8. Baani Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji Ki: Ang 400

Ang 400: Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj
Baani Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji Ki

ਆਸਾ  ਮਹਲਾ  ੫  ॥

ਡੀਗਨ  ਡੋਲਾ  ਤਊ  ਲਉ  ਜਉ  ਮਨ  ਕੇ  ਭਰਮਾ  ॥ ਭ੍ਰਮ  ਕਾਟੇ  ਗੁਰਿ  ਆਪਣੈ  ਪਾਏ  ਬਿਸਰਾਮਾ  ॥੧॥

ਓਇ  ਬਿਖਾਦੀ  ਦੋਖੀਆ  ਤੇ  ਗੁਰ  ਤੇ  ਹੂਟੇ  ॥ਹਮ  ਛੂਟੇ  ਅਬ  ਉਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ  ਤੇ  ਓਇ  ਹਮ  ਤੇ  ਛੂਟੇ  ॥੧॥  ਰਹਾਉ  ॥

ਮੇਰਾ  ਤੇਰਾ  ਜਾਨਤਾ  ਤਬ  ਹੀ  ਤੇ  ਬੰਧਾ  ॥ਗੁਰਿ  ਕਾਟੀ  ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ  ਤਬ  ਛੁਟਕੇ  ਫੰਧਾ  ॥੨॥

ਜਬ  ਲਗੁ  ਹੁਕਮੁ  ਨ  ਬੂਝਤਾ  ਤਬ  ਹੀ  ਲਉ  ਦੁਖੀਆ  ॥ਗੁਰ  ਮਿਲਿ  ਹੁਕਮੁ  ਪਛਾਣਿਆ  ਤਬ  ਹੀ  ਤੇ  ਸੁਖੀਆ  ॥੩॥

ਨਾ  ਕੋ  ਦੁਸਮਨੁ  ਦੋਖੀਆ  ਨਾਹੀ  ਕੋ  ਮੰਦਾ  ॥ਗੁਰ  ਕੀ  ਸੇਵਾ  ਸੇਵਕੋ  ਨਾਨਕ  ਖਸਮੈ  ਬੰਦਾ  ॥੪॥੧੭॥੧੧੯॥

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आसा महला ५ ॥

डीगन डोला तऊ लउ जउ मन के भरमा ॥भ्रम काटे गुरि आपणै पाए बिसरामा ॥१॥

ओइ बिखादी दोखीआ ते गुर ते हूटे ॥हम छूटे अब उन्हा ते ओइ हम ते छूटे ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥

मेरा तेरा जानता तब ही ते बंधा ॥गुरि काटी अगिआनता तब छुटके फंधा ॥२॥

जब लगु हुकमु न बूझता तब ही लउ दुखीआ ॥गुर मिलि हुकमु पछाणिआ तब ही ते सुखीआ ॥३॥

ना को दुसमनु दोखीआ नाही को मंदा ॥गुर की सेवा सेवको नानक खसमै बंदा ॥४॥१७॥११९॥

Summary

Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji is describing the glory of ‘Guru’. An individual is full of doubts. He is always in self-conflict that make his situation gruesome. Simplest doubt is where to find ‘True Guru’ who can eradicate all the pains? He roams around in desperation to find peace, bangs at many doors but ends up in withering away. So with each failure his hopes to find resolutions to his miseries just diminish. And his mind is filled with doubts, just doubts, thinking if he will ever manage to find the source of happiness which he truly deserves. Well Guruji say that such doubts are removed by the ‘Guru’. And an individual finds peace.

Just to emphasize, ‘The True Guru’ for ‘Baba Nanak’s Sikh’ in current times is Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. And ‘He’ will remain ‘Guru’ till all the ages to come for him. Beware of any impostor who claims to be a guru. Let them not rob you from ‘Spiritual Content’ which is birth right of every individual.

All the conflicts and doubts are like enemies. How? An individual filled with doubts is always fighting an ‘internal battle’. He is trying to convince himself which option is better, what action to take and sometimes he just has to forcibly select one option over another. What will this be called, an internal battle? What enemy does? He does not let an individual to live in comfort and such are doubts. Hence they are no less than enemies.

But through Guru such conflicts just vaporizes, how? Guru will block all unnecessary options which can cause doubts, conflicts and confusions in minds of ‘His Sikh’, they don’t reach him. Guru will ensure only that option which will elevate the ‘Spiritual Content’ of ‘His Sikh’ reaches him. And once that happens, Guruji say that it seems to an individual that he has now escaped from them, and they have run away from him. So the individual rises above them by ‘Guru’s Grace.’ And ‘they’ which are just weaknesses of human manifestation don’t have enough ‘muscles’ to resist ‘Guru’s Grace’ hence they just leave him.

What is bondage? Guruji explains this with the simplest examples so that ignorants like us can understand it. When an individual is concerned with 'mine and yours', he is held in bondage. They keep him down. He remains far from comprehending and understanding the ‘Command of God’. And what he gets just misery. 
Please remember, Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji sitting in a shop in Sultanpur and with all the gratitude just reciting ‘Tera – Yours’. This is what is called ‘Liberation from Bondage’. Firstly there is no mine, secondly ‘Tera – Yours’ does not refer to any human but it is addressed to ‘Baba Nanak’s Dear Lord – The One’. 
And if an individual’s destiny is awakened he meets ‘The Guru’. Guruji say, meeting with the Guru, he comes to recognize God's Will, and then, he obtains freedom from bondage.

Finally Guruji say as per His own experience, blessed are we with whom Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, is sharing His experiences, that an individual reaches a state where he has no enemies and no adversaries and no one remains wicked to him. No one conspires against him. An individual, a servant, who performs the Guru’s services, becomes beloved of the Lord Master.

So in summary, Guruji is asking everyone that only ‘The Guru’, can vanquish all the evil, cut all the bondages and blesses with state of ‘bliss’ where nothing and no one remains an enemy.

6. Baani Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji Ki: Ang 682

 Ang 682: Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj
Baani Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji Ki 

ਧਨਾਸਰੀ  ਮਹਲਾ  ੫  ॥

ਅਉਖੀ  ਘੜੀ  ਨ  ਦੇਖਣ  ਦੇਈ  ਅਪਨਾ  ਬਿਰਦੁ  ਸਮਾਲੇ  ॥

ਹਾਥ  ਦੇਇ  ਰਾਖੈ  ਅਪਨੇ  ਕਉ  ਸਾਸਿ  ਸਾਸਿ  ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਾਲੇ  ॥੧॥

ਪ੍ਰਭ  ਸਿਉ  ਲਾਗਿ  ਰਹਿਓ  ਮੇਰਾ  ਚੀਤੁ  ॥

ਆਦਿ  ਅੰਤਿ  ਪ੍ਰਭੁ  ਸਦਾ  ਸਹਾਈ  ਧੰਨੁ  ਹਮਾਰਾ  ਮੀਤੁ  ॥  ਰਹਾਉ  ॥

ਮਨਿ  ਬਿਲਾਸ  ਭਏ  ਸਾਹਿਬ  ਕੇ  ਅਚਰਜ  ਦੇਖਿ  ਬਡਾਈ  ॥

ਹਰਿ  ਸਿਮਰਿ  ਸਿਮਰਿ  ਆਨਦ  ਕਰਿ  ਨਾਨਕ  ਪ੍ਰਭਿ  ਪੂਰਨ  ਪੈਜ  ਰਖਾਈ  ॥੨॥੧੫॥੪੬॥

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धनासरी महला ५ ॥

अउखी घड़ी न देखण देई अपना बिरदु समाले ॥

हाथ देइ राखै अपने कउ सासि सासि प्रतिपाले ॥१॥

प्रभ सिउ लागि रहिओ मेरा चीतु ॥

आदि अंति प्रभु सदा सहाई धंनु हमारा मीतु ॥ रहाउ ॥

मनि बिलास भए साहिब के अचरज देखि बडाई ॥

हरि सिमरि सिमरि आनद करि नानक प्रभि पूरन पैज रखाई ॥२॥१५॥४६॥

Summary

“ਅਉਖੀ  ਘੜੀ – Aukhi Ghari – Difficult times” what are those? Well, everyone will respond unanimously, difficult times are when mind is confused, no hope is left and circumstance strangles an individual. But Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji tells us following about difficult times:

ਇਕ ਘੜੀ ਨ ਮਿਲਤੇ ਤਾ ਕਲਿਜੁਗੁ ਹੋਤਾ[1] ॥ 

इक घड़ी न मिलते ता कलिजुगु होता ॥

(When I could not be with You for just one moment, the Dark Age of Kali Yuga dawned for me.)

What can be worse than “Kal Yug, Black Age”? Let us ask the same question to ‘Sikh History’ and it tells us following:

·         The Martyrdom of Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji sitting on ‘Red Hot Plate’ in Lahore saying ‘Tera Bhana Mitha Laga – Whatever is happening is ‘YOUR WILL’ and tastes sweet to Me’.

·         The Martyrdom of Shri Guru Teg Bhadhur Ji. The Great Guru is about to be beheaded in Delhi challenging the credibility of Imperial Regime with just sheer patience.

·         Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, watching the Martyrdom of ’40 Brave Sikh’ and ‘Two Elder Sons’ in battle of Chamkaur with a smile.

Ask anyone, what can be more painful than that? What kind of mental and physical pain ‘They’ had to endure but ‘They’ were just in ‘Bliss, in Deep Meditation Thanking Almighty to be part of ‘HIS PLAN’. Even in such circumstances Dhan Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji showers His Grace on mortals by uttering following words:

ਤੁਧੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਰੋਗੁ ਰਜਾਈਆ ਦਾ ਓਢਣ ਨਾਗ ਨਿਵਾਸਾ ਦੇ ਹਹਿਣਾ[2] ॥

तुध बिन रोग रजाइया दा उड़ण नाग निवासा दे रहणा ||

(Without “YOU’ is like wearing blankets of disease, Without You is like living with Venomous Snakes.)

So, ‘Difficult Times’ are not what we generally comprehend, like struggling to make ends meet. As per Gurbaani, the difficult times are those when we don’t remember ‘HIM’.  

‘HE’ takes cares of ‘HIS’ devotees in ‘Difficult Times’. And that is ‘HIS’ nature. HE extends HIS arms, grabs HIS devotee in his arm and protects him with each and every breath. ‘HE’ keeps sending ‘HIS THOUGHTS, HIS REMEBRANCE’ to ‘HIS’ devotees. And once mind is occupied with HIS THOUGHTS, how an individual can feel anything else? How he could feel pain in the state of ‘Ecstasy’? Even if he fails to remember ‘HIM’; events will happen that he will begin to remember ‘HIM’. One, who HE grabs, never let him to forget HIM even for a moment. Point to remember the key word above is ‘Devotee – An individual who has surrendered himself’ else no other individual remembers him and even if he does it would be act of selfishness[3]. 

Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, ‘Baani De Datta – Bestower of Baani’, further say that His consciousness remains attached to ‘God – The One’. Let us do ‘Ardas’ at this juncture, ‘Datar Pita please grab us and bless us with enough mettle to remain absorbed in ‘THE NAAM’ and path shown by You’.

Just think if anyone protects us how probable will it be that he will let us call him ‘Friend’. But ‘HE’ is such a Bestower of Grace, that HE accepts any name given to HIM in affection and gratitude. And of course since HE is creator HE has been in the beginning and end. Guruji further say that ‘HE’ always come to help. There can be none better ‘Companion’ than HIM.

HIS greatness cannot be described.

ਉਸਤਤਿ ਕਹਨੁ ਨ ਜਾਇ ਤੁਮਾਰੀ ਕਉਣੁ ਕਹੈ ਤੂ ਕਦ ਕਾ[4] ॥

उसतति कहनु न जाइ तुमारी कउणु कहै तू कद का ॥

(Your Praise cannot be described; who can say where You are.)

ਊਚ ਅਪਾਰ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਕਉਣੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਗੁਣ ਤੇਰੇ [5]॥

ऊच अपार बेअंत सुआमी कउणु जाणै गुण तेरे ॥

(O my lofty, incomparable and infinite Lord and Master, who can know Your Glorious Virtues?)

But Guruji being blessed by ‘Akal Purakh’ further bestowing HIS grace on us say that He is delighted on gazing upon the marvelous and glorious greatness of the Lord and Master.

Guruji is asking everyone to remember HIM again and again. This will take any one into ecstasy. And then HIS grace will protect and preserve the honor of such individual.

So in summary Guruji is conveying the message that remembering ‘Lord’s Name’ brings happiness to an extent that difficult times just disappear and this is HIS way of protecting HIS devotees.

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[1] Maajh Mehla 5 Chaupade Ghar 1 – Ang 96

[2] Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji wrote these lines at Deserted Jungle of Macchiwara after Battle of Chamkaur.

[3] Though Humanyun went to take blessings of Shri Guru Angad Dev Ji after he lost in battle; but he was full of ego. He charged towards, His Holiness Guruji, with sword.

[4] Tukhaari Chhant Mehla 5 – Ang 1117

[5] Raag Bilaaval, Mehla 5, Ghar 2, To Be Sung To The Tune Of Yaan-Ree-Ay – Ang 802