Question from a satsanggi:
Gurfateh Manjeet Ji,
Please advise on how to take the following Hukamnamas:
-Where would one stop reciting this Hukamnama?- SGGS Ang 691: Raag Dhanasri Bani Kabeer Jee Ki.
-Ang 693, where would one start and end reciting the Hukamnama.
Bhai Manjeet’s response:
The SRM (Sikh Rehat Mardaya) has a short note on hukamnamas.
But it makes no reference to how a hukamnama is to be read when it comes to Bhagat Bani.
Sikh Rehat Maryada is an excellent document. It lists out many rules and do’s and don’t for Sikhs. But it is man made. Not Dhur Ki Bani. Thus there are shortcomings. Perhaps it is necessary to review it every 50 years and to update it where necessary. It was crafted in 1945. Thus, quite clearly it contains no provisions or guide on doing paath from handphones, tablets and computers. It can for e.g. also tell us that it is not necessary to bheta a rumala at every paath da bhog and a certain sum of money can be put in Guru Ji’s golak in lieu of the physical rumala sewa.
Nothing is stated in SRM about hukams from Bhagat Bani. Thus, when it comes to a hukam from Bhagat Bani many gyanis play it safe and read the entire pada. For e.g. at Angg 691 Raag Dhanasree Bani Kabeer Ji Ki, there are a total of 5 Shabads by Bhagat Kabeer Ji.
The first Shabad
“Sanak Sanand Mahes Samana….” has it’s rahao as
“Santsangat Ram riday basaiyee”
ਸਨਕ ਸਨੰਦ ਮਹੇਸ ਸਮਾਨਾਂ ॥
(Beings like Sanak, Sanand, Shiva,) (SGGS Ang 691)
ਸੇਖਨਾਗਿ ਤੇਰੋ ਮਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਾਂ ॥੧॥
(and Shaysh-naaga – none of them know Your mystery, Lord. ||1||)
ਸੰਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਰਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਬਸਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
(In the Society of the Saints, the Lord dwells within the heart. ||1||Pause||)
The final line is
“Pagg lagg Ram rahe sarnahi..”
ਪਗ ਲਗਿ ਰਾਮ ਰਹੈ ਸਰਨਾਂਹੀ ॥੪॥੧॥
(who falls at the Lord’s feet and remains in His Sanctuary. ||4||1||)
After the 4th pada of this Shabad the numbers/4/1/ appear indicating the Shabad has 4 padas and it is Shabad no.1 in this series.
Then, the next Shabad starts.
” Din te pahar pahar te ghadiya aav ghate tan shijay..”
The hukamnama should be read until the final line of pada no 4 until
“Pagg lagg Ram rahe sarnahi”
ਪਗ ਲਗਿ ਰਾਮ ਰਹੈ ਸਰਨਾਂਹੀ ॥੪॥੧॥
(who falls at the Lord’s feet and remains in His Sanctuary. ||4||1||)
As for the Shabad at Angg 693 the Shabad is by Bhagat Namdev Ji. This Shabad tells of the beginnings of Creation and how maya infest all Creation. Towards the end of the Shabad, Bhagat Ji records a conversation He had with God at “So Dar”.
After identifying Himself at God’s Dar, the great Bhagat pleads:
“Aala te nivarna jamm karna..”
ਆਲਾ ਤੇ ਨਿਵਾਰਣਾ ਜਮ ਕਾਰਣਾ ॥੩॥੪॥
(please save me from Maya, the cause of death. ||3||4||)
The Shabad ends here. It has 3 padas and is the 4th out of 5 Shabads by Bhagat Namdev Ji.
So the hukam should end here. But by sheer force of habit many read the next Shabad too as if it was part of the earlier Shabad. That is not right.
“Patit pavan Madho birdh tera..”
ਪਤਿਤ ਪਾਵਨ ਮਾਧਉ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਤੇਰਾ ॥
(O Lord, You are the Purifier of sinners – this is Your innate nature).
is the first line of the 5th Shabad and is not part of the hukamnama which starts at Angg 693.
“Pahal puriye pundrak vanaa”
ਪਹਿਲ ਪੁਰੀਏ ਪੁੰਡਰਕ ਵਨਾ ॥
(First of all, the lotuses bloomed in the woods;)
Gurfateh
Manjeet Singh
Malaysia
September 11th, 2019
