Hymns of the Sikh Gurus
Page 13
Contemplating the Divine, we bathe in sacred places,
Contemplating the Divine, we are honoured in the Court,
Contemplating the Divine, we act for the good,
Contemplating the Divine, we blossom and bear fruit,
But they alone contemplate who are divinely inspired,
Says Nanak, I embrace their feet.
4 Divine contemplation is the highest deed,
Divine contemplation liberates multitudes,
Divine contemplation quenches our thirst,
Divine contemplation deciphers all things,
Divine contemplation dispels fear of death,
Divine contemplation fulfils our hopes,
Divine contemplation purifies our mind.
Thus does the ambrosial Name resonate in the heart.
The Divine dwells on the tongue of the faithful.
Says Nanak, I enslave myself to those who serve You.
5 Those who contemplate the Divine are wealthy,
Those who contemplate the Divine are respected,
Those who contemplate the Divine are admired,
Those who contemplate the Divine are true leaders,
Those who contemplate the Divine are totally free,
Those who contemplate the Divine are rulers of all,
Those who contemplate the Divine abide in bliss,
Those who contemplate the Divine are ever invincible.
Only they who receive divine compassion begin
to contemplate.
Says Nanak, I seek the dust of their feet.
6 Those who contemplate the Divine are kind and charitable,
Those who contemplate the Divine, I offer myself to them,
Those who contemplate the Divine have beautiful faces,
Those who contemplate the Divine enjoy comfortable lives,
Those who contemplate the Divine conquer their egos,
Those who contemplate the Divine live morally,
Those who contemplate the Divine have countless joys,
Those who contemplate the Divine live close to the One.
Through the grace of the faithful, we remain alert
day and night.
Says Nanak, contemplation is the lot of the fortunate.
7 Contemplating the Divine, all tasks are fulfilled,
Contemplating the Divine, we are never embittered,
Contemplating the Divine, our words are praise,
Contemplating the Divine, we are at peace,
Contemplating the Divine, we approach the
immutable Seat,
Contemplating the Divine, the heart blossoms,
Contemplating the Divine, the wondrous melody is heard.
Infinite is the peace of divine contemplation.
Only they who receive divine favour contemplate.
Says Nanak, I seek their refuge.
8 Through Divine contemplation, our devotion is revealed,
Through Divine contemplation, the Vedas were inspired,
Through Divine contemplation, many become saintly, ascetic and compassionate,
Through Divine contemplation, the lowly win fame in all four directions,
Through Divine contemplation, the entire earth was
established,
Contemplate, contemplate the Divine, the Cause
of all causes,
Through Divine contemplation, all visible forms are seen,
In Divine contemplation, the Formless One exists.
They who are divinely enlightened,
Says Nanak, through the Guru they alone receive
the gift of contemplation.
2 You are the dispeller of the pain and suffering of the poor.
You pervade each and every heart,
Protector of the unprotected.
I have come to seek Your shelter, says Nanak,
stand by my side.
1 Where there is no mother, father, son, friend, or brother,
There, my mind, the Name is our only aid.
When the fearful ambassadors of Death oppress us,
Then the Name will be our only ally.
When we are caught in grievous troubles,
At once the Name frees us.
Where endless atonements do not save us,
The Name dispels our countless misdeeds.
My mind, meditate upon the Name;
Says Nanak, so do we find boundless joy.
2 Conquering the world, the conqueror still suffers;
Contemplating the Name alone brings joy.
Piling up millions, the river of desire flows on and on;
Contemplating the Name alone takes us
to the shore of freedom.
The countless pleasures of the visible world
do not quench our thirst;
Contemplation of the Name alone brings satisfaction.
On the path to death we walk by ourselves;
Contemplation of the Name is our sole companion
and comfort.
May we always contemplate the Name.
Says Nanak, by the grace of the Guru we attain supreme bliss.
3 A million arms may come to our rescue,
But only contemplation of the Name can save us.
When countless troubles strike us,
At once, the Name frees us.
Caught in the wheel of endless births and deaths,
We find lasting peace by contemplating the Name.
The filth of ego is hard to cleanse,
But a million faults are washed away by contemplating the Name.
My mind, contemplate this Name with radiant love,
Says Nanak, contemplate in the company of the faithful.
4 As we journey along the endless road,
The Name is our wholesome fare.
As we journey blind along a dark path
The Name is our shining light.
On a journey where no one knows us,
The Name is our distinctive crest.
On a dreadful journey in searing heat,
The Name is our refreshing shade.
On a journey where thirsty desires tug at us,
Says Nanak, the life-giving ambrosial Name showers
down upon us.
5 The daily round of the faithful turns on the Name,
The Name dwells in the mind of the holy ones,
The Name is the refuge of the devotees,
Countless people are liberated by the Name,
Day and night, the holy ones sing praise of the Divine.
The Name is their medicine for all ills,
The Name is a treasure for those
Who are blessed by the Transcendent.
Their minds and bodies shine with the bright colours of the One,
Says Nanak, they are truly wise and discerning.
6 The Name is our path to liberation,
The Name is our wholesome fare,
The Name is our beauty and charm.
With the Name, we are never blocked.
The Name is our honour,
The Name brings us glory,
The Name is our joy and union.
With the Name, we feel no alienation.
The devotees are dyed deep in service to the Name,
Says Nanak, I worship the Ultimate.
7 The Divine is the wealth and treasure of the devotees,
By the One they are blessed with the sacred Treasure.
The Divine One is the mighty support of the devotees,
They recognize no other besides the Light,
Every thread of their being is drenched in love.
Drunk with the Name, they are wrapped in silence,
Day and night they meditate upon the Name.
They are known throughout the world, their fame cannot be concealed.
Contemplation liberates countless devotees,
Says Nanak, and they liberate so many more.
8 The Name is the celestial tree, Its fruit fulfils our hunger,
&nbs
p; The Name is the celestial cow, Its milk quenches our thirst.
Sacred discourse is the greatest joy,
Hearing the Name, pain and suffering end.
The glory of the Name resonates in the heart of the faithful,
When the faithful are inspired, all misdeeds flee.
To join the company of the faithful is a great blessing,
By serving the faithful, we remember the Name.
The Name has no equal,
Says Nanak, few are they who attain It.
3 There are so many sacred texts and I have searched them all.
But they do not reach the Name, says Nanak,
that is priceless above all.
1 Practise meditation, austerity, knowledge and concentration,
Discuss all six philosophies and countless sacred texts,
Perform yoga and various rituals,
Renounce the world and wander in the forest;
Whatever we may do—
Give charity to the poor, and rich butter to the god of fire,
Cut the body into pieces, offer them in a holocaust,
Observe all kinds of fasts and vows—
None comes close to contemplation of the Name.
Says Nanak, through the Guru’s guidance,
meditate upon the Name just once.
2 Were we to roam the nine continents, and live
the longest life,
Were we to renounce the world and become
the greatest ascetic,
Were we to offer our body to the fire,
Were we to give away gold, thoroughbred horses
and lands in charity,
Were we to perform purification and yoga,
Were we to take up the strict disciplines of the Jain way,
Were we to have our body cut in tiny pieces,
Even then the filth of ego would not go.
There is nothing that equals the Name,
Says Nanak, through the Guru’s guidance,
contemplation of the Name emancipates us.
3 We may die at our chosen holy place,
But pride and ego do not die.
We may cleanse ourselves day and night,
But the filth of the mind is never cleansed.
Our body may practise great discipline,
But the deadly desires do not leave our mind.
We may bathe our mortal body to excess,
But can that wall of mud ever be cleansed?
My mind, the glory of the Name is supreme,
Says Nanak, through the Name,
many evil-doers have been redeemed.
4 Clever deeds will not erase the fear of death,
Countless acts will not allay our thirst,
Different clothes will not douse the fire of desire,
Countless devices will not admit us to the Court.
Whether we fly into the sky or sink into the underworld,
we will not escape,
We are ensnared in the net of attachment cast by the
visible world.
The god of death punishes all other actions
And accepts nothing but remembrance of the Name.
By contemplating the Name suffering departs;
Thus do I speak spontaneously, says Nanak.
5 If we want to achieve the four goals of life,
We must serve the faithful.
If we want to end our suffering,
We must always recite the Name in our heart.
If we want honour for ourselves,
We must abandon our ego and join the company
of the faithful.
If we fear the cycle of life and death,
We must seek refuge with the faithful.
They who long to envisage the One
Says Nanak, I offer myself to them.
6 That person is supreme
Who has overcome ego in the company of the faithful.
Such a one whose self-regard is the lowest
Truly should be reckoned as the highest.
This one, as humble as the dust on everyone’s feet,
Discerns the presence of the Name in every heartbeat.
This one whose mind is wiped clean of evil
Knows all creation as a good friend.
Such a person views suffering and joy alike.
Says Nanak, such a one transcends good and evil.
7 For the destitute, Your Name is wealth,
For the homeless, Your Name is home,
For the lowly, Your Name is honour,
You grant Your gifts to every heart.
Creator of all and Cause of all causes,
You understand our deepest thoughts,
You alone can grasp Your vastness,
You are suffused in Your own radiance,
You alone can fully praise Yourself,
Says Nanak, no other can fathom You.
8 The best faith of all faiths
Is to contemplate the Name and live in purity.
The supreme ritual of all rituals
Is to dispel ill-will in the company of the faithful.
The cardinal venture of all ventures
Is to meditate constantly on the Name.
The immortal language of all languages
Is to hear and recite the Divine glory.
The best place of all places
Is the body where dwells the Name, says Nanak.
4 My ignorant and worthless self, always remember the One.
Remember the one who created you, says Nanak,
only the One will stand by you till the end.
1 Let us recall the wondrous gifts of the all-pervading One,
Who brings us from seed to this beautiful form,
Who sculpts and embellishes us perfectly,
Who protects us in the heat of the womb,
Who nourishes us with milk in our childhood,
Who feeds us treats and pleasures in our brimming youth,
Who draws our kin near to care for us in old age,
Who provides for us in our bed at the very end,
We worthless ones do not see the divine virtues,
Says Nanak, our life only succeeds with Your blessing.
2 By Whose blessing we live comfortably on earth
And rejoice with our children, relatives, friends and wives,
By Whose blessing we drink cool water
And enjoy the priceless comforts of air and fire,
By Whose blessing we revel in all joys,
And dwell in the midst of this vast panorama,
By Whose blessing we receive hands, feet, ears, eyes and tongue,
That One we abandon and attend to another.
Such is the sorry state of the ignorant and the blind.
Says Nanak, rescue us Yourself, Infinite One.
3 The One supports us from beginning to end,
The fool does not love That One.
Service of the One wins us the nine treasures,
The dupe is not attracted to That One.
The Sovereign is always present at our side,
The blind imagines That One is far away.
Serving the One brings glory in the hereafter,
The ignorant fool ignores That One.
We are always forgetful and mistaken.
Says Nanak, save us, our infinite Saviour.
4 We discard the Jewel, and busy ourselves with shells,
We discard the Truth, and consume ourselves with lies.
What is ephemeral, we clutch as eternal,
What is inevitable, we carelessly dismiss,
What is in flux, we ardently clasp.
Our everlasting Companion, we rashly forsake.
We wash away the sandalwood fragrance,
And like an ass, roll blithely in dust.
We have fallen into the dreadful well of ignorance,
Says Nanak, Compassionate One, lift us up.
5 Our caste is human but our deeds are bestial,
Day and night we s
pend in deceit.
Outside we are pious, inside we seethe with profanity,
We cannot hide however much we try.
We display scholarship, discipline and purity,
We conceal greed’s barking dog inside.
The fire of lust burns within, penitential ashes
clothe our body.
With stones tied around our neck, how can we
swim across the ocean?
Those in whom the One dwells,
Says Nanak, they are wrapped in serenity.
6 How are the blind to find their way by hearing?
Led by the hand, they reach their destination.
How can the deaf solve riddles?
What we call night, they think of as day.
How can the mute sing songs of devotion?
When they try, the tune is lost.
How can the disabled build houses on mountains?
They cannot ascend those heights.
Our compassionate Creator, we make our prayer to You,
Says Nanak, we are liberated only by Your favour.
7 We have forgotten our everlasting Friend,
And fallen in love with the enemy.
We dwell in a house of sand,
Absorbed in the games of the visible world.
We firmly believe in fleeting illusions,
The thought of death never occurs to our ignorant self.
In enmity, hate, lust, anger, attachment,
In lies, misdeeds, greed and deceit,
Ensnared in these, we have migrated from life to life.
Says Nanak, in Your benevolence—save us.
8 You are our Sovereign, to You we pray.
Our body and life are Your gifts.
You are our Mother, You are our Father,
and we are Your children.
Your grace is the source of our countless joys.
No one knows Your extent,
Higher than the Highest is our Creator.
All existence is perfectly beaded on Your thread,
All that happens is by Your Will.
Your reality, Your dimensions, You alone know,
Says Nanak the slave, I offer myself ever to You.
5 Abandoning the gracious Giver, we addict ourselves to other
delights and never succeed.
Says Nanak, without the Name, we lose all honour.
1 The ten gifts we receive, we quickly forget,