Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Ang 67
ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਜਗੁ ਦੁਖੀਆ ਫਿਰੈ ਮਨਮੁਖਾ ਨੋ ਗਈ ਖਾਇ ॥
Without the Guru’s word, the world keeps wandering in agony due to its love for maya, which has consumed the self-willed people.
ਸਬਦੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਈਐ ਸਬਦੇ ਸਚਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੪॥
Therefore we should remember God’s Name through the Guru’s teachings, because one merges in God only through the Guru’s word.
ਮਾਇਆ ਭੂਲੇ ਸਿਧ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਸਮਾਧਿ ਨ ਲਗੈ ਸੁਭਾਇ ॥
Under the influence of Maya, even the adepts have strayed from the righteous path and are wandering around unable to focus on God’s love.
ਤੀਨੇ ਲੋਅ ਵਿਆਪਤ ਹੈ ਅਧਿਕ ਰਹੀ ਲਪਟਾਇ ॥
The obsession for Maya pervades everywhere, and is completely clinging to all.
ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ਨਾ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥੫॥
Without the Guru’s teachings, liberation from maya is not attained and the duality caused by Maya does not go away.
ਮਾਇਆ ਕਿਸ ਨੋ ਆਖੀਐ ਕਿਆ ਮਾਇਆ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇ ॥
What is called Maya?
ਦੁਖਿ ਸੁਖਿ ਏਹੁ ਜੀਉ ਬਧੁ ਹੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇ ॥
What does Maya do to the minds of human beings? Under the influence of maya, a human being remains bound in joy and sorrow and does deeds out of self-conceit or ego.
ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਚੂਕਈ ਨਾ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਜਾਇ ॥੬॥
Without the Guru’s word, neither the doubt caused by Maya is dispelled, nor egotism is eliminated from within.
ਬਿਨੁ ਪ੍ਰੀਤੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਥਾਇ ਨ ਪਾਇ ॥
One cannot perform devotional worship without having love for God’s Name, and no one is accepted in God’s presence without the Guru’s word.
ਸਬਦੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਰੀਐ ਮਾਇਆ ਕਾ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਜਾਇ ॥
When ego is eradicated through the Guru’s word, only then the illusion of Maya goes away.
ਨਾਮੁ ਪਦਾਰਥੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸੁਭਾਇ ॥੭॥
The priceless commodity of God’s Name is received through the Guru’s teachings, and one merges in God’s love in a state of spiritual poise.
ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਗੁਣ ਨ ਜਾਪਨੀ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਣ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
The priceless commodity of God’s Name is received through the Guru’s teachings, and one merges in God’s love in a state of spiritual poise.
ਭਗਤਿ ਵਛਲੁ ਹਰਿ ਮਨਿ ਵਸਿਆ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸੋਇ ॥
God, the lover of devotional worship, dwells in the mind of a person, and He is realized only when one attains a state of spiritual poise.
ਨਾਨਕ ਸਬਦੇ ਹਰਿ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਕਰਮਿ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥੮॥੪॥੨੧॥
O’ Nanak, God can be praised only through the Guru’s word, but this gift of praising God is obtained only by His grace. ||8|| 4
ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
Siree Raag, third Guru:
ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਮੇਰੈ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਕੀਨਾ ਆਪੇ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਏ ॥
It is my God who has created the attachment to Maya, and He Himself leads people astray through this illusion of Maya based on their past deeds.
ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਕਰਮ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਹੀ ਬੂਝਹਿ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਏ ॥
Self-willed people perform the prescribed religious rituals, but they do not understand the righteous way of life and waste away their life in vain.
ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਇਸੁ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਕਰਮਿ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਏ ॥੧॥
The Guru’s word is the source of Divine knowledge in this world; by His Grace, it comes to dwell within the mind.
ਮਨ ਰੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਹੁ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
O’ my mind, remember God’s Name with adoration, peace wells up by doing so.
ਗੁਰੁ ਪੂਰਾ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
We should praise the perfect Guru, because one attains spiritual poise and realizes God through the Guru’s teachings. ||1|| pause||
ਭਰਮੁ ਗਇਆ ਭਉ ਭਾਗਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਚਰਣੀ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਇ ॥
The doubt and all kind of fear flee away by focusing the mind on God’s Name.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਮਾਈਐ ਹਰਿ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥
God manifests in the mind by following the Guru’s teachings and living by the divine word.
ਘਰਿ ਮਹਲਿ ਸਚਿ ਸਮਾਈਐ ਜਮਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਖਾਇ ॥੨॥
The mind merges with God within one’s own heart, and the fear of death cannot destroy his righteous way of life.
ਨਾਮਾ ਛੀਬਾ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਜੋੁਲਾਹਾ ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਗਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥
The calico printer Namdev and the weaver Kabeer, obtained emancipation through the perfect Guru’s teachings.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕੇ ਬੇਤੇ ਸਬਦੁ ਪਛਾਣਹਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਜਾਤਿ ਗਵਾਈ ॥
These knowers of God understood the divine word, and they rooted out their ego and complex due to their lower social status.
ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਤਿਨ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਗਾਵਹਿ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਮੇਟੈ ਭਾਈ ॥੩॥
O’ brother, angels and human beings sing their hymns and no one can erase their honor (they have become immortal)
ਦੈਤ ਪੁਤੁ ਕਰਮ ਧਰਮ ਕਿਛੁ ਸੰਜਮ ਨ ਪੜੈ ਦੂਜਾ ਭਾਉ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ॥
Prahlad, the son of an evil king Harnakash, refused to study about religious rituals and austerities because he did not know duality.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਭੇਟਿਐ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਆ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਖਾਣੈ ॥
Upon meeting with the true Guru, his life became immaculate and he always remembered God’s Name with adoration.
ਏਕੋ ਪੜੈ ਏਕੋ ਨਾਉ ਬੂਝੈ ਦੂਜਾ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ॥੪॥
He read about God’s praises, recognized only God’s Name and he did not know anyone else like God.
ਖਟੁ ਦਰਸਨ ਜੋਗੀ ਸੰਨਿਆਸੀ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਏ ॥
Without the Guru’s teachings, even the followers of six Shastras, yogis and recluses remain lost in the illusion of Maya.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਤਾ ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਮੰਨਿ ਵਸਾਏ ॥
When they follow the Guru’s teachings, only then they achieve a higher spiritual state and righteous way of life by enshrining God’s Name in their mind.
ਸਚੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਸਿਉ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਗੈ ਆਵਣੁ ਜਾਣੁ ਰਹਾਏ ॥੫॥
One whose mind gets focused on the divine word of God’s praises, his cycle of birth and death come to an end.
ਪੰਡਿਤ ਪੜਿ ਪੜਿ ਵਾਦੁ ਵਖਾਣਹਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਏ ॥
The Pandits read scriptures, argue and stir up controversies; without following the Guru’s teachings, they remain deluded by doubt.
ਲਖ ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਫੇਰੁ ਪਇਆ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਏ ॥
They wander through millions of reincarnations; without the Guru’s word they do not attain emancipation.
ਜਾ ਨਾਉ ਚੇਤੈ ਤਾ ਗਤਿ ਪਾਏ ਜਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮੇਲਿ ਮਿਲਾਏ ॥੬॥
Only when the Guru unites a person with God’s Name, then he remembers God’s Name and attains a sublime spiritual state.
ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਹਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਹਰਿ ਉਪਜੈ ਜਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਸੁਭਾਏ ॥
When one meets the true Guru with love for him, then by remaining in the holy congregation, and God‘s Name manifests within him.