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

Continued From:
http://tdsinghharjidamarg.blogspot.in/2017/05/171853-overcoming-death-naam-name-of.html

Overcoming Death - ‘Naam – The Name’ of Lord

Hearing ‘Naam’ keeps Messenger of Death away. And if an individual hears ‘Naam’ he is blessed with purity and self control as said by Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in following words:

ਨਾਇ ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸੁਚਿ ਸੰਜਮੋ ਜਮੁ ਨੇੜਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥[1]

नाइ सुणिऐ सुचि संजमो जमु नेड़ि न आवै ॥

(Hearing the Naam, one is blessed with purity and self-control, and the Messenger of Death will not draw near.)

And being blessed by ‘Naam’ he will defeat his Death as per following words of Patshahi 1:

ਮਾਥੈ ਊਭੈ ਜਮੁ ਮਾਰਸੀ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੇਲਣੁ ਨਾਮਿ ॥੩॥[2]

माथै ऊभै जमु मारसी नानक मेलणु नामि ॥३॥

(Blessed with the Naam, O Nanak, you shall strike down the Messenger of Death, and push his face to the ground.)

Mortal’s efforts are all about becoming rich, accumulating riches. But the matter is limited i.e. there will be an end to how much can be gathered. What will happen if all the riches have been collected and nothing is left to be acquired? The war will begin to loot from others who hold it. And that’s what human history has seen, a nation, a king, an army attacking other only to get hold of its wealth. This all gives rise to chaos, fear and anxiety. An affluence which will end and cause uncertainty. But ‘Naam’ is such treasure which does not end, it is Infinite and all the tangible riches come from ‘Naam’. ‘Naam’ is a treasure which eliminates anxiety and does not cause pain of birth and death as said by Dhan Shri Guru Amar Das Ji in following words:

ਨਾਮੁ ਪਦਾਰਥੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਅਚਿੰਤੁ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਦੁਖੁ ਕਟੀਐ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਮਤਾ ਜਾਇ ॥[3]

नामु पदारथु पाईऐ अचिंतु वसै मनि आइ ॥जनम मरन दुखु कटीऐ हउमै ममता जाइ ॥

(The treasure of the Naam is obtained, and the mind comes to be free of anxiety. The pains of birth and death are eradicated, and the mind is rid of egotism and self-conceit.)

Materialistic wealth results in ego but ‘Naam’ gets rid of it. That’s why Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji are asking mortals to fill the mind with ‘Naam’ in following words:

ਹਿਰਦੈ ਸਾਚੁ ਵਸੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਇ ॥[4]

हिरदै साचु वसै हरि नाइ ॥

(Death cannot touch those whose hearts are filled with the True Name of the Lord)

ਤ੍ਰਾਸ ਮਿਟੈ ਜਮ ਪੰਥ ਕੀ ਜਾਸੁ ਬਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਨਾਉ ॥[5]

त्रास मिटै जम पंथ की जासु बसै मनि नाउ ॥

(One whose heart is filled with the Naam shall have no fear on the path of death.)

All treasures bonds an individual to lower mental state. They inculcate greed and greed is evil. But ‘Naam’ is the liberator, only ‘Naam’ can free an individual from all the worldly bonds as said by Dhan Shri Guru Amar Das Ji in following words:

ਏ ਮਨ ਮੇਰਿਆ ਆਵਾ ਗਉਣੁ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਅੰਤਿ ਸਚਿ ਨਿਬੇੜਾ ਰਾਮ ॥[6]

ए मन मेरिआ आवा गउणु संसारु है अंति सचि निबेड़ा राम ॥

(O my mind, the world comes and goes in birth and death; only the True Name shall emancipate you in the end.)

There is always a basic dilemma ‘how should I utter Naam’. This is very important to understand else it would just be a mere ritual. Ritual lacks the depth, devotion and dedication. That’s why Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji asking mortals to listen to ‘Naam’ with love to cut the bond of sufferings in following words:

ਜਿਸੁ ਮਨਿ ਬਸੈ ਸੁਨੈ ਲਾਇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥ਤਿਸੁ ਜਨ ਆਵੈ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਚੀਤਿ ॥ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਦੂਖੁ ਨਿਵਾਰੈ ॥[7]

जिसु मनि बसै सुनै लाइ प्रीति ॥तिसु जन आवै हरि प्रभु चीति ॥जनम मरन ता का दूखु निवारै ॥

(One, within whose mind it abides, and who listens to it with love that humble person consciously remembers the Lord God. The pains of birth and death are removed.)

Tongue speaks the words in mind. If evil resides in mind bad words will be spoken from tongue. And if ‘Naam’ dwells in mind tongue will utter ‘Naam’ with devotion and that will keep Death away as said by Kabir Ji in following words:

ਰਸਨਾ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਹਿਤੁ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਕਹਾ ਕਰੈ ਜਮਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥[8]

रसना राम नाम हितु जा कै कहा करै जमना ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥

(What can the Messenger of Death do to one whose tongue loves the Name of the Lord?)

Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji gives analogy of Lamp – Oil and explaining how ‘Naam’ overcomes the sufferings in following words:

ਦੀਵਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਏਕੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਦੁਖੁ ਵਿਚਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਤੇਲੁ ॥ਉਨਿ ਚਾਨਣਿ ਓਹੁ ਸੋਖਿਆ ਚੂਕਾ ਜਮ ਸਿਉ ਮੇਲੁ ॥੧॥[9]

दीवा मेरा एकु नामु दुखु विचि पाइआ तेलु ॥उनि चानणि ओहु सोखिआ चूका जम सिउ मेलु ॥१॥

(The One Name is my lamp; I have put the oil of suffering into it. Its flame has dried up this oil, and I have escaped my meeting with the Messenger of Death.)

Lamp removes the darkness. Similarly, ‘Naam’ enlightens the mind by removing evil residing in it. What is consumed in Lamp is oil and what is vanquished by ‘Naam’ is evil. Evil is causes pain and once pain is conquered an individual merge into the 'Naam' and he becomes free from cycle of birth and death as said by Dhan Shri Guru Ram Das Ji and Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji:

ਜਨਮ ਮਰਣ ਦੋਵੈ ਦੁਖ ਮੇਟੇ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਮੈ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥[10]

जनम मरण दोवै दुख मेटे हरि रामै नामि समाइआ ॥

(The pains of both birth and death are eliminated, and they merge into the Naam.)

ਕੋਟਿ ਕਲੇਸ ਮਿਟਹਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਇ ॥ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਸਗਲਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਨਾਸੈ ॥[11]

कोटि कलेस मिटहि हरि नाइ ॥जनम मरन सगला दुखु नासै ॥

(Millions of pains are removed by the Lord's Name. All the pains of birth and death are taken away.)

'Naam – The Name of Lord’ is obtained from Guru’s Teaching and Wisdom. And once it happens an individual is bound to attain peace. So next we will find out what how Teachings of Guru and Wisdom change life of an individual in light of Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

TO BE CONTINUED!

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[1] Pauree - Ang 1240 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Dhan Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji)
[2] Mehla 1 - Ang 1090 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[3] Salok Mehla 3 - Ang 552 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
[4] Gauree Mehla 1 – Ang 227 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
[5] Pauree - Ang 257 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Dhan Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji)
[6] Vadhans Mehla 3 – Ang 571 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
[7] Sukhmani Sahib – Ang 296 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
[8] Aasa – Ang 476 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Kabir Ji)
[9] Aasa Mehla 1 – Ang 358 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
[10] Aasa Mehla 4 – Ang 447 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
[11] Dhanaashree Mehla 5 - Ang 677 Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji