Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Ang 75
ਦੂਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਗਇਆ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, in the second watch of the night (stage of life instantly after birth), one becomes oblivious to God.
ਹਥੋ ਹਥਿ ਨਚਾਈਐ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਜਿਉ ਜਸੁਦਾ ਘਰਿ ਕਾਨੁ ॥
Then, as a small child, one is lovingly passed around hand to hand as if one is a little lord Krishna in the home of his mother Yashoda.
ਹਥੋ ਹਥਿ ਨਚਾਈਐ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਮਾਤ ਕਹੈ ਸੁਤੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥
The new born child is playfully passed from hand to hand while the mother proudly says that it is my child.
ਚੇਤਿ ਅਚੇਤ ਮੂੜ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਅੰਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਕਛੁ ਤੇਰਾ ॥
O’ my thoughtless and foolish mind, remember God with adoration because nothing shall be yours in the end.
ਜਿਨਿ ਰਚਿ ਰਚਿਆ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਮਨ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਧਰਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥
One does not seriously focus his mind on God who has fashioned this body and bestowed life to it.
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਦੂਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਗਇਆ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥੨॥
O’ Nanak, say, in the second stage of life (after taking birth) one has forgotten to focus on God’s Name.
ਤੀਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਧਨ ਜੋਬਨ ਸਿਉ ਚਿਤੁ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, in the third watch of the night (stage of life) your mind has become focused on worldly wealth and pleasures of youth.
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਹੀ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਬਧਾ ਛੁਟਹਿ ਜਿਤੁ ॥
You don't remember God’s Name, through which you may achieve freedom from the bondage of the love for worldly wealth and pleasures of youth.
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੇਤੈ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਬਿਕਲੁ ਭਇਆ ਸੰਗਿ ਮਾਇਆ ॥
One gets so perplexed by the love for Maya that he does not remember God’s Name.
ਧਨ ਸਿਉ ਰਤਾ ਜੋਬਨਿ ਮਤਾ ਅਹਿਲਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Being in love with worldly wealth and intoxicated with youth, one wastes his valuable (human) life.
ਧਰਮ ਸੇਤੀ ਵਾਪਾਰੁ ਨ ਕੀਤੋ ਕਰਮੁ ਨ ਕੀਤੋ ਮਿਤੁ ॥
Neither he traded in righteousness, nor he made friends with virtuous deeds.
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਤੀਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਧਨ ਜੋਬਨ ਸਿਉ ਚਿਤੁ ॥੩॥
O’ Nanak, say that in the third watch of the night (stage of life), one kept his mind focused on worldly wealth and pleasures of youth.
ਚਉਥੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਲਾਵੀ ਆਇਆ ਖੇਤੁ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, in the fourth stage of life, you have become old and ready to depart like a mature crop fit to be harvested.
ਜਾ ਜਮਿ ਪਕੜਿ ਚਲਾਇਆ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਕਿਸੈ ਨ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਭੇਤੁ ॥
O’ my merchant friend, when the messenger of death catches hold of you and drives you away, no one knows that secret place where you are taken.
ਭੇਤੁ ਚੇਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਿਸੈ ਨ ਮਿਲਿਓ ਜਾ ਜਮਿ ਪਕੜਿ ਚਲਾਇਆ ॥
No one could understand the secret of God’s command, when the demon of death seized and took you away.
ਝੂਠਾ ਰੁਦਨੁ ਹੋਆ ਦੋੁਆਲੈ ਖਿਨ ਮਹਿ ਭਇਆ ਪਰਾਇਆ ॥
Then some false weeping and crying started around the dead body and in an instant you became a stranger (to all your friends and relatives).
ਸਾਈ ਵਸਤੁ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਹੋਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਉ ਲਾਇਆ ਹੇਤੁ ॥
One received only the reward of that in the end with which one remained in love during the entire life.
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਚਉਥੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਲਾਵੀ ਲੁਣਿਆ ਖੇਤੁ ॥੪॥੧॥
O’ Nanak, say, in the fourth stage of life (old age), the demon of death has seized you like a farmer has harvested the crop at maturity.
ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Siree Raag, First Guru:
ਪਹਿਲੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਬਾਲਕ ਬੁਧਿ ਅਚੇਤੁ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, in the first stage of the night of life, one is carefree and has immature intellect like a child.
ਖੀਰੁ ਪੀਐ ਖੇਲਾਈਐ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਸੁਤ ਹੇਤੁ ॥ ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਸੁਤ ਨੇਹੁ ਘਨੇਰਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਸਬਾਈ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, during infancy one drinks milk and is gently fondled; the father and the mother love the child immensely. Yes, the mother and the father love their child and just like this, the entire universe is afflicted with the love for Maya.
ਸੰਜੋਗੀ ਆਇਆ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਕਮਾਇਆ ਕਰਣੀ ਕਾਰ ਕਰਾਈ ॥
One has come into the world because of good fortune and previous good deeds, and is doing deeds now according to the preordained destiny.
ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨੁ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਈ ਬੂਡੀ ਦੂਜੈ ਹੇਤਿ ॥
Emancipation (freedom from the vices) is not received without remembering O’ Nanak, say, O’ mortal, even in the first stage of life, you would be freed from the love for Maya only by remembering God with adoration.
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਪਹਿਲੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਛੂਟਹਿਗਾ ਹਰਿ ਚੇਤਿ ॥੧॥
Emancipation (freedom from the vices) is not received without remembering O’ Nanak, say, O’ mortal, even in the first stage of life, you would be freed from the love for Maya only by remembering God with adoration.
ਦੂਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਭਰਿ ਜੋਬਨਿ ਮੈ ਮਤਿ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, in the second watch of the night (stage of life), you are intoxicated with youth and beauty.
ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਕਾਮਿ ਵਿਆਪਿਆ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਅੰਧੁਲੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚਿਤਿ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, one always remains engrossed in sexual desire, and is so much blinded by it that God’s Name never enter his mind.
ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਘਟ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਨਾਹੀ ਹੋਰਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਰਸ ਕਸ ਮੀਠੇ ॥
God’s Name is not enshrined in one’s mind, but he recognizes and enjoys all other sweet and sour worldly pleasures.
ਗਿਆਨੁ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਗੁਣ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਜਨਮਿ ਮਰਹੁਗੇ ਝੂਠੇ ॥
O’ false human being, without the merits of any divine wisdom, meditation, or /self-discipline, you would keep suffering in rounds of births and deaths.
ਤੀਰਥ ਵਰਤ ਸੁਚਿ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਰਮੁ ਧਰਮੁ ਨਹੀ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
One engrossed in lust, not only forgets devotional worship, he does not perform even ritualistic deeds such as visiting holy places, observing fasts, cleansing the body and acts of piety.
ਨਾਨਕ ਭਾਇ ਭਗਤਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਵਿਆਪੈ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
O’ Nanak, one is freed from the vices only through the love and devotional worship of God; all else leads to duality (the love of Maya).
ਤੀਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਸਰਿ ਹੰਸ ਉਲਥੜੇ ਆਇ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, in the third stage of life, hair turn gray, as if white swans have landed on the head.
ਜੋਬਨੁ ਘਟੈ ਜਰੂਆ ਜਿਣੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਆਵ ਘਟੈ ਦਿਨੁ ਜਾਇ ॥
O’ my friend, the merchant of Naam, youth wears out, old age triumphs and the remaining age is diminishing with each passing day.