Sachi Bani mithi Amrit dhaar – Raag Malaar – Ang 1275

SGGS Angg 1275

Raag Malaar M.1

There are 5984 Shabads in SGGS Ji. Some counts may differ slightly, as some Sloks and Shabads are repeated, and it depends whether you count them twice or in some rare cases thrice. The Shabad “So Dar,” for example appears as Pauri 27 in Japji Sahib, appears as the first Shabad of Rehiras Sahib, and is found again at Angg 347 in Raag Assa with some minor changes.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji has 974 Shabads in SGGS Ji. Scholars feel Guru Ji’s Bani is the most difficult to understand as it has so many crisp, pithy words and sentences and many core concepts of Sikhism are introduced for the first time. The succeeding Satgurus elaborated upon many of these concepts and in the totality of things, Gurbani appears as a Divinely fascinating Fabric with every Stitch in Perfect Place.

An example of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Bani would be the line:

“Gur chelay ki sandh milaaye” (Ang 877),

literally meaning the Guru and His disciple are bound together. One cannot fathom who this chela is, unless one reads Guru Ji’s Sidh Gosht, where Guru Ji explains:
“Shabad Guru surat dhun chela.” Now we understand that chela is the surat, the liv, the consciousness. Sidh Gosht Bani appears from Angg 938.

The Shabad herein is quite difficult. Guru Ji starts by saying the earth is weighed down by the water in it. We must first understand that the human body is referred to as a field or earth. This human body gets weighed down by consuming too much of earthly waters. Waters of the world is metaphor for worldly pleasures. Thus we find Guru Arjun Dev Ji telling us at Angg 802:

“Bikhay bann fikaa tyaag ri sakhi Naam maha rass peeyo”
(renounce the tasteless worldly waters of sin O my friend, and drink in the Sublime Waters of Naam).

Thus Guru Ji is saying the body earth is tilting (tottering) under the weight of worldly waters (worldly pleasures).

“Akhlee oondee jall bhar naal.”

Man’s body is already bending over with the sheer weight of worldliness. In the next line Guru Ji tells us that man has to cross mountains and deep caverns of the netherworld before he can reach his destination, i.e Union with God.

“Duggar ucho garh pataal.”

But all this becomes bearable when the world ocean gets calmed by reflection upon the Shabad.

“Saagar sheetal Gur Shabad vichaar.”

The path becomes free from obstacles as the ego is subdued.

“Marag mukta haumai maar.”

In the rahao, the Sikh says on this tough journey, I am spiritually blind, but I am guided by the Light of Naam; I take the Support of Naam, and I travel carefully to know His mystery with fear of the Guru in my heart (i.e. I am fearful of breaching the Hukam/Bhana of the Guru).

“Mai andhulay Naave ki Jote; Naam adhaar chalan Gur ke bhay bhet.” (rahao)

The path towards God is known through the Shabad; relying upon the Guru, one gets True Strength; you realise Naam through the Beauteous Bani; and if it Pleases You Lord, You will lead me to Your Door.

“Satgur Shabadi paadar jaan; Gur ke takiye Sache taan; Naam samalass rurhi Baan; thay bhave Dar lahas piraan.”

I may be at a high place or sitting down, I am lovingly focussed on the One Lord; through the Guru’s Shabad, Naam is my Support; (with Naam, now) there is no deep ocean or mountain ranges; I dwell within the inner home of my being, where there is no path nor other travellers.

“Udha bessa Ek liv dhaar; Gur ke Shabad Naam adhaar; na jall dungar na uchee dhaar; nijh ghar vaasa teh magh na chalanvaar.”

Only You know the way to the House in which You dwell, and no one else knows the way to Your Palace; without the Satguru, there can be no understanding, and the world remains buried under its nightmare; the mortal tries all sorts of things, weeps and wails, but without the Guru, knows no Naam; in the twinkling of an eye, Naam can save him, if he recognizes the value of the Guru’s Word.

“Jit Ghar vasse Tu hai bidh jaane bijho Mahal na jaape; Satgur bajho samajh na hovee sabh jag dabiya chappay; karan palaav kare bilalato bin Gur Naam na jaape; pal pankaj me Naam chadaye je Gur Shabad sinjapey.”

Some are foolish, blind, and ignorant; some with fear of breaching God’s Hukam through the Guru’s Teachings, take Support of Naam; (the Guru’s) Bani is True and Sweet, the source of ambrosial nectar; whoever drinks it in, reaches the Door of Salvation.

“Eik murakh andhay mugadh gavaar; eik Satgur ke bhay Naam adhaar; Sachi Bani mithi Amrit dhaar; jinn pitee tis mokh dwar.”

One who through love and fear of God (of breaching His Hukam), enshrines the Naam within his heart, acts according to the Guru’s Teachings, and knows the True Bani; (all nature is seen in blossom) the clouds release their rain, the earth looks beautiful, and God’s Light permeates each and every heart; it is a sign that those who have no Guru are evil minded and plant their seeds in barren soil (i.e. all their actions bear no fruit); (such persons) are in utter darkness without the Satguru, and they drown even though there is no water (i.e. they drown in their own miseries).

“Naam bhae bhaye riday vasahee Gur karni Sach Bani; Eind varse dharat suhavee ghat ghat Jote samanee; kalar bijjas durmat aisee niguray ki nisanee; Satgur bajho ghor andhara dubh muvey bin panee.”

Whatever is done happens according to God’s Will; what is Ordained by Him cannot be erased; bound by His Hukam, the mortal does his deeds; immersing himself in the Shabad of the One Lord, the mortal merges into the Truth.

“Jo kich kinno so Prabhu rajaaye; jo dhur likhiya so metna na jaaye; hukmay bandha kaar kamaaye; Ek Shabad rache Sach samaaye.”

Lord, Your Command rules in the four directions; and in the four directions of the nether regions too; the True Word (Naam) is pervading amongst all, and as one is blessed with His Grace, the Eternal One unites you with Himself; birth and death hover over the heads of all beings, along with hunger, sleep and dying; Nanak says, as one receives Naam and is Pleasing to the Lord, He blesses with His Glance of Grace.

“Chao dis Hukam varte Prabh Tera chao dis Naam patalang; sabh me Shabad varte Prabh Sacha karam milhe beyalang; jaman marna dissay sirr ubho khudiya nindra kaalang; Nanak Naam milhe mann bhaave Sachi nadar rasaalang.”

Raag Malaar is a raag of the rainy season. You will find lots of Shabads with water imagery in this raag. There will be flashes of lightning, thunderclaps, peacocks shrieking in the rain, flow of rivers, and lots of references to the chatrik, babeeha, sarang. In the Shabad above too, you will see the water theme has been Divinely woven in.‎

Shabad Viakhya by Bhai Manjeet Singh Ji

Shahad Kirtan available on YouTube