Jab ham hote tab Tu nahi – Raag Sorath – Ang 657

SGGS Ang 657-658.

Raag Sorath Bhagat Ravidas Ji.

Bhagat Ji tells us about the terrible effects of haumai and maya. How one gets deluded by haumai, and, misled by maya

Firstly, Bhagat Ji says, when I live and act in haumai, Lord, I find that You are not with me. Now, however, as my ego has vanished, I see only You everywhere.

“Jab ham hote tab Tu nahi; Ab Tuhi mai nahi.”

The mind is very fickle. The wind raises huge waves in the vast ocean. When the waves break, they fall back into the ocean and are absorbed into it. It then becomes impossible to distinguish the wave from the ocean. Similarly, thoughts arise in us, distancing us from our Divine Base, God. As the thoughts dissipate, and the mind is stilled, only God remains, and the runaway thoughts no longer wander away. There is then Peace within me.

“Anall aggam jaise laher me udadh jal kewal jal mahi.”

These wave like thoughts cause delusions; things are not what they seem.

” Madhve kya kehiye bhram aisaa; Jaisa maaniye hoye na taisa.”

Bhagat Ji then gives three examples of such delusions of maya. A king goes to sleep on his Throne. In his dream he thinks he is a pauper. His kingdom is intact, yet he feels he has lost it, and he suffers in sorrow. So is our condition. God is within us. We let our thoughts wander away, and forget He lives within us. The further our thoughts are from Him, the more we suffer. Thus, one must constantly remember Him, recite His Name.

“Narpat ek singhasan soya supne bheya bhikari; ashatt raaj bishrat dukh paiya so ghat bheyi hamari.”

We all know the story of the rope mistaken for a snake, but as my delusion wears off, (i.e. I become closer to God), the mystery of the snake become becomes clear to me. It never existed in the first place. It was my thoughts which drifted away from God that made me delusional and put silly fears in me.

“Raaj (raaj here is a Sanskrit word meaning rope), bhoyung parsang jaise hai ab kach maram janaaiya”

I was attracted mistakenly by bracelets of gold (attractive creations of maya). As I now am aware that all are from the same Source, i.e. all are created by God, my attraction is now focused on the Creator, and not on the bracelets He has created.

“Anikk katakk jaise bhul bhare ab kahte kahen na aaya.”

Bhagat Ji concludes. The One Lord is Pervading in many forms, and Sports in every heart. He is indeed nearer to us than our own hands, and only by Peaceful Love and Equipoise (sahaj) does He manifest Himself.

“Kahe Ravidas haathe pe nere; Saheje hoye so hoyi.”

Shabad Viakhya by Bhai Manjeet Singh Ji

Shabad Kirtan available on YouTube

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Bhai Ji further elaborated on even date: