Dagmag shadh re man baura – Raag Gauree – Ang 338

 SGGS Angg 338.

Raag Gauree (Gauri) Kabir Ji.

Bhagat Ji tells us if asked, we should openly tell your beliefs. If you are a Sikh, you should be proud to say you are a Sikh. This is not about boasting. Rather, we must never be publicly ashamed or shy to profess your faith, and you must never deny your Guru.

Guru Amardas Ji says.(Ang 314).

“jo Gur gopey apna tis thaurr na thaoo” (one who is afraid to publicly affirm his faith in his Guru, will get no place here or hereafter)

Sorath M.3. (Ang 651).

“Jinna Gur gopiya apna te nar buriaree”
(those who deny, or fail to affirm their faith in their Guru, are most evil persons).

Bhagat Ji starts this Shabad by saying O victims of maya, abandon your doubts and dance out in the open.

“Man re shadho bharam pargat hoye nacho eiya maya de dandey.”

Bhagat Ji gives two examples of cowardice. Firstly, what sort of a warrior is one who is afraid to face a battle?. What kind of a satee is she, who, when the time comes to go to the funeral pyre, starts collecting pots and pans (i.e. finding some excuse to delay or avoid).

“Sur ke sanmukh rann te darpey satee ke sanchey bhandey.”

Of course Bhagat Ji did not agree with the cruel practice of satee. Bhagat Ji’s satee is one who is immersed in the Truth and burns off all evil passions.

At Angg 328, Bhagat Ji says.

“Bin Sat satee hoye kaisey naar”
(without Truth how can a woman (jeev isteri) call herself satee – pure one?

In the rahao, Bhagat Ji further uses the imagery surrounding a widow about to burn herself on a funeral pyre.

He says. Stop your wavering O crazy (mind) people. Now that you have taken up the challenge of death, let yourself burn and die and attain perfection.

“Dagmag shadh re man baura; ab to jarey marey sidh paiyeh linno haath sandaura.”

A “sandaura” is a coconut carried by a satee on a platter as she goes to the funeral pyre. It is covered with sindoor. Sindoor is vermillion red colour used in the parting of the hair by women as a sign to show you are married. Once the satee carries a sandaura, she cannot back out from becoming a satee. Here sandaura is used to refer to laal rang, the colour of love for God. Once a jeev isteri is coloured with love for God, her worldly passions are burnt and Union will take place with His Grace.

However the world, instead of being a satee in terms suggested by Bhagat Ji, is engrossed in lust, anger and maya; in this way, it gets plundered.

“Kaam krodh maya ke leenay eiya bidh jagat bigutaa.”

The only solution to all this:

Do not ever forsake the Sovereign Lord. He is the Highest of the High.

“Kahe Kabir Raja Ram na shodho sagall uchh te uchaa.”

Shabad Viakhya by Manjeet Singh 

Shabad Kirtan available on YouTube