Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Ang 346
ਹਉ ਬਨਜਾਰੋ ਰਾਮ ਕੋ ਸਹਜ ਕਰਉ ਬੵਾਪਾਰੁ ॥
I am a trader of God’s Name and I trade to make the profit of intuitive peace.
ਮੈ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਧਨੁ ਲਾਦਿਆ ਬਿਖੁ ਲਾਦੀ ਸੰਸਾਰਿ ॥੨॥
I have loaded the wealth of God's Name and rest of the world is carrying the load of Maya.
ਉਰਵਾਰ ਪਾਰ ਕੇ ਦਾਨੀਆ ਲਿਖਿ ਲੇਹੁ ਆਲ ਪਤਾਲੁ ॥
O’ the knower of the secrets of this and the next world, go ahead and write whatever you want to write about me (because you will not find anything wrong in my deeds).
ਮੋਹਿ ਜਮ ਡੰਡੁ ਨ ਲਾਗਈ ਤਜੀਲੇ ਸਰਬ ਜੰਜਾਲ ॥੩॥
I won’t bepunished by the demon of death, because I have renounced all sinful worldly entanglements.
ਜੈਸਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਕਸੁੰਭ ਕਾ ਤੈਸਾ ਇਹੁ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥
As is the fast fading color of the safflower, so is the world, but the love of my God is permanent like the dye from Madder plant, says cobbler Ravi Dass. ||4
ਮੇਰੇ ਰਮਈਏ ਰੰਗੁ ਮਜੀਠ ਕਾ ਕਹੁ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਚਮਾਰ ॥੪॥੧॥
Raag Gauree Poorbee, Ravi Daas Jee: One eternal God. Realized by the grace of the true Guru: Just as in a well full of water, the frogs do not know if there exists anything outside the well, similarly my mind, infatuated with Maya, has no idea about this world or the next world.
ਗਉੜੀ ਪੂਰਬੀ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਜੀਉ
Raag Gauree Poorbee, Ravi Daas Jee: One eternal God. Realized by the grace of the true Guru:
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Just as in a well full of water, the frogs do not know if there exists anything outside the well, similarly my mind, infatuated with Maya, has no idea about this world or the next world.
ਕੂਪੁ ਭਰਿਓ ਜੈਸੇ ਦਾਦਿਰਾ ਕਛੁ ਦੇਸੁ ਬਿਦੇਸੁ ਨ ਬੂਝ ॥
O’ the Master of all worlds, even for an instant please reveal to me Your blessed vision. ||1|| Pause||
ਐਸੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਬਿਮੋਹਿਆ ਕਛੁ ਆਰਾ ਪਾਰੁ ਨ ਸੂਝ ॥੧॥
O’ God, my intellect is polluted with vices and I cannot comprehend You.
ਸਗਲ ਭਵਨ ਕੇ ਨਾਇਕਾ ਇਕੁ ਛਿਨੁ ਦਰਸੁ ਦਿਖਾਇ ਜੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
O’God, show mercy and bless me with the right intellect so that my wandering may end.
ਮਲਿਨ ਭਈ ਮਤਿ ਮਾਧਵਾ ਤੇਰੀ ਗਤਿ ਲਖੀ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
O’ God, even great yogis cannot describe Your limitless virtues.
ਕਰਹੁ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਚੂਕਈ ਮੈ ਸੁਮਤਿ ਦੇਹੁ ਸਮਝਾਇ ॥੨॥
O’ the tanner Ravidas, sing the praises of the Master-God, so that you may be blessed with the gift of His devotional worship. ||3
ਜੋਗੀਸਰ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਨਹੀ ਤੁਅ ਗੁਣ ਕਥਨੁ ਅਪਾਰ ॥
Raag Gauree Bairagan: One eternal God. Realized by the grace of the true Guru:
ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈ ਕਾਰਣੈ ਕਹੁ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਚਮਾਰ ॥੩॥੧॥
Truthful living in sat-yug, sacrificial feasts in treta-yug and the worship of angelsin dwapar-yug were believed to be the means to attain salvation.
ਗਉੜੀ ਬੈਰਾਗਣਿ
In those three ages people held on to these three beliefs; but in kalyug, meditation on Naam is the only way to realize God.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
O’ pundit, amidst these rituals how would you swim across this world ocean?
ਸਤਜੁਗਿ ਸਤੁ ਤੇਤਾ ਜਗੀ ਦੁਆਪਰਿ ਪੂਜਾਚਾਰ ॥
Nobody has been able to explain and convince me by which the rounds of birth and death may end. ||1|| Pause||
ਤੀਨੌ ਜੁਗ ਤੀਨੌ ਦਿੜੇ ਕਲਿ ਕੇਵਲ ਨਾਮ ਅਧਾਰ ॥੧॥
These conducts of faith have been described in many different ways and the entire world seems to be practicing them.
ਪਾਰੁ ਕੈਸੇ ਪਾਇਬੋ ਰੇ ॥
What is that way by following which one may be liberated from the cycles of birth and death and attain the goal of life?
ਮੋ ਸਉ ਕੋਊ ਨ ਕਹੈ ਸਮਝਾਇ ॥
Doubts remain in the mind when the good and the evil deeds are distinguished by listening to the Vedas and the Puranas.
ਜਾ ਤੇ ਆਵਾ ਗਵਨੁ ਬਿਲਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Always a doubt remains in one’s mind concerning whether one is doing the right thing or not?
ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਧਰਮ ਨਿਰੂਪੀਐ ਕਰਤਾ ਦੀਸੈ ਸਭ ਲੋਇ ॥
One doesn’t know what deed can remove one’s arrogance.
ਕਵਨ ਕਰਮ ਤੇ ਛੂਟੀਐ ਜਿਹ ਸਾਧੇ ਸਭ ਸਿਧਿ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
When one bathes at the pilgrimage places, one washes the body only but the mind still remains full of evil thoughts.
ਕਰਮ ਅਕਰਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀਐ ਸੰਕਾ ਸੁਨਿ ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ॥
So how can one become pure? when the method of purification is like that of an elephant, covering himself with dust right after the bath!
ਸੰਸਾ ਸਦ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਬਸੈ ਕਉਨੁ ਹਿਰੈ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ॥੩॥
The entire world knows this fact that when the sun rises, the darkness of night is removed.
ਬਾਹਰੁ ਉਦਕਿ ਪਖਾਰੀਐ ਘਟ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਬਿਬਿਧਿ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥
It is believed that with the touch of the mythical philosopher's stone, copper is immediately transformed into gold.
ਸੁਧ ਕਵਨ ਪਰ ਹੋਇਬੋ ਸੁਚ ਕੁੰਚਰ ਬਿਧਿ ਬਿਉਹਾਰ ॥੪॥
According to the preordained destiny, if one meets with the Guru whose word is much superior than the touch of the mythical philosopher's stone, then an intense desire to meet God arises in the mind, the hard stone-like gates of the mind are opened and one realizes God in one’s mind itself.
ਰਵਿ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸ ਰਜਨੀ ਜਥਾ ਗਤਿ ਜਾਨਤ ਸਭ ਸੰਸਾਰ ॥
One who firmly enshrines the Guru’s teachings in the mind and meditates on Naam, all his doubts, worldly bonds and past sins are destroyed.
ਪਾਰਸ ਮਾਨੋ ਤਾਬੋ ਛੁਏ ਕਨਕ ਹੋਤ ਨਹੀ ਬਾਰ ॥੫॥
Restraining his mind that person enjoys bliss of union with God and he realizes that the tangible and the intangible God as one.
ਪਰਮ ਪਰਸ ਗੁਰੁ ਭੇਟੀਐ ਪੂਰਬ ਲਿਖਤ ਲਿਲਾਟ ॥
We may try in vain many ways to restrain the mind, but we cannot ward off the noose of doubt.
ਉਨਮਨ ਮਨ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਿਲੇ ਛੁਟਕਤ ਬਜਰ ਕਪਾਟ ॥੬॥
Loving devotion for God does not well up by following these rites and rituals, so Ravi Daas has abandoned them all. ||8
ਭਗਤਿ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਮਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਕਰੀ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਬੰਧਨ ਕਾਟਿ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥
One who firmly enshrines the Guru’s teachings in the mind and meditates on Naam, all his doubts, worldly bonds and past sins are destroyed.
ਸੋਈ ਬਸਿ ਰਸਿ ਮਨ ਮਿਲੇ ਗੁਨ ਨਿਰਗੁਨ ਏਕ ਬਿਚਾਰ ॥੭॥
Restraining his mind that person enjoys bliss of union with God and he realizes that the tangible and the intangible God as one.
ਅਨਿਕ ਜਤਨ ਨਿਗ੍ਰਹ ਕੀਏ ਟਾਰੀ ਨ ਟਰੈ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਫਾਸ ॥
We may try in vain many ways to restrain the mind, but we cannot ward off the noose of doubt.
ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਊਪਜੈ ਤਾ ਤੇ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਉਦਾਸ ॥੮॥੧॥
Loving devotion for God does not well up by following these rites and rituals, so Ravi Daas has abandoned them all. ||8