Question from a satsanggi:

Veer Ji,

I forward a short article about some wealthy people who met unfortunate ends. Could you give me some quotes from SGGS Ji as to how the Gurus and Bhagats viewed maya?

Thanks

Bhai Manjeet’s response:

Maya is dealt with extensively in SGGS Ji.

1.  In the Slok Mehla Nauvan, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji tells us it is a rare one who remembers the Lord in the midst of maya’s attractions.

‘Niss din maya karnay pranee dolatt neet, kottan may Nanak kouu Narayan jai cheet’.

(ਨਿਸਿ ਦਿਨੁ ਮਾਇਆ ਕਾਰਨੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਨੀ ਡੋਲਤ ਨੀਤ ॥ ਕੋਟਨ ਮੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੋਊ ਨਾਰਾਇਨੁ ਜਿਹ ਚੀਤਿ  – Ang 1427)

  1. Guru Ji then tells us that the Lord dwells in the breast of that person who rises above the mamtaa of maya.

‘jeh maya mataa sabh tay bheyo udhaas, kaho Nanak sun ray manaa teh ghat brahm nivaas’.

(ਜਿਹਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਮਮਤਾ ਤਜੀ ਸਭ ਤੇ ਭਇਓ ਉਦਾਸੁ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੁਨੁ ਰੇ ਮਨਾ ਤਿਹ ਘਟਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ  – Ang 1427)

Thus, it is the mamtaa, the possessiveness and greed for maya that we are warned against, not maya in itself.

  1. In Gujri Ki Vaar M. 3, Guru Amardas Ji likens maya to a she serpent which has enveloped the world. Guru Ji says ‘maya hoyee nagni jagat rahi laptaye’.  And, anyone who serves maya finds that it devours him!.

‘iss ki seva jo karay tiss hi ko firr khaye..’.
ਮਾਇਆਹੋਈਨਾਗਨੀ ਜਗਤਿ ਰਹੀ ਲਪਟਾਇ ॥ ਇਸ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਜੋ ਕਰੇ ਤਿਸ ਹੀ ਕਉ ਫਿਰਿ ਖਾਇ ॥ (Ang 510)

It is only the gurmukh, (the one who lives in accordance with the Guru’s instructions) who manages to overpower maya. Guru Ji uses the word ‘garrhdu’ for the gurmukh, meaning ‘snake charmer’. ‘gurmukh koyee garrhdu tin mal dall laye paeey..’ The gurmukh is a snake charmer, he tramples over maya, throws her down and crushes her underfoot..’

(ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਕੋਈ ਗਾਰੜੂ ਤਿਨਿ ਮਲਿ ਦਲਿ ਲਾਈ ਪਾਇ ॥ – Ang 510)

  1. Bhagat Kabir Ji in Raag Bhairo says the enticements of maya are so powerful that it has deluded the whole world….

‘maya aisee mohnee bhai, jetay jee tetay dehkayee’.

(ਮਾਇਆਐਸੀਮੋਹਨੀ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਜੇਤੇ ਜੀਅ ਤੇਤੇ ਡਹਕਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ – Ang 1160)

Bhagat Ji says whoever has a belly to fill will have to deal with the spell of maya. It is only the ‘sadh’ (Guru) who can emancipate him.

‘kahay kabir jiss udarr tiss maya, tab chutay jab sadhu paeya..’

(ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਿਸੁ ਉਦਰੁ ਤਿਸੁ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਤਬ ਛੂਟੇ ਜਬ ਸਾਧੂ ਪਾਇਆ  – Ang 1160)

  1. In Raag Asa, Bhagat Kabir Ji tells us that none is more powerful than the she serpent maya. It has deceived even the most powerful devas like brahma, vishnu and shiva.

‘sarpani tay upar nahi baliyaa, jin brahma bishan mahadeo chaliyaa;’.
( ਸਰਪਨੀਤੇਊਪਰਿ ਨਹੀ ਬਲੀਆ ॥ ਜਿਨਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਮਹਾਦੇਉ ਛਲੀਆ  – Ang 480)

Towards the end of this Shabad however, Bhagat Ji says anyone who recognises the Truth (i.e the Lord) devours the she serpent instead.

‘jinn sach pechaneya tin sarpani khayee..’. (ਜਿਨਿ ਸਾਚੁ ਪਛਾਨਿਆ ਤਿਨਿ ਸ੍ਰਪਨੀ ਖਾਈ  – Ang 480)

6.  In Raag Asa – Ang 394, Guru Arjun Dev Ji personifies maya as a shrew like woman. This woman (maya) has a perpetual frown and her glance is unsettling. ‘mathay trikutee dhristt karoor’. She uses harsh words and her tongue is rude.

‘bolay kaurha jebha ki furrh’. (ਮਾਥੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਕੁਟੀ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਕਰੂਰਿ ॥ ਬੋਲੈ ਕਉੜਾ ਜਿਹਬਾ ਕੀ ਫੂੜਿ ॥)

She thinks her husband (the Lord) is far away and is always looking to devour others.

‘sadaa bhukhi pirr janay duur’. (ਸਦਾ ਭੂਖੀ ਪਿਰੁ ਜਾਨੈ ਦੂਰਿ ).

It is only the Guru who can save one from its clutches. ‘ham gur rakhay meray bhai..’. The Shabad concludes with the stirring line

‘Gur Nanak baha pakkar ham rakha’ ; ‘Taking me by the arm, Guru Nanak has saved me’..

( ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਬਾਹ ਪਕਰਿ ਹਮ ਰਾਖਾ  – Ang 394)


7.  In Raag Gaund, Ang – 871, Bhagat Kabir Ji likens maya to a woman who is ever fickle and never loyal. Bhagat Ji says when her husband (owner of maya) dies, she does not shed a tear. That’s because she knows there are always others waiting to take care of her.!..

‘khasam maray tau naar na rovay ; uss rakhvaraa auro hovay.
(ਖਸਮੁ ਮਰੈ ਤਉ ਨਾਰਿ ਨ ਰੋਵੈ ॥ ਉਸੁ ਰਖਵਾਰਾ ਅਉਰੋ ਹੋਵੈ ॥)

Bhagat Ji calls maya ‘suhagan’ with deliberate irony. She is the love of the masses and is prepared to be wed to all.

‘Ek suhagan jagat pyaree, saglay jee jantt ki naree’.

(ਏਕ ਸੁਹਾਗਨਿ ਜਗਤ ਪਿਆਰੀ ॥ ਸਗਲੇ ਜੀਅ ਜੰਤ ਕੀ ਨਾਰੀ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥)

Her adornments are bewitching but the saints see through her guises.

‘suhagan gall sohay haar, sant ko bikh bigsay sansaar.’
( ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਗਲਿ ਸੋਹੈ ਹਾਰੁ ॥ ਸੰਤ ਕਉ ਬਿਖੁ ਬਿਗਸੈ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥)


She is the darling of the materialists. They see her as their very bodies and being. ‘sakat ki oh pind prayean’. But to the saint she is seen as a blood thirsty witch.

‘ham ko dharist paray trakh daeeyen.’

(ਸਾਕਤ ਕੀ ਓਹ ਪਿੰਡ ਪਰਾਇਣਿ ॥ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਪਰੈ ਤ੍ਰਖਿ ਡਾਇਣਿ ॥੩॥)

Her secrets are revealed when the Guru mercifully grants His grace.


‘ham tiss ka baho janeyaa bheo, jab huvay kirpal milay gurdeo..’

(ਹਮ ਤਿਸ ਕਾ ਬਹੁ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਭੇਉ ॥ ਜਬ ਹੂਏ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਲ ਮਿਲੇ ਗੁਰਦੇਉ ॥ )



Gurfateh

Manjeet Singh
​August 8, 2012​


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The reality of wealth – “RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE”



In 1923, eight of the wealthiest people in the world met. Their combined wealth, it is estimated, exceeded the wealth of the government of the United States at that time.

These men certainly knew how to make a living and accumulate wealth.
But let’s examine what happened to them 25 years later.

President of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed capital for five years before he died bankrupt.
President of the largest gas company, Howard Hubson, went insane.
One of the greatest commodity traders, Arthur Cutton, died insolvent.
President of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, was sent to jail.
A member of the President’s Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from jail to go home and die in peace.
The greatest “bear” on Wall Street, Jessie Livermore, committed suicide.
President of the world’s greatest monopoly, Ivar Krueger, committed suicide.
President of the Bank of International Settlement, Leon Fraser, committed suicide.

What they forgot was how to make a life! Money in itself is not evil!
Money provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, clothes for the needy. Money is only a medium of exchange.

We need two kinds of education. One that teaches us how to make a living and one that teaches us how to live.

There are people who are so engrossed in their professional life that they neglect their family, health, spiritual life and social responsibilities.

If asked why they do this they would reply that they were doing it for their family. Our kids are sleeping when we leave home. They are sleeping when we come home. Twenty years later, we’ll turn back, and they’ll all be gone.

Without water, a ship cannot move. The ship needs water, but if the water gets into the ship, the ship will face problems. What was once a means of living for the ship will now become a means of destruction.

Similarly we live in a time where earning is a necessity but let not the earning enter our hearts, for what was once a means of living will be become a means of destruction.

 So take a moment and ask yourself….has water entered my ship?

RICHNESS is not Earning More, Spending More Or Saving More, but

“RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE”