Yak arz guftam pesh to Dar gosh Kun Kartar – Raag Tilang – Ang 721

SGGS Angg 721

Raag Tilang M.1

This Shabad has many Persian words.

According to the Puratan, the B40, the Meherban, and the Bhai Mani Singh janamsakhis, this Shabad was expressed by Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Mecca.

Macaulliffe who relied heavily on the Puratan janamsakhi, says at page 175, Volume 1, that Guru Nanak went to the main square near the Kaaba and slept at night with his feet pointing towards the Kaaba. An enraged Arab Qazi asked indignantly who is this infidel whose legs are turned towards God? He tugged at Guru Ji’s legs, and the Guru said you may proceed to place my feet in a direction where God is not present. Macaulliffe says, as Guru Ji’s feet were swung around, “the temple turned around, and followed the revolution of his body.”

The gist of Guru Ji’s visit to Mecca seems to originate from Bhai Gurdas Ji’s Vaar no 1, pauri no 32.

This pauri has 8 lines. Line no 7 says,

“Tango pakad ghasitiya firiya Makka kalaa dikharee”

Bhai Gurdas Ji says it seemed the whole of Mecca was revolving. Not the Kaaba. Bhai Ji is at most using a figure of speech, to indicate God is everywhere and wherever Guru Ji’s feet were lynched around, the whole of Mecca seemed to revolve too.

To say the Kaaba moved around is wrong. The janamsakhis and Macaulliffe seem to have taken poetic licence, and added that it was the Kaaba that spun around. There seems to be no basis to say that.

Coming to this Shabad, it is a plea to God by a Sikh, who realises his shortcomings and failure to take to Naam.

I offer this one prayer to You O Creator Lord. Please do listen to my plea; You are True, Great, Merciful and Spotless O Cherisher Lord.

“Yak arz guftam pesh to Dar gosh Kun Kartar; Haka Kabir Karim Tu Be – Aebb Parvadigar.”

The world is a transitory place of mortality – know this for certain in your mind; (it does not dawn upon man to realise and say), Azraaeel the Messenger of Death, has caught me by the hair on my head.

“Duniya mukaney faani tehkeek dilh danee; mamm sarr muee Azraaeel girafteh dilh haech na danee.” (rahao).

Spouse, children, parents and siblings, none of them will be there to hold your hand; when I fall and the time for my final sermon has come, there shall be no one to rescue me.

“Jann pissar padar biradran kas nes dastangeer; akhir biaftem kas na darad chu sawad takbeer.”

Night and day I wandered around in greed, with evil plans; I never did any good deeds, such is my plight.

“Sabh roz gastamm dar hwaa kardehm badi khyaal; gahe na neki kaar kardahm mamm ee chinee aihvaal.”

I am unfortunate, miserly, careless, shameless and without the fear of God; Nanak declares, I am the dust of the feet of Your slaves.

“Badbakhat ham cho bakheel gaafal benajar behbaak; Nanak bogyodh jann Tera Tere chakraan pa khaak.”

Shabad Viakhya by Bhai Manjeet Singh Ji

Shahad Kirtan available on YouTube