PAUREE 37 (Stanza 37)

In this Pauri, Guru Nanak Dev ji describes the fourth and fifth stages of spiritual development (Karam Khand – the stage of Divine Grace and Sach Khand – the final stage of union with God). Guru ji says that Karam Khand is the stage of spiritual power – when a person becomes spiritually so powerful that the worldly evils or ‘Maya’ cannot affect him any more. Here, the person is totally immersed in God’s Name and experiences the eternal joy.

In the final stage of Sach Khand, a person realizes that the whole Universe is functioning under His command, he feels God’s presence in the whole Universe, he sees that the merciful God bestows His Grace on everyone, and the person becomes one with God. Guru Nanak Dev ji says that this stage cannot be described, it can only be experienced.

KARAM KHAND KEE BAANEE JOR

Spiritual power is the attribute of the stage of Divine Grace (In this stage, a person is blessed with God’s Grace and becomes spiritually so powerful that the worldly evils – Kaam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachment), Ahankaar (ego) cannot affect him any more).

karam: Divine Grace, khand: stage, baanee: derived from word ‘banavat’ means making of or attribute of, jor: force, implies spiritual power

TITHAI HOR NAA KOEE HOR

There (in that stage), nobody else can reach (only those who become worthy of God’s Grace can reach this stage)

tithae: there, hor: more, else, naa koee: nobody

TITHAI JODH MAHAABAL SOOR

Those who reach this stage are the truly brave and the real warriors (because they fought and concurred the worldly evils or ‘Maya’)

jodh: warrior, implies spiritually brave who have concurred the temptations of worldly evils, mahaabal: very powerful, soor: brave

TIN MEH RAAM REHAA BHARPOOR

Those (spiritual warriors) are filled with God’s Grace.

tin meh: in them, Raam: God, implies God’s Grace, bharpoor: filled to brim, saturated

TITHAI SEETO SEETAA MEHMAA MAHE

They remain totally absorbed in God’s Praises.

seeta: sewn, seeto sita: completely sewn, implies totally absorbed, mehmaa: praise, mahe: in

TAA KE ROOP NAA KATHNE JAAHE

Their spiritual enlightenment cannot be described.

taa ke: their, roop: beauty, implies enlightenment, Kathne: described

NAA OH MARAE NAA THAAGAE JAAHE,

They neither die nor get cheated (they are freed from the cycle of birth and death and the worldly evils cannot overpower them).

Oh: they, marae: die, thaagae jaahe: get cheated, implies that worldly evils or ‘Maya’ cannot overpower him

JIN KAE RAAM VASAE MAN MAAHI

in whose hearts God’s Name resides (who remain immersed in God’s Name).

jin: whose, Raam: God, vasae: resides, man: mind, heart

TITHAE BHAGAT VASAE KE LO

God’s devotees from many worlds ascend to this stage,

tithae: there, bhagat: devotees, saints, vasae: live, implies reach this stage, ke: many, Lo: worlds

KARHE ANAND SACHAA MAN SOE

where they experience the eternal joy, (because) God, who is ever blissful, is always in their hearts.

karhe: do, implies experience, anand: happiness, implies eternal joy or bliss, sachaa: true, everlasting, implies ever blissful God, man: heart, man soe: in their hearts

SACH KHAND VASAI NIRANKAAR

In the stage of union with God, the formless God resides (in the devotees heart).

Sach: true, everlasting, implies immortality, Khand: stage, sach khand: the spiritual stage of immortality or union with God, vasae: lives, Nirankaar: nir + aakaar, means without form, implies formless God

KAR KAR VEKHAI NADAR NIHAAL

(In this stage), the merciful God bestows His blissful Grace on His devotees

kar: does, vekhae: beholds, implies bestows, nadar: glance, implies His grace, nihaal: blissful, nadar nihaal: blissful grace

TITHAE KHAND MANDAL VARBHAND,

In this stage, (a person is enlightened with the knowledge of the) other worlds and the whole Universe.

Tithae: there, khand: stage, mandal: worlds, varbhand: derived from the word ‘Brehmand’, means Universe

JE KO KATHAE TAA ANT NAA ANT

if some one tries to describe them, (he will realize that) there is no end to God’s Creation.

je ko: if some one, kathae: describes, ant: end, ant naa ant: there is no end

TITHAI LO-A LO-A AAKAAR

In this stage (a person realizes that) there are many worlds and many forms of His Creation (in the Universe).

lo-a lo-a: many worlds, aakaar: forms, creation

JIV JIV HUKAM TIVAE TIV KAAR

As He commands, so they function (the whole Universe is functioning under His commands).

jiv: as, hukam: order, His command, tivae: that way, kaar: functions

VEKHAE VIGSAE KAR VEECHAAR

In this stage a person realizes that the merciful God) takes care of everyone and delights in thinking about His Creation.

vekhae: beholds, implies takes care of, vigsae: becomes happy, delights, veechaar: think

NAANAK KATHNAA KARRHA SAAR ||37||

Nanak Says, it is impossible to describe this stage, (it cannot be described, it can only be experienced).

kathna: to describe, karrha: hard, saar: steel, kathna karrha saar: hard like steel to describe, implies impossible to describe

This is a good opportunity to memorize Gurbani, one Pauri at a time. You can concentrate better and enjoy more if you recite bani without looking at the gutka.

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