JAPJI SAHIB
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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.
If you have any questions or comments, please email us at rajsinghmarwah@yahoo.com Any suggestions for improvement will be most welcome.
DID YOU KNOW
ONE SPIRIT, DIFFERENT BODIES
After Guru Nanak Dev ji, none of the Gurus used their names in their writings. They always used the name “Nanak” as if everything was written by Guru Nanak Dev ji. This reinforces our belief that all our Gurus had the same spirit in different bodies. The eternal source of spiritual knowledge that was within Guru Nanak Dev ji was passed on to each Guru and they uttered Gurbani that originated from the same source.)
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
KAHO NANK SACH DHIAEEAE, SUCH HOVAE TA SACH PAEEAE (SGGS-Asa Di Waar)
[Nanak says, meditate on the Divine Name (because) you can realize God only when your inside is (spiritually) clean (goodness cannot reside in an evil heart). ]