By the commission of sin I have amassed what is very unstable and forsaketh man.
Nanak hath sought Thy protection, 0 omnipotent Lord ; preserve his honour.
When I sang God’s praises in the association of the saints,
He united me, who had been separated from Him, with Himself.
By ever thoroughly singing God’s praises, He who is happiness itself becometh manifest.
My couch, when God accepteth me as His own, is adorned by Him.
Having dismissed anxiety I am no longer anxious, and suffer no further pain.
Nanak liveth beholding God and singing the praises of the Ocean of excellences.
Wadhans
God holds His court in every heart, but the screen that conceals it can only be rent by piety:—
Very exalted is His court ;
It hath no end or limits.
Hundreds of thousands and millions hasten,
But they can never reach His court.
What is that auspicious hour when God is met ? Hundreds of thousands of saints worship Him.
Hundreds of thousands of great penitents do penance unto Him.
♦ Hundrafc of thousands of Jogis practise Jog.
Hundreds of thousands of great enjoyers enjoy enjoyments ; 1
But God is not thus found ; He dwelleth in every heart: only a few know it.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 349
Is there any friend who can rend the screen between Him and us ?
If that friend be kind to me, I will make efforts to meet God,
And sacrifice my body and soul unto Him.
After many wanderings I have come to the saints,
And all my sorrows and doubts are dispelled.
God hath invited me to His court to quaff nectar.
Saith franak, my Lord is the most high.
The love of the saint for the Beloved :—•
My heart desireth to meet the T rue Guru ; how shall I find Him, my dear ?
Even though hundreds of amusements be afforded a child, it cannot live without milk.
The hunger of my heart departeth not, O my boon companion, even though hundreds of dishes be served before me.
My soul and body feel love for the Beloved ; how shall my heart be satisfied without beholding Him ?
Hear, O my friend and beloved brother, introduce me to the Friend and Giver of happiness.
He who ever repeateth to me God’s words knoweth all the secrets of my heart.
I cannot abide for a moment without God, and I cry for Him as the chatrik for water.
What excellences of Thine, O God, shall I recount ? Thou preservest men without merits like me.
My boon companion, I am waiting for my Spouse ; when shall I behold the Beloved with mine eyes ?
All my pleasures and amusements are forgotten ; without my Beloved they are of no account.
This vesture becometh me not; I know not how to adorn myself.
I make obeisance to those companions of mine who enjoy their darling Beloved.
I have made all decorations, 0 my boon companion, but without the Beloved they are of no avail.
When my Spouse speaketh not to me, O my companion, my youth passeth all in vain.
Blessed, blessed are the happy wives, O my boon companion, who are united with their Spouse.
I am a sacrifice to such happy wives, O my boon companion, and I ever wash their feet.
As long as duality and superstition were in my heart, I thought God distant;
But when I met the perfect true Guru, O my companion, all my hopes and desires were fulfilled.
I obtained the highest happiness, O my boon companion, and discovered that my Beloved was everywhere.
Nanak hath obtained divine pleasure, O my boon companion, by touching the true Guru’s feet.
Wadhans Chhant
The following is sung at marriages after the usual circumambulations are completed:—
O my God, my hopes and desires have been fulfilled.
I am without merits ; all merits are Thine ;
All merits are Thine, 0 my Lord ; with what mouth shall I praise Thee ?
Thou hast not considered my merits or demerits ; Thou hast at once pardoned me.
I have obtained the nine treasures; congratulations resound and unblown trumpets play.
Saith Nanak, I have found a good Spouse and home, and all my anxieties are at an end.
SORATH
Prayer and worship are not to be addressed to idols and demigods, but only to the Creator:—
To whom else shall I pray ? whom else shall I worship, since it is God who created all ?
The different persons who appear the greatest of the great shall all be blended with the dust.
The Fearless, the Formless, the Destroyer of fear will grant all happiness and the nine treasures.
O beloved God, I am satiated with Thy gifts.
Why should I flatter wretched man ? what need I from him ?
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 351
He who meditateth on God possesseth everything; God hath appeased his hunger.
The Giver of happiness conferreth such wealth as shall never be exhausted.
The true Guru hath introduced me to God ; I am now happy and absorbed in bliss.
O my soul, repeat the Name, worship the Name, utter the Name night and day.
Hear the instruction of the saints and all thy fear of death shall depart.
They to whom my God is merciful are attached to the Guru’s words.
Who can appraise Thy worth, 0 God ? Thou art compassionate to all creatures.
Whatever Thou doest prevaileth ; what can we poor children do, O God ?
Preserve Thy slave Nanak, as a father cherisheth his son.
Man's life hangs by a frail thread ; his only hope is in God :—
Sons, kinsmen, the wife of thy household are attached to thee for thy wealth.
None of them will assist thee at the last moment ; their love is all false.
O man, why pamperest thou thy body ?
It shall vanish like a cloud of smoke ; worship the one beloved God.
The body is disposed of in three ways—it is thrown into the river, to the dogs, or burnt to ashes.
Man deeming himself immortal sitteth at home and for- getteth the Cause of causes.
God fashioned beads 1 of many sorts and strung them together on a frail string. 2
That string shall break, 0 wretched man, and then shalt thou regret.
Meditate day and night on Him who created thee and adorned thee.
God hath extended His mercy to Nanak who hath taken the true Guru’s protection.
Happiness depends on man's mental condition :—
To the happy every one seemeth happy ; the sick man will have it that every one is sick.
The Lord God acteth and causeth to act; in His power is the union of the soul with Him.
O my soul, he who dispelleth his doubts,
And knoweth that God is in all things, will have it that no one erreth. 1
He whose soul is happy in the company of the saints deemeth that every one is happy.
He whose heart is filled with the disease of pride shall groan in the pain of birth and death.
Everything appeareth manifest to him to whose eyes the salve of divine knowledge is applied.
He in whom there is the darkness of spiritual ignorance seeth nothing ; again and again shall he wander in transmigration.
O my Lord, hear my supplication ; Nanak prayeth for this happiness—
That his heart may be attached to the place where the saints sing Thy praises.
Men's bodies and souls belong to the saints, and it is they who procure men's salvation :—
Our bodies belong to the saints, our wealth to the saints, our souls are entrusted to the saints :
By the favour of the saints we meditate on God’s name, and all comfort then resulteth.
There are no givers but the saints.
They who enter the sanctuary of the saints shall be saved.
Millions of sins are erased by serving the saints and singing God’s praises with zest.
By association with the saints, which is obtained by good fortune, man obtaineth happiness here, and his countenance shall be bright hereafter.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 353
I have but one tongue; the saints are full of various excellences ; how far can I recount their praises ?
The Inaccessible, the Inapptehensible, the ever Imperishable, is obtained by seeking the protection of the saints.
. I without virtue, low, friendless, and sinful have come to their shelter.
O God, rescue Nanak who is perishing in the blind well of domestic love.
Prescriptions for salvation :—
After bathing remember God, and thy body and soul shall be healed.
By taking God’s protection good fortune dawneth, and millions of obstacles are removed.
God’s words and hymns are the best language.
Sing, hear, and read them continually, my brother, and the perfect Guru will preserve thee.
The greatness of the true Lord is immeasurable ; the saints are dear to the Compassionate One.
He hath continued to preserve the honour of the saints, and cherish them according to His ancient practice.
God’s ambrosial name ever eat as food, 0 man ; put it into thy mouth at all times.
Continually sing God’s praises, and the pains of old age and death shall all flee away.
My Lord hath heard my supplication : all mine affairs have been adjusted,
And Guru Nanak’s greatness hath shone through the whole world.
The Guru feels that he cannot worship God with sufficient fervour:—
God is the Lord of millions of worlds ; He is the Benefactor of all creatures. • T
Hfc.cherishetb and careth formsbut we, fools that we are, know none of His merits.
, I know not how to adore God.
I only repeat ‘ Har, Har, Guru, Guru 1 ’
Wherefore, O God, my name is God’s servant.
A a
Sikh, m
The Compassionate to the poor, the Merciful, the Ocean of happiness filleth all hearts.
He beholdeth, heareth, and is ever with us; but: I, fool that I am, thought Him distant.
God is endless; even if I estimate and describe Him, how know I how great He is ?
I supplicate my true Guru to instruct me a fool.
That I am a fool is a small thing ; millions of sinners are saved.
They who have heard and seen Guru Nanak shall not again fall into wombs.
Jog is worthless for those who have obtained the Guru’s instruction:—
The things which afforded me great anxiety have all vanished.
I fixed my breath at the top of my nose, composed myself to rest, and the upturned lotus of my heart bloomed.
Behold a wonderful thing occurred !
The Guru put into my heart the wisdom of that God whom we hear spoken of as unfathomable.
The deadly sins which had greatly tortured me became afraid,
And implored me to save them from God since they had entered my protection.
When the storehouse of God is open, he who is so fated receiveth therefrom.
One gem my Guru gave me, and my soul and body have become happy.
The Guru hath given me one drop of nectar, so I have become permanent and immortal.
God entrusted the storehouses of worship to Guru Nanak, and never took an account from him.
God and man contrasted:—
We are impure; Thou, O Creator, art pure; we are without virtues ; Thou bestowest them.
We are fools ; Thou art clever and wise ; Thou knowest all contrivances.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 355
We are sinners, Thou art the Destroyer of sins ; great are Thy dominions, O God.
Thou didst create all things, and having created dost cherish them : Thou hast given soul,* and body, and life.
We are without merits ; no merits are ours ; grant us Thy favours, O Kind One.
Thou doest well towards us, but we are ungrateful; Thou art ever and ever compassionate.
O Thou, the Giver of happiness, the Disposer, preserve us Thy children.
Thou art a treasure, the immovable Monarch ; men and the lower animals beg of Thee..
Saith Nanak, this is our condition ; preserve us through Thy saints.
The Guru has absolutely devoted himself to the saints:—
I am, beloved friends, the dust of the saints’ feet; I have fallen under their protection.
The saints are my powerful stay; the saints are mine ornaments.
I have ingratiated myself with the saints,
And obtained what was allotted me.
Ye saints, my soul is yours.
With the saints have I dealt, with the saints have I traded.
From the saints have I gained a profit—the storehouses of God’s service are full.
The saints entrusted to me their stock-in-trade, and then my mind’s anxiety vanished.
What can Dharmraj do, now that all his account-books are tom up ?
Through the favour of the saints I have obtained great joy and happiness.
Saith Nanak, my soul is reconciled with God, and become imbued with His wondrous love.
Human pride and forgetfulness of God:—
Man is immersed in the darkness of worldly love, and knoweth not the Giver.
A a 2
Forgetting Him who fashioned his sotil and body man only admitteth his own strength. ■ i
■ O foolish man, the Lord God keepeth an eye on thine acts.
He knoweth what thou doest; nothing remaineth concealed from Him. . /
Thou art intoxicated with the pleasures of the palate, with covetousness and pride—the sources of many sins.
Weighted with the fetters of pride thou hast wandered in suffering through many births.
Closing folding-doors and hanging up many screens man entangleth himself with another’s wife.
When Chitr and Gupt call for thine account, who shall screen thee ? .
O Compassionate to the poor, All-pervading, Destroyer of sorrow, there is no shelter but in Thee.
Extricate us from the ocean of the world, O God ; Nanak hath entered Thy sanctuary.
The omnipresence of God —
As fire is contained in all timber, and butter in all milk,
So the light of God is contained in everything high and low ; He is in the hearts of all living things.
O saints, He is contained in every heart. : He filleth all space ; He pervadeth sea and land.
The true Guru hath dispelled all my doubts ; Nanak singeth the praises of the Ocean of excellences. i.
The . Omnipresent is contained in all things though ever distinct from them.
The Guru has obtained everything precious from God:—
When the great God was merciful, I obtained all the desires of my heart.
By touching God’s feet and singing; His praises !l have become immortal.
It was a good and completely auspicious occasion! ,
By repeating the Name I have obtained peace, composure,' and happiness ; and unblown trumpets play for me, i< ! • i On meeting the Lord, my Beloved, my house and home became comfortable. * . .
HYMNS * OF GURU ARJAN 357
The slave Nanak hath obtained the treasure of God’s name, and all his desires are fulfilled.
The greatness of the Guru
When the Guru’s feet dwelt in my heart, God granted me excellent qualities.
When the omnipresent supreme God became merciful, I saw the treasure of His name within me.
O my friends, the Guru is my preserver. •
He ever bestoweth greatness and glory twofold and fourfold.
The men and lower animals who have beheld him are all saved.
Wonderful is the greatness of the perfect Guru ; Nanak is ever a sacrifice unto him.
Some Sikhs repeat the following before the Sohila, at bed-time:—
The word of the Guru is my protection ;
It guardeth me on every side.
My soul is attached to God’s name,
And so for shame Death hath fled away.
O Lord, Thou bestowest happiness on me;
Thou the omnipresent God hast cut away my fetters and cleansed my heart.
Nanak, God perisheth not—
His worship is not in vain.
By repeating Thy name, O God, Thy saints rejoice,
And all their desires are fulfilled.
The-Guru’s devotion to God and its results:—
I am a sacrifice to my Guru
Who hath preserved mine honour intact.
I ever meditate on my God,
And thus obtain the reward my soul desireth.
0 ye saints, there is none beside God.
He is the Cause of causes ;
He hath given us His blessing,
And made all. other creatures subject to us.-
Nanak, when I meditated on the Name
All my sorrows departed.
Man should not be ashamed, but should be eager to worship God:—
As a hungry man is not ashamed when eating,
So God’s slave is not ashamed to sing His praises.
Why be slothful in thine own business ?
By remembering God thy face shall be bright in His court, and thou shalt obtain happiness for ever and ever.
As a lustful man is greedy to gratify his lust,
So is God’s slave to sing His praises.
As a mother is wrapped up in her child,
So the holy man repeateth God’s name.
He who obtaineth the Name from the perfect Guru
Shall, O Nanak, meditate upon it.
The Guru’s prayer and its result:—
‘ Hear my prayer, O my Lord ; men and animals are protected by Thee.
O Thou Cause of causes, protect the honour of those who repeat Thy name.
O beloved Lord, extend Thy sovereignty over us.
Whether bad or good we are Thine.’
When the omnipotent Lord heard this appeal, He cut off my fetters and regenerated me.
He dressed me in a robe of honour, blended His worshipper with Himself, and Nanak became conspicuous as a mountain. 1
God’s kindness to His saints :—
God hath subjected men and the lower animals to His * saints ; all are servants at their courts.
God accepteth His saints and causeth them to cross the terrible ocean :
He hath arranged all their affairs.
The Compassionate to the poor, the Merciful, the Ocean of mercy, the Omnipresent is my master.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 359
God’s servant on whom He bestoweth the robe of devotion is everywhere
Welcomed and respected, and not allowed to want for aught; Nanak knoweth God’s power.