Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Ang 227
ਹਉਮੈ ਬੰਧਨ ਬੰਧਿ ਭਵਾਵੈ ॥
Ego ties a person in bonds, and makes him wander in cycles of birth and death.
ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵੈ ॥੮॥੧੩॥
O’ Nanak, peace is attained through devotional worship of God. ||8|| 13||.
ਗਉੜੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Raag Gauree, First Guru:
ਪ੍ਰਥਮੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਕਾਲੈ ਘਰਿ ਆਇਆ ॥
First of all it was god Brahma who faced the spiritual death.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕਮਲੁ ਪਇਆਲਿ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
Brahma searched the nether regions but failed in his pursuit to find the limit of the Creator and faced spiritual degradation due to his ego.
ਆਗਿਆ ਨਹੀ ਲੀਨੀ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਇਆ ॥੧॥
He didn’t care for his Guru’s teachings and was strayed in the illusion of being the creator himself.
ਜੋ ਉਪਜੈ ਸੋ ਕਾਲਿ ਸੰਘਾਰਿਆ ॥
Whoever comes to the word, without meditation on Naam faces spiritual death.
ਹਮ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਖੇ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੀਚਾਰਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
God has protected me spiritually, as I contemplate the Guru’s word.
ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੇ ਦੇਵੀ ਸਭਿ ਦੇਵਾ ॥
All the gods and goddesses are enticed by Maya.
ਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਛੋਡੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ॥
The fear of death does not spare anyone without medication on Naam.
ਓਹੁ ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਅਲਖ ਅਭੇਵਾ ॥੨॥
God alone is immortal, infinite, and incomprehensible.
ਸੁਲਤਾਨ ਖਾਨ ਬਾਦਿਸਾਹ ਨਹੀ ਰਹਨਾ ॥
The sultans, the chiefs and the emperors shall not remain forever in this world.
ਨਾਮਹੁ ਭੂਲੈ ਜਮ ਕਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਸਹਨਾ ॥
Whoever forget God’s Name endures the pain of the fear of death.
ਮੈ ਧਰ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਿਉ ਰਾਖਹੁ ਰਹਨਾ ॥੩॥
My only Strength is Naam and I live as You keep me.
ਚਉਧਰੀ ਰਾਜੇ ਨਹੀ ਕਿਸੈ ਮੁਕਾਮੁ ॥
Neither the kings nor the leaders have a permanent abode here.
ਸਾਹ ਮਰਹਿ ਸੰਚਹਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਦਾਮ ॥
The bankers who just accumulate worldly wealth are spiritually dead, therefor, O’ God, grant me the wealth of Your Ambrosial Naam.
ਮੈ ਧਨੁ ਦੀਜੈ ਹਰਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ॥੪॥
The people, the rulers, the leaders and the chiefs, none of them shall be able to remain in the world forever.
ਰਯਤਿ ਮਹਰ ਮੁਕਦਮ ਸਿਕਦਾਰੈ ॥
The people, the rulers, the leaders and the chiefs, none of them shall be able to remain in the world forever.
ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਦਿਸੈ ਸੰਸਾਰੈ ॥
God alone is eternal.
ਅਫਰਿਉ ਕਾਲੁ ਕੂੜੁ ਸਿਰਿ ਮਾਰੈ ॥੫॥
One in love with Maya is repeatidly struck down by the inevitable death.
ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਏਕੁ ਸਚਾ ਸਚੁ ਸੋਈ ॥
God alone is eternal.
ਜਿਨਿ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਜੀ ਤਿਨਹਿ ਸਭ ਗੋਈ ॥
He, who has created and adorned this world will merge it back into Himself.
ਓਹੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਪੈ ਤਾਂ ਪਤਿ ਹੋਈ ॥੬॥
One who through the Guru realizes God is honored in His court.
ਕਾਜੀ ਸੇਖ ਭੇਖ ਫਕੀਰਾ ॥
Even those qazis, sheikhs and fakirs in religious robes (Islamic leaders), declare themselves as great but they all suffer in the pain of ego.
ਵਡੇ ਕਹਾਵਹਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਤਨਿ ਪੀਰਾ ॥
Without the support of the Guru’s word, day and night people are being cheated out of spiritual virtues.
ਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਛੋਡੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਧੀਰਾ ॥੭॥
Without the support of Naam blessed by the true Guru, spiritual death does not spare even them.
ਕਾਲੁ ਜਾਲੁ ਜਿਹਵਾ ਅਰੁ ਨੈਣੀ ॥
Maya lays its trap for spiritual death through the eyes, the tongue and ears when one sees something with evil intent, speaks ill and listen to slander of others.
ਕਾਨੀ ਕਾਲੁ ਸੁਣੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਬੈਣੀ ॥
Raag Gauree, First Guru:
ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਮੂਠੇ ਦਿਨੁ ਰੈਣੀ ॥੮॥
Without the support of the Guru’s word, day and night people are being cheated out of spiritual virtues.
ਹਿਰਦੈ ਸਾਚੁ ਵਸੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਇ ॥ ਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਜੋਹਿ ਸਕੈ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ॥
Fear of death cannot torment the one in whose heart dwells the Name of the eternal God and who sings His praises.
ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੯॥੧੪॥
O’ Nanak, following the Guru’s word, such a person merges in Naam.
ਗਉੜੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
The fear of death does not torment the one who remains attuned to God .
ਬੋਲਹਿ ਸਾਚੁ ਮਿਥਿਆ ਨਹੀ ਰਾਈ ॥
Those who always speak the truth without a tinge of falsehood.
ਚਾਲਹਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਰਜਾਈ ॥
Such Guru’s followers live according to God’s will.
ਰਹਹਿ ਅਤੀਤ ਸਚੇ ਸਰਣਾਈ ॥੧॥
While remaining detached (from worldly affairs), they always remain in the refuge of the eternal God.
ਸਚ ਘਰਿ ਬੈਸੈ ਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਜੋਹੈ ॥
The fear of death does not torment the one who remains attuned to God .
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਕਉ ਆਵਤ ਜਾਵਤ ਦੁਖੁ ਮੋਹੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
But an egocentric, because of love for Maya, keeps suffering in the cycles of birth and death.
ਅਪਿਉ ਪੀਅਉ ਅਕਥੁ ਕਥਿ ਰਹੀਐ ॥
Partake the ambrosial nectar of Naam and sing the praises of the indescribable God.
ਨਿਜ ਘਰਿ ਬੈਸਿ ਸਹਜ ਘਰੁ ਲਹੀਐ ॥
You shall find intuitive peace within your own heart.
ਹਰਿ ਰਸਿ ਮਾਤੇ ਇਹੁ ਸੁਖੁ ਕਹੀਐ ॥੨॥
Being engrossed in the elixir of God’s Name one can describe the experience this peace.
ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਚਾਲ ਨਿਹਚਲ ਨਹੀ ਡੋਲੈ ॥
The way of life based on the Guru’s teachings is so stable that the onslaught of Maya cannot shake it.
ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸਾਚਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਹਰਿ ਬੋਲੈ ॥
Following the Guru’s Teachings, one intuitively recites the Name of God.
ਪੀਵੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਤਤੁ ਵਿਰੋਲੈ ॥੩॥
He partakes the nectar of Naam and recognizes the essential reality.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਦੀਖਿਆ ਲੀਨੀ ॥
Beholding the true Guru one who receives his teachings, enshrines that teaching in his mind and surrenders himself to the Guru.
ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਅਰਪਿਓ ਅੰਤਰ ਗਤਿ ਕੀਨੀ ॥
He remains detached from Maya and always meditaties on God.
ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿ ਪਾਈ ਆਤਮੁ ਚੀਨੀ ॥੪॥
By recognized the self he understood the worth of salvation |4||
ਭੋਜਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਸਾਰੁ ॥
One who deems God’s Name as the essence of spiritual food.
ਪਰਮ ਹੰਸੁ ਸਚੁ ਜੋਤਿ ਅਪਾਰ ॥
He is immaculate, like a pedigreed swan because in his heart is the light of the infinite God.
ਜਹ ਦੇਖਉ ਤਹ ਏਕੰਕਾਰੁ ॥੫॥
Wherever he looks, there he beholds the one God.
ਰਹੈ ਨਿਰਾਲਮੁ ਏਕਾ ਸਚੁ ਕਰਣੀ ॥
He remains detached from Maya and always meditaties on God.
ਪਰਮ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਸੇਵਾ ਗੁਰ ਚਰਣੀ ॥
By humbly following the Guru’s teachings he attains supreme spiritual status.
ਮਨ ਤੇ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ਚੂਕੀ ਅਹੰ ਭ੍ਰਮਣੀ ॥੬॥
His mind gets convinced and his wandering motivated by ego ends.
ਇਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਕਉਣੁ ਕਉਣੁ ਨਹੀ ਤਾਰਿਆ ॥
By following this way of the Guru, who has not been saved?
ਹਰਿ ਜਸਿ ਸੰਤ ਭਗਤ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਿਆ ॥
God’s praise has always helped His saints and devotees to swim across the worldly ocean of vices.