou shalt be freed.
The following was written by the Guru on hearing that a raja was preparing an expedition to seize another raja’s territory :—
The thirst of only a few is slaked.
Man amasseth thousands and millions, but restraineth not his mind ;[ p. 157 ]
He is burning for more and more.
Though possessing beautiful women of many races, he committeth adultery in other men’s houses.
He distinguisheth not between bad and good.
Under the many bonds of mammon he wandereth and singeth not the praises of the Treasury of excellences ;
His mind is absorbed in worldly affairs.
He to whom God is merciful is dead while alive, and in the company of the saints crosseth over the ocean of the world:
Nanak, that man shall be acceptable in God’s court.
To man God should be the dearest of all :—
God is the darling object of all men.
Some love contemplation, some pleasure, some divine knowledge, some meditation,
And some a hermit’s life.
Some love lip-worship, some austerities, some adoration, burnt offerings, and daily ceremonies ;
And some a wandering existence.
Some love the shore, some the sea, some the study of the Veds,
But to Nanak only God’s service is dear.
God to the Guru is everything that is precious :—
The celebration of Thy praises is my treasure.
Thou art my delight, Thou art my glory, Thou art my beauty, Thou art my love ;
Thou, O God, art my Hope and my Shelter ;
Thou art my pride, Thou art my wealth, Thou art mine honour, Thou art my life,
The Guru hath united me with Thee from whom I had parted.
Thou art my home, Thou art my forest, Thou art my village, Thou art my desert ;
Saith Nanak, Thou art to me the nearest and dearest of all.
The Guru gives the opinion of holy men as to the means of salvation :—
They who dwell under the sovereign Lord’s protection shall be saved :[ p. 158 ]
All others fall to the ground from the lofty heights of mammon.
Great men after the study of the Shastars, the Simritis, and the Veds, have thus expressed themselves—
‘There is no salvation, nor hath any one found comfort without the repetition of God’s name.’
Man may have amassed the wealth of the three worlds, yet his avarice will not otherwise be slaked.
Without repeating God’s name can stableness be obtained ? No; man shall transmigrate again and again.
Man engageth in various fascinating recreations, yet his desires are never satisfied.
They ever burn and are never quenched; without the Name all things are vain.
Repeat God’s name, O my friend; this is the essence of perfect happiness.
In the company of the saints and by becoming the dust of their feet, Nanak hath freed himself from transmigration.
The Guru gives a compendium of his teaching :—
Without God all works are vain.
By works of hypocritical devotion, penance, and austerities man is plundered on this side.[24]
He who abideth in fasting, insincere ceremonies, and austerities shall not obtain an eighth of a paisa.
In the next world the coin is different, my brother ; this coin will be of no use there.
He who batheth at a place of pilgrimage and wandereth over the earth, shall find no abiding place hereafter.
Such things shall avail him not; he merely pleaseth people thereby.
Man shall not hereafter find a place in God’s court by reciting the four Veds.
He who knoweth not the Pure and Imperishable One,[25] uttereth sheer nonsense.[ p. 159 ]
Nanak hath expressed this opinion ; he who acteth on it shall be saved.
Serve the Guru, meditate on God’s name, and dismiss pride from thy heart.
The Guru addresses God with great fervour :—
Come, my beloved God,
Night and day, at every breath let me meditate on Thee.
O saints, give God this message, ‘I fall at Thy feet ;
Without Thee how shall I be saved ?
With Thee I rejoice ;
Thou art in the forest, in the glades, in the three worlds ; Thou conferrest supreme happiness and joy.
My couch is pleasant, my soul expandeth towards Thee.
On beholding Thee happiness shall be mine.
I will wash Thy feet, and continually perform Thy service.
I will worship Thee, make Thee offerings, and do Thee homage :
Thy slave of slaves will repeat Thy name.’
Repeat, O saints, this my supplication to God ;
So shall my desires be fulfilled and my soul and body revive,
On beholding God all my griefs shall be dispelled.
By continually repeating God’s name Nanak shall be saved,
And obtain unfading happiness.
Sing God’s praises received from a saint and pray for God as your alms :—
O my soul, sing God’s delicious praises; sing God’s delicious praises.
Attached to the True One, the homeless obtain a home.
All other relishes are insipid and render body and soul insipid,
Accursed is his life who doeth aught contrary to God’s will.
Grasp the saint’s skirt and thou shalt cross over the ocean.[ p. 160 ]
Adore the supreme God, and all thy family shall be saved.
He who putteth God’s name into my heart is my saint, my kinsman, my friend ;
He bestoweth on me the favour of blotting out all my demerits.
My property, my treasure, and my home may go to ruin ; my wealth is in God’s feet.
Nanak begging at Thy gate, O God, craveth for Thee as his alms.
It is said that one Raj Chand went to the Guru and asked him how happiness could be obtained and unhappiness avoided. The following was the Guru’s reply :—
When man harboureth pride in his heart,
He wandereth about mad and estranged from God.
When man becometh the dust of all men’s feet,
He on that account beholdeth God in every heart.
The fruit of humility is naturally pleasant:
This gift my true Guru gave me.
When man deemeth others bad,
All weave plots against him.
When he hath ceased to speak of things as his own,
No one beareth him enmity.
When man holdeth things as his own,
He suffereth serious trouble.
When man recognizeth the Creator,
His sufferings are at an end.
When man entangleth himself with worldly love,
He suffereth transmigration and falleth under Death’s continual ken.
When man’s doubts are removed,
There is no difference between him and the Supreme.
From the moment that man recognizeth a difference,
He suffereth pain, punishment, and affliction.
From the moment that man knoweth the one God,
He hath obtained all knowledge.[ p. 161 ]
When man runneth after mammon,
He findeth it not, nor doth his thirst depart.
When man fleeth from mammon,
She proceedeth to pursue him.
When the true Guru is found by his own mercy,
The lamp is lit in the temple of one’s heart.
When man considereth his gain and loss,
He realizeth the value of this temple.
The one God doth everything and causeth everything to be done.
He Himself is wisdom, reflection, and discrimination.
He is not distant, He is near and with all.
Nanak, praise the true God with love.
All must perish save God who has no end or limit: —
In the first place, man issueth from his dwelling in the womb ;
He afterwards attacheth himself to his children, wife, and family.
Thy dishes of many sorts and thy varied dresses,
O wretched man, shall assuredly pass away.
What place is that which shall ever be permanent ?
What word is that by which evil inclinations shall be removed ?
Even the realm of Indar must assuredly perish ;
Even the realm of Brahma remaineth not permanent ;
And even the realm of Shiv shall dissolve.
Maya with the three qualities and the demons shall perish.
Mountains, trees, the earth, the firmament, and the stars
The sun, the moon, wind, fire, and water,
The laws and alternations of day and night,
The Shastars, the Simritis, and the Veds,
Places of pilgrimage, demigods, temples, and books,
Rosaries, frontal marks, purely cooked victuals,
Loin cloths, prostrations, raiment, food,
Shall pass away with all men.
Race, caste, Musalmans, Hindus,
Beasts, birds, animals of different species,[ p. 162 ]
All the visible creation,
And all forms of existence shall perish.
By praising and serving God real divine knowledge is obtained,
Which ever conferreth happiness and the permanent and tiue abode.
Where the congregation of the saints are absorbed in God’s praises,
And dwell for ever in the fearless city,
There is no fear, no doubt, no mourning, no anxiety,
No transmigration, no death, no birth.
There is for ever joy and the theatre of spontaneous music.
The saints dwell there; singing God’s praises is their sustenance.
The supreme Being hath no end or limit.
Who can describe Him ?
Saith Nanak, he to whom God is merciful
Shall reach the imperishable place in the company of the saints.
He who divests himself of love of mammon shall attain all perfection :—
He who divesteth himself of the love of mammon, is a hero ;
He who so divesteth himself, is perfect ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall obtain greatness ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall be free from suffering.
If there is any one who so divesteth himself,
And banisheth his love of mammon, he accomplisheth raj jog.[26]
He who so divesteth himself, shall have no, fear ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall be absorbed in the Name ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall have his thirst extinguished ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall be acceptable in God’s court ;1 [ p. 163 ]
He who so divesteth himself, shall become wealthy ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall be honoured ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall become continent ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall obtain deliverance—
The advent of him who so divesteth himself, is profitable—
He who so divesteth himself, shall be stable and opulent ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall be very fortunate ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall be watchful night and day ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall obtain salvation while alive ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall lead a pure life ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall be thoroughly versed in divine knowledge ;
He who so divesteth himself, shall meditate on God—
Without so divesting himself man shall not be acceptable,
Even though he perform millions of superstitious ceremonies and forms of worship—
Without so divesting himself he shall be born again ;
Without so divesting himself he shall not escape from Death ;
Without so divesting himself he shall not obtain divine knowledge ;
Without so divesting himself his impurity shall not be washed away ;
Without so divesting himself everything is defilement ;
Without so divesting himself everything is an entanglement.
He to whom the Ocean of mercy is merciful,
Shall be freed and shall obtain all perfection.
He whose love of mammon is removed by the Guru,
Shall, saith Nanak, meditate on God.
He who embraces a holy life. shall obtain everything that is prized :—
He who attacheth himself to God findeth a friend in everybody ; He who attacheth himself to God hath a stable mind ; He who attacheth himself to God feeleth no anxiety ; [ p. 164 ]
He who attacheth himself to God shall be saved.
O my soul, unite thyself with God ;
Naught else shall avail thee.
Great worldly people who think not of God,
Are useless and ignorant.
Although God’s slave be accounted of lowly birth,
Yet in his company men shall be at once saved.
Hearing God’s name is equal to millions of ablutions ;
Meditating on Him is equal to millions of adorations ;
Hearing His praises is equal to millions of alms-deeds ;
Knowing His ways from the Guru bringeth millions of rewards.
Think again and again upon God in thy heart,
And thy love for mammon shall depart.
The immortal God is with thee ;
O man, be absorbed in thy love for Him.
Specially perform the service of Him
By serving whom all thine avarice shall depart ;
By serving whom the myrmidons of Death will not look at thee ;
By serving whom thou shalt obtain great honour ;
By serving whom thou shalt be immortal ;
Whose servant shall not be punished ;
Whose servant shall not be even bound [27];
And in whose office thine account shall not be called for.
O man, perform the service of Him
Who is in need of nothing,
Who is one though of various forms,
And at whose sight thou art ever happy.
Without remembering God man is on a level with everything that is low and base :—
He who remembereth not God, leadeth the life of a snake.[28]
So liveth the infidel who forgetteth the Name.
He who liveth remembering God even for a moment, Shall live for millions of days, yea, for ever.
Cursed be the acts done without remembering God ![ p. 165 ]
The infidel like a crow’s beak dwelleth in filth:
Without remembering the Name his desires are those of a dog.
The infidel is nameless like a prostitute’s son ;
Without remembering the Name he is like a ram’s horn.
The infidel uttereth falsehood and his face is blackened ;
Without remembering God’s name he is like a donkey
Which wandereth about in foul places.[29]
Without remembering the Name he is as a mad dog.
The covetous infidel falleth into entanglements ;
Without remembering the Name he committeth suicide.
The infidel is low ; he hath neither family nor caste.
The Guru causeth him to whom he is merciful to meet the society of saints,
And, O Nanak, to cross over the ocean of the world.
The evil fate of him who forgets the Name :—
Come to me, O my God, bestow on me Thy name ;
Totally accursed be the love which is without the Name !
He who dresseth himself or eateth without invoking the Name,
Is like a dog fallen on garbage.
Business performed without the Name
Is futile as the decorations of a corpse.
He who enjoyeth pleasures in forgetfulness of the Name,
Hath no happiness even in his dreams; nay, his body becometh diseased.
If man abandon the Name for any other occupation,
The whole of his false gilding shall fall off.
He who loveth not heartily the Name,
Shall go to hell even though he perform millions of ceremonies.
He who remembereth not God’s name in his heart,
Shall be bound like a thief in the realm of Death.
There might be hundreds of thousands of displays and great profusion,
Yet without the Name they would all be vain ostentation.[ p. 166 ]
That man repeateth God’s name To whom, O Nanak, He mercifully granteth it.
What God the Friend does for man :—
My soul longeth for that Friend,
Who forsaketh me not at the beginning, middle, or sad of my undertakings.
God’s love ever accompanieth us ;
He is the Compassionate and omnipresent Cherisher.
He perisheth not, neither doth He abandon His servant.
Wherever I gaze, there is He contained.
He is beautiful, skilful, clever, the Giver of life ;
He is brother, son. father, and mother ;
He is the support of my life and soul; He is my capital.
Dwelling in my heart He hath made me love Him.
He hath cut off mammon’s chains,
And, beholding me with a favourable eye, made me His own.
By ever remembering God all diseases are healed,
And by meditating on His feet all happiness enjoyed.
The all-pervading Being is ever fresh and youthful ;
He is the companion and protector of man whether at home or abroad.
Saith Nanak, the saint who knoweth God’s dignity
Hath obtained from Him the Name for all his wealth.
The man who knows not God passes his life in pleasures, worldly love, and pride, and cannot obtain salvation :—
Through pleasures, social gatherings, and the gratification of evil passions, man, blind that he is, knoweth not God.
His whole life passeth away saying, ‘I hoard, I earn ;
I am a hero, I am distinguished ; no one is equal to me ;
I am young, religious, of good family ’; thus pride entereth his heart,
And he forgetteth it not until death, so entangled is he in his boastful [30] intellect.[ p. 167 ]
He resigneth his wealth to his brothers, friends, kinsmen, and companions who survive him.
The desire to which the mind is attached becometh supreme at the last hour.
If man perform purifications through pride, he becometh bound by such entanglements.
O merciful God, show mercy that Nanak may become the slave of Thy slaves.
Man should consider howto obtain God’s favours :—
Hear, my companions, let us join and make efforts to please God the Bridegroom ;
Through the saint’s spell let us abandon pride and through the philtre of devotion fascinate our Spouse.
O my companions, once He cometh into our power, He will not again forsake us ; this isa good custom of the Lord.
Nanak, God will make us pure and dispel the fear of old age, death and hell.
Hear, my companions, this is a good course; let us adopt it.
Having withdrawn from worldly cares let us sing God’s praises with composure and devotion.
Our troubles and difficulties shall depart, our doubts be dispelled, and we shall obtain the reward our hearts desire.
Nanak, let us meditate on the name of the supreme and omnipresent God.
O my companions, I have ever desired to devote myself to God; may He grant my desires!
Having renounced the world I thirst for a sight of His feet ; I look for them everywhere.
To find the omnipresent Being I will trace His tracks in the company of the saints.
Nanak, the holy men who have found the Giver of comfort are very fortunate.
O my companions, I now dwell with my beloved Spawe; and my soul and body have become attached to Him.
Hear me, O my companions, I sleep well since I have found my Beloved.[ p. 168 ]
I have lost my doubts, I have obtained peace and rest ; the Lord hath appeared unto me, and the lotus of my heart hath blossomed.
I have found my Husband, the Lord, the Searcher of hearts; O Nanak, my married state shall never cease.
Without the interposition of the Guru. ↩︎
Called Har in Guru Nanak’s Zwelve ALonths. ↩︎
They give no previous intimation of their visit. ↩︎
That is, in the human body. In his Sanskrit Dictionary Apte translates karm bhumi, this world, a place of probation. ↩︎
Sail, a rock or a mountain. ↩︎
There is a Panjabi proverb—Sach mirchan, jhuth gur; pir paisa,
rann gur, Truth is pepper, falsehood sugar, money is the spiritual guide, and woman the master. ↩︎
Men are captured by mammon. ↩︎
To admit of his emancipation. ↩︎
These two lines are also translated—
Only go to that association of the saints in which nothing is heard but God’s name;
It is obtained by good fortune. ↩︎
Ras kas—Kas is probably alliterative. Some suppose it to be a contraction of kasela, astringent, one of the six relishes of Indian cookery. ↩︎
Sleep towards God, regard Him not. ↩︎
Birani. Literally—another’s. ↩︎
Bhag. Literally—fortune, then the lustre of the face produced by good fortune—a Panjabi idiom. ↩︎
Suhdg. Literally—the married state. The meaning is, there can be no happiness without God. ↩︎
That is, from whom all power proceeds. ↩︎
Singari. Literally—decorated. ↩︎
Leading men astray and ruining them. ↩︎
They do not suffer from avarice or covetousness. ↩︎
The speaker is supposed to be a woman. ↩︎
Tasu, two fingers wide, or the twenty-fourth part of a yard. ↩︎
I have controlled my evil passions and subjugated them to the One Central Authority. ↩︎
Or— guard me in this blind well, that is, this world. ↩︎
Throughout all the Sikh writings this destiny of the Sikhs depends on the result of acts in previous states of existence. ↩︎
In this world. ↩︎
Sudhakhar. Also translated—the pure word, God’s name. ↩︎
That is, he accomplishes a great feat. ↩︎
Ban is understood to be for the Panjabi banh, binding. ↩︎
He is always bent on injuring others. ↩︎
The donkey, like the Indian cow, sheep, and other animals, is a foul feeder. He is used to remove filth in Indian towns. ↩︎
Badh ; some read bal, and translate—A man is entangled by his intellect from youth, and forgetteth not pride till his death, ↩︎