17.18.5.2 Overcoming Death - 'Naam – The Name’ of Lord: In Light of Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Continued From:
http://tdsinghharjidamarg.blogspot.in/2017/05/171851-overcoming-death-naam-name-of.html

Overcoming Death - ‘Naam – The Name’ of Lord

‘Naam’ holds the key to salvation as said by Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji in following words:

ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਦੁਖੁ ਕਾਟੀਐ ਨਾਨਕ ਛੂਟਸਿ ਨਾਇ ॥੪॥੧੦॥[1]

जनम मरन दुखु काटीऐ नानक छूटसि नाइ ॥४॥१०॥

(The pains of death and rebirth are eradicated; O Nanak, salvation is in the Naam.)

ਨਾਮ ਤੇਰੇ ਕੀ ਮੁਕਤੇ ਬੀਥੀ ਜਮ ਕਾ ਮਾਰਗੁ ਦੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥[2]

नाम तेरे की मुकते बीथी जम का मारगु दूरि रहिआ ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥

(Your Name, O Lord, is the Way to Salvation; the road of the Messenger of Death is far away.)

All the worldly things will leave an individual when his Death arrives. Death will try to crush him but Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Dhan Shri Guru Raam Das Ji and Dhan Shri Guru Amar Das Ji say ‘Naam’ will save you as ‘Naam’ will be the only thing that will go with an individual in following words:

ਜਹ ਮਹਾ ਭਇਆਨ ਦੂਤ ਜਮ ਦਲੈ ॥ਤਹ ਕੇਵਲ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੰਗਿ ਤੇਰੈ ਚਲੈ ॥[3]

जह महा भइआन दूत जम दलै ॥तह केवल नामु संगि तेरै चलै ॥

(Where the great and terrible Messenger of Death shall try to crush you, There, only the Naam shall go along with you.)

ਅੰਤਿ ਚਲਦਿਆ ਹੋਇ ਬੇਲੀ ਜਮਦੂਤ ਕਾਲੁ ਨਿਖੰਜਨੋ ॥[4]

अंति चलदिआ होइ बेली जमदूत कालु निखंजनो ॥

(At this time of final departure, ‘Naam’ is our only help and support; it destroys death, and the Messenger of Death.)

ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਇਸੁ ਜੁਗ ਮਹਿ ਤੁਲਹਾ ਜਮਕਾਲੁ ਨੇੜਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥[5]

राम नामु इसु जुग महि तुलहा जमकालु नेड़ि न आवै ॥

(Naam is the only true support in this age; the Messenger of Death does not draw near it.)

ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਹਰਣਾ ਨਾਮ ਪੁਨਹਚਰਣਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਮ ਕੀ ਤ੍ਰਾਸ ਹਰਾ ॥[6]

किलविख हरणा नाम पुनहचरणा नामु जम की त्रास हरा ॥

(The Naam is the Destroyer of sins, the only deed of redemption. The Naam drives out the fear of the Messenger of Death.)

‘Naam’ is the only support. Only ‘Naam’ can destroy sins and evils accumulated in an individual for eons. I just want to phrase words of Sant Singh Maskin Ji, unlike water which does cleaning but gets dirty, ‘Naam’ does the same but never get filthy. That is beauty of ‘Naam’ and that’s the purity it possesses. Again, a pearl which is pure, mortals are never tired of praising it. In fact stories related to the beauty possessed by it travels through generation but can such praises, praising matter, rescue anyone from claws of Death? Never, but if an individual praises ‘Naam’ he would be free from cycles of birth and death as said by Dhan Shri Guru Raam Das Ji in following words:

ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਲਾਹਿ ਤੂ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਣ ਦੁਖੁ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥[7]

जन नानक नामु सलाहि तू जनम मरण दुखु जाइ ॥१॥

(O servant Nanak, praise the Naam; the pains of birth and death shall come to an end.)

So, what is precious pearl which cannot prevent itself from decaying, eventually it will decay with time? Or ‘Naam’ which saves an individual from being rotten away as said by Paatshahi 4 in following words:

ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਲਾਹਿ ਤੂ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਪਚਿ ਪਚਿ ਮੁਇਆ ॥੩॥[8]

जन नानक नामु सलाहि तू बिनु नावै पचि पचि मुइआ ॥३॥

(O servant Nanak, praise the Naam without the Naam, he rots away, and wastes away to death.)

Pearl is an entity in an ocean and Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji calls ‘Naam’ as on ocean, an ocean of excellence in following words:

ਜਨਮ ਮਰਣ ਕਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਗਇਆ ਫਿਰਿ ਪਵੈ ਨ ਫੀਰੁ ॥ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਲਾਹਿ ਤੂ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣੀ ਗਹੀਰੁ ॥੧੦॥[9]

जनम मरण का दुखु गइआ फिरि पवै न फीरु ॥नानक नामु सलाहि तू हरि गुणी गहीरु ॥१०॥

(The pains of birth and death are gone, and I shall never again be consigned to the cycle of reincarnation. O Nanak, praise the Naam, the ocean of excellence.)

 

Not matter how much beautiful a pearl be, it will have some impurity. This is the irony of mortals, they chase impurity and not purity; they chase bits and pieces and not completeness; they chase ephermeral and not eternalness; they chase creation and not the creator. The greatness of ‘Naam’ can only be understood by attaching oneself to Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji else you will get just pains, death, shawdos and dust.

TO BE CONTINUED!

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[1] Prabhati Mehla 1 - Ang 1330 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[2] Aasa Mehla 5 – Ang 393 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[3] Sukhmani Sahib – Ang 264 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[4] Raamkali Sad – Ang 923 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Dhan Shri Guru Amar Das Ji)

[5] Aasa Mehla 4 – Ang 444 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[6] Raamkali Mehla 5 - Ang 925 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[7] Salok Mehla 4 - Ang 313 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[8] Sohee Mehla 4 Ghar 5 - Ang 776 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[9] Pauree - Ang 789 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji)