The object of the following composition is to instruct man to remember God at all seasons :—
RAMKALI
SLOK I
O man, salute God the Supreme Being, and desire the dust of His saints’ feet.
Nanak, dispel pride, repeat the name of God who is omnipresent.
He is the remover of sin, the dispeller of fear, an ocean of happiness.
Nanak, ever meditate on Him, the Compassionate to the poor, the Destroyer of sorrow.
CHHANT
O fortunate beings, sing God’s praises, and God will be merciful unto you.
Delightful the season, the month, the hour, and the time when you repeat God’s name.
Blessed are they who imbued with love for God with single mind meditate on His attributes.
Profitable are the lives of those who have found Him.
Good acts, alms, and religious ceremonies are not equal to God’s name which removeth all sin.
Nanak representeth, I live by remembering Him who is free from transmigration.
SLOK II
Strive to attain the Inaccessible and Inapprehensible, and bow to His lotus feet.
Saith Nanak, mention of Thee by those whose support is the Name, will be pleasing to Thee.
O my friends, seek the protection of the saints and remember the eternal God. ,
Nanak, by repeating God’s name you shall become green from being withered.
[ p. 408 ]
CHHANT
Excellent is the season of spring ; Chet and Baisakh are pleasant months.
Having obtained God as my Spouse, my soul, body, and life bloom afresh.
O my companions, when the lotus feet of the immovable Spouse enter my house, I rejoice and am happy and glad.
He is beautiful, clever, and wise, a Recognizer of merit and inestimable.
I have obtained Him by great good fortune, dispelled my sorrow, and fulfilled my desires.
Nanak representeth, by seeking Thy protection my fear of Death is dispelled.
SLOK III
Nanak had been bound in the soft[1] fetters of the record of his previous acts.
Without the company of saints he killed himself wandering and doing various religious acts, but now he is released.
God blendeth with Himself those who please Him ; it is He who also separateth man from Him.
Nanak, I have fallen under the protection of God whose glory is great.
CHHANT
Jeth and Har form the hot season when the heat is intensely severe.
God looketh not on the woman who is separated from His love.
She is ruined by great pride; she beholdeth Him not, and dieth in agony.
Attached to mammon she is displeased with God, and gaspeth like a fish out of water.
Death shall punish her for her sins, and she shall dread the transmigration which awaiteth her.
Nanak prayeth—preserve me in Thine asylum, O Thou who fulfillest desires.
[ p. 409 ]
SLOK IV
My love is attached to my Beloved ; I cannot abide for an instant without Him.
Nanak, He of His kind disposition filleth my soul and body.
He who was my friend at many births hath taken me by the hand.
God with hearty love hath made Nanak the slave of His feet.
CHHANT
The rainy season in Sawan and Bhadon bestoweth comfort and joy.
The lowering clouds rain, and sea and land are filled with honey.[2]
God pervadeth every place, and His name, which is the nine treasures, filleth my heart.
By remembering the Lord, the Searcher of hearts, whole families are saved.
They who are awake in the love of the Beloved shall never be shamed; the Merciful One will ever pardon them.
Nanak representeth, I have obtained God as my Spouse who ever pleaseth my soul.
SLOK V
Thirsty with desire I wander thinking when I shall behold God.
O Nanak, is there any friendly holy man who will bring me to meet Him ?
Without meeting Him I have no rest ; I cannot abide for a moment.
Nanak, by entering the sanctuary of God’s saints my desires shall be fulfilled.
CHHANT
In Assu and Kartik, the cool season, I thirst for God and make preparation to meet Him.
Searching for a sight of Him I wander thinking when I shall meet the Lord of excellences. [ p. 410 ]
I have no happiness without my Beloved Spouse; my necklaces and bracelets are all hateful to me.
However beautiful, clever, accomplished, and wise I may be, my body is as if it had not breath in it.
My soul thirsteth to meet God, I look here and there and in every direction for Him.
Nanak prayeth, O God Lord of excellences, mercifully unite me with Thee.
SLOK VI
Nanak, since I have met the all-pervading God, my doubt as to whether I am separated from God or not hath been removed.
My heart-burning hath been slaked, comfort hath ensued, and I have peace of soul and body.
God sent holy men with this message—‘I am not far from thee.’
Nanak, by repeating the Name of the all-pervading God, my doubts and fears have been dispelled.
CHHANT
In Maghar and Poh, the snowy season, God appeareth to me and I am refreshed.
I have obtained a sight of God, my heart-burning hath been slaked, and deceitful mammon put to flight.
All my desires have been fulfilled ; I have met God face to face, and as a worshipper have worshipped His feet.
Singing the praises of the Unseen and Inscrutable is my necklace, my hair-strings, my decorations, and all my delight.
Death cannot look at those who desire the love and service of God.
Nanak representeth, God hath blended me with Himself, and my love shall not now be sundered from Him.
SLOK VII
When a happy wife hath obtained the wealth of God’s name, her mind never wavereth.
Nanak, by association with the saints God the Friend appeareth in the heart. [ p. 411 ]
Woman enjoyeth millions of songs, joys, and pleasures with the dear Beloved.
By repeating God’s name, O Nanak, man obtaineth the fruit his heart desireth.
CHHANT
Magh and Phagun, the autumnal season, are pleasing to the heart and full of excellence.
O my friends and companions, sing a song of rejoicing, God my Husband hath come home.
My Jewel hath come home, my heart meditateth on Him, and my couch is beautiful and bright.
The woods and glades become green ;[3] on beholding the scene I am entranced.
By repeating the pure spell in my heart I have met the Lord, and my desires have been fulfilled.
Nanak representeth, I have met my Spouse, God the Bearer of prosperity ; and shall now be ever engaged in dalliance.
SLOK VIII
The saints are succourers of the soul and pilots across the terrible ocean :
Nanak, know them for the most exalted of all, for they love God’s name.
They who know God have crossed over ; they are brave, they are heroes.
Nanak is a sacrifice to those who by repeating God’s name have reached the shore.
CHHANT
The saints’ feet preside over all; by means of them all troubles are erased ;
They dispel the pain of transmigration and cause devotion to God to enter the heart ;
They are imbued with God’s love and intoxicated with divine knowledge: I forget them not for a moment.
He who renounceth pride and falleth under the protection [ p. 412 ] of their feet, shall obtain all favours from the Lord of the world.
I salute God, Gobind, the Ocean of excellence, Srirang[4] the Primal Lord.
Nanak supplicateth—do Thou, O God, who art the same in every age have mercy on me.
RAMKALI KI WAR II
A Sikh called Mahila asked the Guru if saints could free men from the fear of transmigration and unite them with God. The following was the Guru’s reply :—
As I have heard of the true Guru, so have I found him.
He is the mediator at God’s court and uniteth with God those who have been separated from Him.
He maketh fast the spell of God’s name in the disciples’ heart, and healeth the malady of pride.
Nanak, God caused those so destined from the beginning to meet the true Guru.
By propitiating God everything is obtained :—
If the one God be my friend, all will be my friends ; if the one God be my enemy every one will quarrel with me.
The true Guru hath shown me that without the Name all is vanity.
The infidel and the evil who are attached to the pleasures of the world shall suffer transmigration.
Nanak, by the favour of the true Guru I have recognized the Lord God.
The perverse :—
Friendship with the perverse is an alliance with mammon :
While we look on, it fleeth away, and findeth nothing to arrest it.
While the perverse have raiment and food they cling to us ; The day they get nothing they utter abuse.
The perverse and those in the darkness of ignorance know not the state of the soul. [ p. 413 ]
A false joining will not last; it is like a broken stone cemented with mud. |
The blind know not themselves ; they suffer in the midst of false occupations.
Involved in false worldly love they pass their days in pride.
God bestoweth His full favour on those to whom He extendeth His mercy from the first.
Nanak, they who seek the shelter of the true Guru are saved.
The Guru prays for a holy life :—
Be merciful, O my God, that I may pass my life with the saints !
They who forget Thee are born and die; their sorrows are never at an end.
O man, where the way is difficult, nay, everywhere remember the True Guru in thy heart.
By repeating God’s name no one shall obstruct thy path.
It is only the saints who can influence God :—
Thou, O Lord, comest not into man’s power even by abundant supplication ;
Thou comest not into man’s power even by reading the Veds ;
Thou comest not into man’s power by bathing at places of pilgrimage ;
Thou comest not into man’s power by running over the earth : |
Thou comest not into man’s power by any artifice ;
Thou comest not into man’s power by giving copious alms.
Every one is in Thy power, O Inaccessible and Inapprehensible.
Thou art in the power of the saints; Thou art their strength.
When the feet, head, mouth and soul are beautiful :—
The feet are beautiful which move towards Thee, O Lord ; the head is beautiful which boweth to Thy feet ; [ p. 414 ]
The mouth is beautiful when it singeth Thy praises ; and the soul when it entereth Thy protection.
God’s praises :—
Thou, O God, art great; greatly unrivalled is Thy dignity ;
Various are Thy manifestations; Thine acts cannot b known. |
Thy life is within animals ; Thou knowest everything ;
Everything is in Thy power; Thy palace is beautiful ;
It is filled with joy and gratulation.
Without pride thou bearest honour, greatness, and splendour.
Thou art filled with all potencies ; Thou appearest everywhere.
Nanak, Thy slave of slaves maketh supplication before Thee.
The Guru’s devotion to God :—
I am a sacrifice unto Thee, O great God.
Of me who am without merits Thou art.the perfect benefactor; Thou art the compassionate Lord of the poor.
Standing or sitting, sleeping or waking, O man, deem God thy soul, thy life, thy wealth, and thy property.
The thirst for a sight of Thee, O God, is great in my heart ; Nanak prayeth—make me happy by a sight of Thee.
MARU
Instances of the success of devotion :—
The boy Dhru at the age of five years was helpless, but by remembering God he became fixed and immortal.
Ajamal through love for his son called upon Narayan, whereupon the good angels smote the myrmidons of Death.
What numberless persons my Lord saved !
I am poor, of little intellect, without virtue ; I fall at Thy door for protection.
The pariah[5] Balmik was saved, so was the wretched huntsman [6]; [ p. 415 ]
The elephant which remembered God even for a moment was saved.[7]
God preserved His servant Prahlad, and Narsinh tore Harnakhas with his nails.
Bidur, son of a handmaiden, became pure and his whole family illustrious.
What sins of mine can I confess ? I have been absorbed in the false love of the world.
Nanak hath come to God’s sanctuary and giclter; O Lord, stretch out Thine arm, and take me to Thee.
By devotion man obtains salvation during life :—
When my fate was favourable and God was merciful, I sang His praises.
My toil hath ended, I have obtained rest, and all my wandering is at an end.
Now I have obtained the dignity of real life.
I have remembered God in my heart under the protection of the saints.
I have banished lust, wrath, avarice, and worldly love ; these enemies all have I banished.
Ever the Almighty is present to view; nowhere is He distant.
I have obtained happiness and rest; all my desires have been fulfilled by the assistance of the saints.
God in a moment hath purified the sinner ; God’s praise cannot be expressed.
I have become fearless, all fear hath departed; I have taken the shelter of God’s feet.
Nanak singeth God’s praises and fixeth his attention on Him night and day.
True religion is not found among Hindu sectaries :—
The Pandit shouteth aloud the Veds, but his heart is slow to good works. [ p. 416 ]
The silent devotee sitteth apart, but the knots of desire are in his heart.
The anchoret abandoneth his home, but he is not saved by flight.
To whom shall I tell the state of my heart ?
Where shall I find him who is saved himself and who will bring me to meet God ?
The penitent chasteneth his body, but his thoughts wander in every direction.
The Brahmachari practiseth continence, but there is pride in his heart.
The Sanyasi wandereth in pilgrimages and while there quarrelleth with strangers.[8]
The Ramdasis [9] in their efforts to get bread put on tinkling anklets, and dance before idols.
Men fast, perform their daily religious duties, and the six acts for the purpose of ostentation.
With their mouths they chant sacred songs and hymns, but they sing not heartily God’s praises.
God’s saints are pure and free from Joy, sorrow, Covetousness, and worldly love.
If God be merciful, my soul shall obtain the dust of the saints’ feet.
Saith Nanak, when I meet the true Guru my anxiety shall depart.
My Lord God is the Searcher of hearts.
The Beloved knoweth all the secrets of my heart, so I have forgotten all my idle prayers.
MARVU ANJULI
A homily addressed to a Muhammadan :—
At night all animals congregate under a tree.[10]
Some speak hotly and others gently to one another.
When the sun riseth they depart, as when their lives have come to an end.
They who commit sin shall assuredly be ruined. [ p. 417 ]
Azrail will seize and torture them.
When the Book-keeper[11] calleth for their accounts, the Creator will consign them to hell.
No brother or sister will accompany them.
They shall depart, leaving their property, their youth, and their wealth.
They know not the benevolent Creator, so they shall be pressed like bundles of sesame.
Thou mayest rob others of their property ;
But God who is with thee, O man, seeth and heareth thee.
Through worldly greed thou fallest into a pit, and knowest not the future.
For this reason thou shalt be born and die, and be born again,
And suffer much punishment in a distant country.[12]
Mortal, blind that he is, knoweth not who made him; wherefore he shall suffer misery.
Man straying from his Maker is ruined.
The play of the world is evil; man is sometimes sad and sometimes glad.
He practiseth not truth or patience; he goeth not to the saints, but wandereth as it pleaseth him.
God Himself performeth the whole play ;
One man He extricateth and another He sinketh in the wave.
As God causeth man to dance so he danceth.
Every one passeth his life according to his past acts recorded on his forehead.
If the Master be merciful, man shall meditate on Him.
If man associate with the saints, he shall not fall into hell.
O Lord, grant the gift of Thine ambrosial name to Nanak, and he shall ever sing the song of Thy praises.
MARU KI WAR II
The Guru’s devotion to God and his longing to behold Him :—
If Thou but say the Word, O my Friend, I will cut off my head and give it Thee. [ p. 418 ]
Mine eyes long to behold Thee.
My Love is with Thee; I see that all other love is false.
I shudder at clothes and food until I behold the Beloved.
O my Spouse, I arise at dawn to behold Thee.
Collyrium, garlands, betel, and dainties are all as ashes without a sight of Thee, O God.
Love and longing for God :—
If Thou, O God, be my friend, separate not Thyself from me for a moment.
Thou hast fascinated my soul; when, O my life, shall I behold Thee ?
The house into which the Bridegroom comes is happy and imparts happiness to others :—
If Thou enter my courtyard, the whole land shall become beautiful.
When I am without my Spouse, the One God, nobody careth for me.
Everything shall be beautiful if the Bridegroom come and make my courtyard His own ;[13]
Then the wayfarer who cometh to my house shall never depart empty.[14]
Against adultery :—
What shall I say to thee, O blockhead? look not on another’s vines[15]; art thou their master ?
Nanak, the whole world is blooming like a garden of flowers.[16]
In this world take care how thou travellest :-—
Walk along the footpath; there is thick slush on the ground.
Take care lest thy feet slip and thou be splashed.
[ p. 419 ]
Men rely on unrealities and are disappointed :—
Thinking what is false and transitory to be real, thou runnest before others to seize it ;
But Nanak, it shall melt away like butter in the fire and fade like the water-lily.
The Guru stimulates his soul to piety :—
O foolish soul, thou art lazy in God’s service ;
A long time shall elapse before this opportunity shall return.
Man acts heedlessly, but the Guru can guide him :—
Thy thatch is of thick grass, yet, O careless man, thou lightest fire in it.
They who are so fated, shall obtain shelter in the teacher.[17]
Man’s worldly efforts will not secure salvation. The following couplet has in view the practice of offering huge cakes at the shrine of Sakhi Sarwar. The priests read the darud,[18] receive the offered cakes, break off small pieces for the pilgrims, and keep the solid remainder for themselves. The feast then begins. Where there is no priest the davud is not read :—
Nanak, men grind corn, cook, prepare, and set the bread before them ;
But without the true Guru they must sit and watch without eating until the darud is read.[19]
The following is repeated by Sikhs as a grace before meals :—
Nanak, they who propitiate the Guru
Cook loaves, put them on the dish, and eat to satiety.
Shrink not from efforts for salvation :—
Turn thine attention to the next world; turn not thy face backward. [ p. 420 ]
Nanak, make thyself now acceptable, and thou shalt not be born again.
God is the Friend who pleases all :—
My merry Friend is every one’s friend ; All think Him their own; He maketh no heart sad.
They to whom the Guru once looked up, before his installation, now look up to him :—
They whom I followed are now following me ; They on whom I rested my hopes now rest their hopes on me.
The Guru desires to sacrifice himself as a wife for her beloved Spouse :—
May I become a couch for my Beloved, and my eyes its coverlet.[20]
If He look on me but once I shall obtain happiness beyond all price.
May I become a throne also for my Beloved King.
If He put His foot on me, I shall bloom like the lotus.
The Guru is the only regenerator :—
God who is unseen and not subject to destiny, is not obtained by devices of wisdom.
God is not found in the six Hindu systems, nor in roaming and wandering, nor in wearing religious garbs.
They who fast until they see the moon [21] are of no account.
Though they read the whole of the Veds, they understand not God the real thing.
They draw marks on their foreheads, make ablutions, but within them is blackness.
He who weareth a religious garb findeth not God without true instruction. [ p. 421 ]
He who is led astray can only find the road if favourable destiny had been written on his forehead at first.
It is only he who beholdeth the Guru with his eyes whose life is regenerated.
Rise betimes and remember God :—
Rising at dawn repeat God’s name, and meditate on the Guru’s feet.
The filth of birth and death shall depart by singing the true One’s praises.
Without the Name the body is altogether blind and empty.
Nanak, his human birth is profitable in hose heart the true Master dwelleth.
Select good companions :—
Nanak, break with the false = seek for the saints who are true friends.
The former will leave thee while alive; the latter will not forsake thee even when dead.
TUKHARI CHHANT
Devotion to God and the Guru :—
I am a sacrifice to the darling Guru; I have given my soul unto him.[22]
Hearing his words my soul is happy.
My soul attached to God’s love is happy as the fish in water.
Thy worth, O God, cannot be described ; Thy palace is unrivalled.
O Lord, Bestower of all merits, hear the supplication of one poor man.
Grant a sight of Thee to Nanak; he is a sacrifice unto Thee ; he hath sacrificed his life unto Thee.
BHAIRO
The following prayer is uttered by pious Sikhs on awaking in the morning :—
I am happy when rising ; I am happy when sitting.
I feel no fear when I know [ p. 422 ]
That the one Lord, who is the Searcher
Of all hearts, is my Protector.
I sleep without anxiety and awake without anxiety. O God, Thou art everywhere contained.
Nanak, since the Guru fixed his spell in my heart,
I abide happy at home, and find peace abroad.
The following was written on a theme of Kabir:—
I practise not fasting, nor observe the Ramzan: [23]
I serve Him who will preserve me at the last hour.
The one Lord of the earth is my God,
Who judgeth both Hindus and Musalmans.[24]
I go not on a pilgrimage to Makka, nor worship at Hindu places of pilgrimages.
I serve the one God and none other.
I neither worship as the Hindus, nor pray as the Musalmans.
I take the Formless God into my heart, and there make obeisance unto Him.
I am neither a Hindu nor a Musalman.[25]
The soul and body belong to God whether He be called Allah or Ram.
Kabir hath delivered this lecture.
When I meet a true guru or pir, I recognize my own Master.
Piety and worldly pride contrasted :—
Excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent is Thy name !
False, false, false, false is worldly pride!
True are Thy servants who have obtained a sight of Thee the incomparable One.
Without Thy name the whole world is ashes.
Wondrous is Thy might; I praise Thy feet.
We are enriched by uttering Thy praises, O true King. [ p. 423 ]
Thou art, O God, the support and shelter of those who have no support.
Cherisher of the poor, I meditate on Thee day and night.
The Lord Himself is kind to Nanak.
May my heart not forget Him who is my life and soul !
Miscellaneous instruction :—
God the Creator of all things is fascinating, formless, the Giver of happiness.
Who is so intoxicated with the juice of sin that he can leave such a God and worship elsewhere ?
O my soul, worship God.
I have seen all other devices ; by attending to them man’s work is marred.
The perverse, blind, and spiritually ignorant leave God and worship a goddess who is His handmaiden.
Being without the Guru and like unto beasts, they slander those who worship God.
The soul, body, and wealth are all God’s; the apostates say that they are their own.
They are proud, their understanding is evil and filthy ; without the Guru they must again wander in the terrible ocean of the world.
God is not found by penances, burnt offerings, or by visiting the banks of rivers.
By effacing himself and seeking the Guru’s protection, Nanak crosseth over the world.
All animals are led astray by their senses :—
The disease of pride hath impoverished man ;
The disease of lust subdueth the elephant ;
Through disease of the eye the moth is burned to ashes ;
Through disease of the ear the deer is ruined :
Every one we see hath his own special disease.
It is only my true Guru united with God who is free therefrom.
Through disease of the palate the fish is caught ;
Through disease of the nose the bumble-bee dieth ;
The whole world is the prey of disease— [ p. 424 ]
Entangled in the disease of worldly love and sin.
Through disease man dieth and through disease is he born.
Through disease the soul wandereth in wombs again and again.
Man cannot free himself from the toils of disease even for a moment :
Without the true Guru disease never forsaketh him.
When God is merciful to any one,
He taketh his arm and freeth him from disease.
The fetters of him who hath obtained the association of the saints burst ;:
Saith Nanak, the Guru hath cured his disease.
Man is slow to good and swift to evil :—
Man is not slow to devise evil,
Or ashamed to have intercourse with a prostitute.
All day man laboureth ;
But, when it is time to remember God, he feeleth as if adamant had fallen on his head.
Attached to mammon the world is led astray,
Thy Creator never entereth thy mind, O man.
Toiling and moiling in vain sufferest thou hardship ;
Yet thy worldly business is never completed.
Thy heart is absorbed in lust, wrath, and covetousness,
And thou shalt die gasping like a fish out of water.
He who is preserved by God Himself
Ever repeateth His name.
Nanak, he who hath found the true Guru,
Singeth God’s praises in the company of the saints.
How happiness is obtained :—
There is no happiness in the acquisition of great wealth,
There is no happiness in beholding the performances of acrobats,
There is no happiness in conquering many countries—
All happiness is obtained by singing God’s praises.
Some of God’s attributes :—
God the Cherisher is merciful ; who can count His merits ? [ p. 425 ]
He hath many forms and manifestations ; He is the Lord of all.
With Him are varied knowledge, varied meditation, varied devotion and penance.
Various are His merits, His voices, and His sports ; various holy men keep Him in their hearts.
Near Him various voices and various instruments continually sound ; He hath various relishes : various sins and maladies are removed by hearing His praises.
Nanak, serve the unequalled God through whom all the advantages of sacred rivers, of the six schools, of fasting, worship, and of wandering in pilgrimages are obtained.
BASANT
The attributes of the holy :—
It is he who associateth with the saints who is the real penitent ;
It is he who loveth the Guru who constantly meditateth on God ;
It is he who hath obtained the fear of God who is without fear ;
It is he whose doubts depart who is happy ;
It is he whose heart is fixed who is a hermit ;
It is he who hath found the true place who is permanent.
The season of spring, which is an emblem of our transitory life, is also the time for a new access of devotion :—
Our hearts bloom on beholding the flowers of shring, but these quickly fade.
Remembering this let us completely abandon pride,
And become absorbed in God’s lotus feet.
Ye fortunate, come to God.
Think upon God, O my soul,
On the margin of the stream there are very many sweetsmelling trees,
Yet some one shrub is withered there ; [26] [ p. 426 ]
But since the season of spring hath come,
It now blossometh luxuriantly.
The Kal age hath now arrived ;
Freely plant the one Name.
It is not at all the season for other planting :
Never wander astray in error.
He on whose forehead such destiny hath been written, Shall obtain God on meeting the Guru.
O my soul, this is the season of the Name.
Nanak uttereth God’s praises—Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!
Injunctions to the Guru’s Sikhs :—
Join and unite together, my brethren, lay aside differences, love one another.
Associate yourselves with God’s name, O holy men; spread your mat and sit on it.
In this way, my friends, throw your dice.[27]
O holy men, repeat God’s name day and night, and at the last hour you shall not suffer.
Make the practice of religion your board, and truth your pieces.
Conquer lust, wrath, covetousness, and worldly love ; such a game is pleasing to God.
Rise at dawn, perform your ablutions, then and at bedtime worship God.
My true Guru shall cause you to win the critical throw, and you shall go home with happiness and comfort.
God Himself playeth ; God Himself looketh on ; He Himself made what is made.
Nanak, the man who playeth under the Guru’s instruction shall win the game and go home happy.
God’s praises :—
Only Thou, O Lord, knowest Thy power; none beside knoweth it.
He to whom my beloved Guru showeth mercy, recognizeth nee. [ p. 427 ]
I am a sacrifice to Thy worshippers.
Thy place, O God, is ever beautiful; Thy play is unequalled.
Thy service can be performed by Thyself and none other.
It is only he who pleaseth Thee, and whom Thou lovest who is Thy worshipper.
Thou art the great Giver; Thou art the great Sage: there is none equal to Thee.
Thou art omnipotent ; O my Lord, how know I how to worship Thee ?
Thy palace is invisible, O my Dear One; it is difficult to obey Thy will.
Saith Nanak, I have fallen at Thy door ; protect me who am stupid and ignorant.
SARANG
The servant’s dependence on his Master :—
Every one remembereth his master.
Whoever is a servant goeth to his master
To tell him his sorrow, to tell him his joy, to tell him his Seale :
It is from him he getteth honour, from him strength, from him advantage.
Some rely upon empire, youth, wealth, and possessions ; others upon fathers and mothers.
Instead of all these Nanak hath had the Guru; and all his hopes have been fulfilled.
The Guru has found happiness in God’s asylum :—
O God, I have come to Thine asylum.
The anxiety of my mind hath departed since I obtained a sight of Thee.
Though I spoke not, Thou hast known my state, and caused me to utter Thy name.
By uttering Thy praises my misery hath fled; I am filled with happiness and peace, and altogether delighted.
Taking mine arm, Thou hast brought me forth from the blind well and abode of mammon. [ p. 428 ]
saith Nanak, the Guru hath cut off my entanglements, and, though I was separated from God, hath brought me to Him.
Thanksgiving to God :—
O God, how friendless and helpless am I!
From what humble beginning didst Thou make me man by Thy power !
Giver of life and soul to all creatures, Thou art unequalled ; Thy merits cannot be described.
Thou art the Beloved of all, the Cherisher of all, the Support of all hearts.
No one knoweth Thy state or condition; from Thyself alone hast Thou made the extension of the world.
Nanak prayeth—seat me on the boat of the holy man, and I shall cross over the dangerous ocean.
KANRA
Exhortation to devotion :—
Come my friends and saints,
Sing God’s praises with joy and pleasure, and your sins shall be erased and put aside.
Lay the feet of the saints on your foreheads, and there shall be light in your dark abodes.
By the favour of the saints the lotus of the heart bloometh ; repeat God’s name and behold Him near you.
Nanak is a sacrifice to the time when, by God’s mercy, he found the saint.
PRABHATI ASHTAPADI
A satire on certain forms of Hindu worship :—
The mind containeth great wrath and pride.
Men worship and make great display ;
They perform ablutions, and make the marks of quoits[28] on their bodies ;
Yet the filth of their hearts never departeth.
No one hath found God in that way.
Men impress Vishnu’s marks on their bodies, yet their minds are fascinated by mammon. [ p. 429 ]
They commit sin and are in the power of the five evil passions.
They bathe at places of pilgrimage, and say that all their sins have vanished,
Yet they again fearlessly commit them.
The ministers of Death will bind and take them away to his city.
They put on tinkling anklets and play cymbals,
While in their hearts there is deception, and they wander like demons.
A serpent is not killed by beating his lair.
God who made men knoweth all things. |
They perform fire-penance, and wear ochre-coloured garments ;
Smitten by some calamity [29] they run away from home,
Leave their country and wander abroad,
Taking the five deadly sins with them.
They have their ears torn and steal morsels ¢o live on ;
They beg from house to house and fail to be satisfied ;
They leave their own wives, and ogle the wives of others ;
They find no home and are very miserable ;
They make vows of silence, and speak not ;
In their hearts are worldly desires and they wander in births ;
Abstaining from corn their bodies undergo pain.
They understand not God’s order, but are filled with pride.
Without a true guru no one hath obtained the supreme state—
Inquire of all the Veds and the Simritis.
The perverse perform useless works,
Which, like a house of sand, have no stability.
They to whom the merciful God is pleasing,
Knot the Guru’s word in their garments.
Among millions only a few saints are seen :
Nanak, man is saved in their company.
He who is lucky obtaineth a sight of them ;
He is saved himself and saveth all his family.
Man immersed in worldly pleasures does not feel his fetters. ↩︎
That is, water. ↩︎
Autumn has become spring for the Guru. ↩︎
This name in the Granth Sahib obviously means God. ↩︎
Supchar. Literally—one who cooks and eats dogs. ↩︎
Who accidentally shot Krishan. ↩︎
It is stated in the Bhagat Mal that a shark caught an elephant’s leg and was dragging him into deep water. The elephant thought of God, at the same time lifted a lotus flower with his trunk as an obsring, and was sayed. ↩︎
By holding religious discussions with them, or telling them they are not so good as he. ↩︎
Dancers at Hindu temples. ↩︎
The world. ↩︎
The god of death. ↩︎
Thy way hereafter shall be tedious and arduous. ↩︎
Literally—take possession of my courtyard and sit in it. ↩︎
The holy men who visit me shall always take away God’s name. ↩︎
Others’ wives. ↩︎
The garden of beauty is large, and there are many women to select from without poaching on neighbours’ property. The Guru also possibly meant that men and women ought to select their own mates. ↩︎
That is, the Guru. ↩︎
The first chapter of the Quran, here means the Muhammadan benediction. ↩︎
They shall wait for ever. Men make worldly efforts but they are ineffectual without the Guru. ↩︎
That is, let me give God a place in my eyes. ↩︎
Some fast on the day when no moon is visible. On the first day of the moon they eat a mouthful, on the second day two mouthfuls, and so on to the day of the full moon. The mouthfuls then decrease in the ratio of their previous increase. ↩︎
Also translateda—O Darling God, I am a sacrifice to Thee whom the Guru hath implanted in my heart. ↩︎
The lunar month of the Muhammadan fast. ↩︎
Also translated—I have renounced both the Hindus and the Muhammadans. ↩︎
This line is very important in reference to recent controversies as to whether the Sikhs are Hindus. ↩︎
There is one man in the society of the saints not perfect in his faith. These two verses are also translated—Soft trees yield abundant odour. Others remain like dry firewood. That is, the tender-hearted receive full benefit from the Guru’s instruction, while the hard-hearted reject it. ↩︎
The reference is to the Indian game of chaupar. ↩︎
The quoit is one of the emblems of Vishnu, with which his worshippers are frequently branded. ↩︎
Disinclination to labour is a frequent cause of embracing the life of a faqir. ↩︎