Man corrupted by association with the world is saved by the Guru :—
The mother’s womb is an ocean of grief, O my Beloved ; there God causeth His name to be repeated.
When man emergeth therefrom, 0 my Beloved, his evil passions develop and his worldly love increaseth.
Him to whom Thou didst show favour, O my Beloved, Thou hast caused to meet the true Guru.
Such a man worshippeth Thee, O my Beloved, at every breath, and is attached to Thy name.
Thou art the support of my soul and body, O my Beloved ; Thou art the support of my soul and body.
There is no Creator but Thee, # O my Beloved, Thou art the only Searcher of hearts.
Man cometh into the world, O my Beloved, after wandering in countless births and suffering pain in various wombs.
He forgot the true Lord, O my Beloved, and so suffered heavy punishment.
They who have met the perfect true Guru, O my Beloved, are attached to the true Name.
We are saved, O my Beloved, by following those who take the protection of the True One.
He who eateth because the food is sweet, O my Beloved, maketh his body ill.
Bitter is the consequence, my Beloved ; sorrow is the result.
Thou, 0 Beloved, having caused man to eat sweet food hast led him astray ; so his separation from Thee shall continue.
0 my Beloved, Thou hast introduced to the Guru and saved those who were so destined from the beginning.
Man is full of longing for mammon, O my Beloved ; God never entereth his heart.
The bodies of those who forget Thee, Q supreme God, become ashes.
They utter many a groan, O my Beloved, but their torture ceaseth not.
They whom Thou didst introduce to the Guru and regenerate, retain their capital intact.
As far as possible, 0 my Beloved, associate not with the infidel.
On meeting him, 0 my Beloved, man forgetteth God and becometh dishonoured.
The perverse obtain no entrance into God’s court, 0 my Beloved, but are punished by Death.
It is said that a man went to the Guru and told him that he had long performed various religious ceremonies, but his heart was still troubled. He asked the Guru for the remedy, and also the way to God. The Guru replied as follows:—
Although man read and study the Veds, perform the niwali and bhujangam 1 feats,
He shall not escape from the company of the five deadly sins ; nay, he shall be the more entangled in pride.
O my beloved, it is not by such means God is found ; I know it, for I have done many such things.
I have dropped down weary at the Lord’s door: may He grant me wisdom and discrimination!
Man may be vowed to silence ; he may live on leaves ; 2 he may roam about naked in the forest;
He may visit all the places of pilgrimage on earth ; but even then he could never escape from worldly love.
With a desire in his heart for emancipation he may take his seat at a place of pilgrimage, and apply his head to the saw;
* But even though he made hundreds of thousands of such efforts, his mental impurity would not depart.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 361
He may bestow gifts of many sorts—gold, women, horses, and elephants ;
He may offer com, clothes, and lands in abundance ; but even then he could not reach God’s door.
He may continue attached to worship, adoration, obeisance, prostrations, and the six acts ;
But he could not in that way find God ; he would merely fall into the meshes of pride.
* Men have grown weary performing Jog and the eighty- four postures of the Sidhs :
Man may attain a long life, but without association with God he shall be born again and again ;
He may enjoy the sport of kings and the delights of empire, and issue orders not to be disobeyed ;
He may possess beautiful couches, and use sandal and distilled aloe-wood, but such things form the gate of terrible hell.
Singing God’s praises in association with His saints is the highest act of all.
Saith Nanak, this privilege is obtained by him whose acts recorded in previous births entitle him to receive it.
Thy worshipper, 0 Lord, is intoxicated with Thy love.
Since the Destroyer of the sorrows of the. poor became merciful unto him, his soul hath been absorbed in God’s praises.
Dhanasari
How the senses lead astray :—
The fish long in love with the water loseth its life on leaving it;
The bumble-bee dieth on account of its love for the lotus ; it cannot find its way out. 1
Now my soul hath contracted love for the one God.
Under the true Guru’s instruction I recognize Him who neither dieth nor is born, and who is ever with us*
Through the force of lust the elephant is ensnared; the poor animal falleth into another’s power.
The deer giveth up its life for the hunter’s bell; through love of it he is slain.
Mortal beholding his family is led astray by covetousness and wrapped up in mammon.
Very much attached to worldly things, he deemeth them his own, but at last departeth without them.
■ Know that he who loveth any but God, shall ever be miserable.
Saith Nanak, the Guru hath explained to me that by God’s love man ever rejoiceth.
Man blindly commits sinful acts and only abstains when his eyes are opened by the Guru :—
It is man’s practice to do what he shall be ashamed of—
He slandereth the saints, reverenceth the infidel, and adopteth other such perverse practices.
Led astray by worldly love, he loveth what he ought to eschew.
Like a mirage or the green leaves of the forest even so is man’s state.
Even if a streak be made on a donkey’s body with sandal, he will still prefer ashes ;
So man instead of loving God’s nectar devoteth himself to sinful enjoyments which deceive.
The best saints to purify men in this world are to be found by good fortune.
The jewel of life is lost in exchange for a worthless glass bead.
When the Guru applieth to man’s eyes the salve of divine knowledge, the sins and troubles of many births flee away.
By love to the one God in the company of the saints Nanak hath escaped from these evils.
The worship of the Hindus, of the Jogis, and of the Jains is unavailing:—
Worship, fasting, frontal marks, ablution, the bestowal of copious alms and presents at festivals,
Austerities, and flattering addresses to God, never prevail upon Him.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 363
Man only obtaineth rest by repeating God’s name.
All search for God in various ways; but the search is difficult, and He is not found.
Lip-worship, penance, wandering over the earth, the performance of austerities with body reversed,
Following the path of the Jogis and the Jains—it is not by such things the Lord is satisfied.
It is by repeating His ambrosial and priceless name and praises He is obtained by the man to whom He showeth mercy.
By association with the saints the love of God is obtained : Nanak is made happy by the dust of the saints’ feet.
Man is helpless without God :—
I am miserable; save me, O Lord,
I can do nothing of myself, O my Lord ; mercifully grant me Thy name.
Family and the world are a sea of fire ;
Doubt, worldly love, and spiritual ignorance are storms therein.
While on the crest of the wave man is happy; while in the trough he is unhappy. .
His thirst and hunger are never allayed.
From yielding to mental desires resulteth the disease of the deadly sins.
The five deadly sins man’s companions are very intractable.
The lives, souls, and wealth of the world are Thine, O God.
Nanak, know that God is ever near.
The foolish man is attracted by temporary not permanent advantages:—
Value as a straw the things which forsake thee; 1
They are useless entanglements.
Man loveth the things which depart not with him;
His enemies he deemeth his friends—
' THE SIKH RELIGION
In such error is the world led astray— : i
The fool loseth the boon of human life ; •: ‘
He is not pleased even to see the true religion. ]i
Deeming falsehood and deception sweet he is attached to them.
• He loveth gifts but forgetteth the Giver.
The wretched creature thinketh not of death.
He weepeth for thi loss of the property of others.
He forfeiteth the benefit of all his religious acts. Understanding not the will of God, he suffereth transmigration.
He committeth sins and then regretteth.
What pleaseth Thee, O God, is acceptable,
I am a sacrifice to Thy will,
Nanak is Thy poor slave ; ■
Preserve me, 0 my Lord !
The sensible man hoards up God’s name and . praises:—
God’s name is the support of poor me.
. To earn God is my daily occupation ;
The name of the one God is what I hoard up.
That it may be useful to me in this world and the next.
Dyed with the peerless dye of God’s name,
The saints sing the excellences of the Formless One, Excessive humility is the glory of the saints;
They recognize their greatness in God’s praises,
And find their happiness in God’s service.
In it they obtain comfort and their anxieties depart. Where the saints meet together,
They celebrate God’s praises with music and song.
Joy hath its abode in the saints’ company,
Which is obtained by him on whose forehead such destiny was written. i
Wjth clasped hands I supplicate them To allow me to wash their feet and sing their praises.
.. Q compassionate, merciful, and omnipresent, God, • • Nanak liveth on the dust of the saints’ feet.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 365
The rich, the landlords, and the rulers should consider themselves inferior to the saints :t—
As the rich are proud beholding their wealth, and land-' lords their lands ;
As the monarch deemeth that all sovereignty is his, so God’s saints are proud of their Lord’s support.
If any one remember his Protector And act as He endoweth him, he shall not be the worse therefor.
Nanak, by the favour of the saints they shall sing God’s praises and thteir hearts become pure,
Who forsaking idols take refuge in the one God, saying,
* We have entered Thy sanctuary.’
God’s kindness to His saint:—
God who extended His might in the four quarters of the Garth put; His hand on my head,
; Looked on me with an eye of favour, and dispelled my sorrows. • . :!
He hath preserved me His slave.
Embracing me, the Compassionate One, the Pardoner, wiped out all. my demerits.
Whatever I ask of my God He granteth me.
Whatever God’s slave Nanak uttereth shall prove true both in this world and the next.
God is ever man’s friend and helper-
God remembering His function alloweth not man to see the hour of trouble ;
He giVeth His hand, preserveth His own, and cherisheth them at every breath they draw.
My soul continueth devoted to God. - At the beginning and the end God is ever our helper; hail to out Friend ! • 1
• On beholding the marvellous greatness of the Lord my soul is delighted.
Nanak is happy remembering God; the omnipotent Lord hath preserved mine honour.
The vigilance of the holy:—
Deem him unfortunate who forgetteth the Lord of life, the Giver.
He whose soul is attached to God’s feet shall obtain a tank of nectar.
Thy slave awaketh in the love of God’s name ;
All sloth hath now departed from his body, and his soul is attached to the Beloved.
Wherever I look, there is God a thread on which every heart is strung.
Drinking the water of the Name, the slave Nanak hath parted with love for all beside.
Ashtapadi
The society of saints is superior to all places of pilgrimage:—
The more I bathed at sacred places the more impurity of pride I contracted ; the Lord of my heart accepted not at all my exertions.
When shall I obtain the society of the saints in which there is ever divine pleasure ? My spirit will lave therein, and I shall obtain the eye-salve of divine knowledge.
He who practiseth obstinacy, and looketh for wealth, like a crane watching a fish, shall be of no account.
Is there any such bestower of happiness as will recite to me legends of God ? when I meet such a person I shall be saved.
Jaitsari
Man amasses wealth in vain and has no real friend but God:—
Doth any one know who is a friend in this world ?
He to whom God is merciful can tell; his ways are pure.
Parents, wife* sons, relations, lovers, friends, and brethren,
Meet according to the acts of previous births,; but at the last hour none of them will aid one.
In collecting pearl necklaces, gold, rubies, diamonds, and wealth which gladdeneth the heart
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 367
Man’s life is passed: ever grumbling he is never contented.
Were he to possess elephants, carriages, steeds; swift 1 as the wind, land, and armies—
Of these none would go with him; he must depart naked.
God’s beloved saints are beloved by Him ; in their company sing God’s praises.
Nanak, when man hath the society of such saints, he is happy in this world, and his face shall be bright in the next.
The following was written after the Guru’s conversation with a Bairagi:—
O happy wives, my companions, give me, give me intelligence of my Beloved.
I am astonished at the different accounts I hear of Him ; I relate them to you.
Some say that God is altogether distinct from the world; others that He is altogether included in it.
His colour is not seen ; His outline is not distinguished; O happy wives, tell me truly—
‘ He is included in everything ; He dwelleth in every heart, yet He is not blended with anything ; He is separate.’
Nanak saith, Listen, O ye people, put the saints’ word into your hearts.
A song of rejoicing:—
Desirable is my Friend ;
Gladly sing songs of rejoicing in every house for He dwelleth in every heart.
Worship Him in weal; worship Him in : woe ; forget Him not at any time.
By repeating the Name there is the splendour of millions of suns, and the darkness of superstition vanisheth.
Thou, O God, art in all places; whatever appeareth is Thine.
Nanak, he who obtaineth the society of the saints shall not again be subject to transmigration.
Jaitsari Chhant
The Guru’s passionate thirst for God:—
I thirst day and night for a sight of Thee, O God ; I ever think of Thee night and day.
Nanak, the Guru opening the doors of my understanding hath caused me to meet God, the Friend.
Hear me, my friends, and good people, I make one representation—
I wander, O my beloved, searching for the fascinating Darling.
Show Him to me, O my beloved, grant me a sight of Him even for a little, and I will laydown my life for you.
Mine eyes are dyed with the colour of the Beloved, and rest not even for a moment.
My soul is attached to God as a fish to the water, as the thirsty chatrik to the raindrops.
The slave Nanak hath found the True Guru, and all his thirst is quenched.
O my friend, I am not equal to any of the companions of the Beloved.
O my friend, one of them is better than the other; who thinketh of me ?
Of His many companions one is better than the other, O my beloved ; the Lord ever playeth with them.
On seeing them my heart also longeth to obtain the Lord of excellences.
I would lay down my life for any one who pleased my Darling.
Nanak saith, hear my prayer, O ye happy wives, show Him to me, that I may see what my Beloved is like.
Of my friend, I love my Beloved, but He careth not for me.
mO my friend, thou hast enjoyed the Darling ; point Him out to me who inquirfeth for Him.
They on whose forehead such destiny was written,; obtain
the Darling by effacing their pride.
: God took my arm and drew me towards Him regardless
of my merits or demerits* ' , t i: ;
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 369
Everything becometh her on whom Thou hast put a garland of virtues and clothed in red. 1
Nanak, blessed is that happy wife with whom her Husband abideth.
O my friend, I have obtained Him who hath ever been the object of my vows.
The Spouse I desired hath come and congratulations have been sung.
I am in great joy and happiness ; the Beloved is kind and ever affordeth me new delight.
I have been very fortunate ; the Guru hath caused me to meet God through the true society of the saints.
My hopes and desires are all fulfilled ; my body is united with that of the Beloved.
Nanak representeth—through meeting the Guru I have obtained the object of my vows.
Man compared with a traveller who amasses no wealth:—
The world’s inhabitants are travellers filled with pride ;
Impelled by the love of mammon they commit various sins ;
They are drowned in covetousness, worldly love, and pride, and think not of death ;
They pass their lives talking of their sons, friends, worldly affairs, and wives.
When the days they were destined to remain in the world have expired, they shall suffer on beholding the myrmidons of Death.
Nanak, the deeds that have been done cannot be wiped out; why hath man not earned the wealth of God’s name ?
Man maketh many efforts in worldly affairs y but God’s name he singeth not;
Wherefore he wandereth about in numberless births, dieth, and is born again
in teats, birds, reds, trees, whose timber omot be
told.
MKH. Ill
Man reapeth what he soweth, and obtaineth the result of his own acts.
The jewel of his life he loseth in play, and pleaseth not his God.
Nanak representeth—man wandereth in error, and obtaineth not rest even for a moment.
When youth hath fled, old age sitteth down in possession.
The hands tremble, the head shaketh, and the eyes see not:
The eyes see not without worshipping God ; man leaveth his wealth and departeth.
Man’s relations with whom he hath worn out his mind and body, obey him not; nay, they throw dirt on his head.
The love of the infinite and omnipresent God abideth not for a moment in the heart.
Nanak representeth—there is no delay in the destruction of the false who are as forts of paper.
Nanak hath fallen under the protection of God’s lotus feet:
God Himself caused me to cross the rough and terrible ocean.
Meeting the company of the saints I have worshipped God, and He hath embraced and preserved me.
He hath granted my prayer and bestowed on me His name; He hath not regarded my demerits.
I have obtained God the Treasury of excellences, the Infinite whom my heart desired.
Nanak representeth—I have partaken of the feast of God’s name by which I am satiated.
Jaitsari ki War
It is said that the whole of the Jaitsari ki War was composed by the Guru as instruction to a Sikh called Tiloka. Parts of it are read daily, and the whole completed in ten days after the decease of a Sikh:—
Slok I
. In the beginning God pervaded creation, in the present
He pervadeth it, and in the future He will pervade it. •
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 371
Nanak, the saints remember the All-pervading who is the Destroyer of sin and Lord of the world.
Behold, hear, and cause others to hear, and fix the True One in thy heart.
Nanak, be absorbed in the love of God who is fully contained in all things
God's omnipotence and omnipresence :—
Pauri I
Sing of God, the only Pure One ; He is contained in everything.
He is potent to do and cause to be done : what He doeth taketh place.
In a moment He establisheth and disestablisheth ; there is none but Him.
He pervadeth the continents, the universe, the nether regions, the islands, and all worlds.
He whom God causeth to understand understandeth ; he alone is the pure man.
Why forget God who brought man forth from the womb ?—