Month: October 2014

contined from vol 8 issue 41

Words of brother’s deep devotion Rama heard with grateful heart,
And with Sita and with Lakshman for the woods prepared to part: Part we then from loving kinsmen, arms and mighty weapons bring, Bows of war which Lord VARUNA rendered to Videha’s king,
Coats of mail to sword impervious, quivers which can never fail, And the rapiers bright as sunshine, goldenhilted, tempered wen,
Safely rest these goodly weapons in our great preceptor’s hall,
Seekand bring them, faithful brother, for me thinks we need them all!” Rama spake; his valiant brother then the wondrous weapons brought, Wreathed with fresh and fragrant garlands and with gold and jewels wrought,
“Welcome, brother,” uttered Rama, “stronger thus to woods we go,
Wealth and gold and useless treasure to the holy priests bestow,
To the son of saint Vasishtha, to each sage is honour due, Then we leave our father’s mansions, to our father’s mandate true!”

MOTHER’S BLESSINGS

Tears of sorrow and of suffering flowed from Queen Kausalya’s eye,
As she saw departing Sita for her blessings drawing nigh, And she clasped the gentle Sits, and she kissed her moistened head,
And her tears like summer tempest choked the loving words she said: “Part we,
dear devoted daughter,
to thy husband ever true, With a woman’s whole affection render love to husband’s due! False are women loved and cherished, gentle in their speech and word, When misfortune’s shadows gather,
who are faithless to their lord, Who through years of sunny splendour smile and pass the livelong day,
When misfortune’s darkness thickens, from their husband turn away,
Who with changeful fortune changing oft ignore the plighted word,
And forget a woman’s duty, woman’s faith to wedded lord,
Who to holy love inconstant from their wedded consort part, Manly deed nor manly virtue wins the changeful woman’s heart! But the true and righteous woman, loving, spouse and changeless wife,
Faithful to her lord and consort holds him dearer than her life,
Ever true and righteous Sita, follow still my godlike son,
Like a God to thee is Rama in the woods or on the throne!” “I shall do my duty, mother,” said the wife with wifely pride, “Like a God to me is Rama,
Sita shall not leave his side, From the Moon will part his lustre ere I part from wedded lord,
Ere from faithful wife’s devotion falter in my deed or word, For the stringless lute is silent, idle is the wheel-less car, And no wife the loveless consort,
inauspicious is her star! Small the measure of affection which the sire and brother prove, Measureless to wedded woman is her lord and husband’s love,
True to Law and true to Scriptures, true to woman’s plighted word,
Can I ever be, my mother, faithless, loveless to my lord?” Tears of joy and mingled sorrow filled the Queen Kausalya’s eye, As she marked the faithful Sita true in heart, in virtue high,
And she wept the tears of sadness when with sweet obeisance due,
Spake with hands in meekness folded Rama ever good and true: “Sorrow not, my loving mother, trust in virtue’s changeless beam, Swift will fly the years of exile like a brief and transient dream,
Girt by faithful friends and forces,
blest by righteous Gods above, Thou shalt see thy son returning to thy bosom and thy love! Unto all the royal ladies Rama his obeisance paid, For his failings unremembered,
blessings and forgiveness prayed, And his words were soft and gentle, and they wept to see him go, Like the piercing cry of curlew rose the piercing voice of woe,
And in halls where drum and tabor rose in joy and regal pride, Voice of grief and lamentation sounded far and sounded wide! Then the true and faithful Lakshman parted from each weeping dame,
And to sorrowing Queen Sumitra with his due obeisance came, And he bowed to Queen Sumitra and his mother kissed his head,
Stilled her anguish-laden bosom and in trembling accents said: Dear devoted duteous Lakshman,
ever to thy elder true, When thy elder wends to forest, forest-life to thee is due,
Thou hast served him true and faithful in his glory and his fame,
This is Law for true and righteous,—serve him in his woe and shame,
This is Law for race of Raghu known on earth for holy might, Bounteous in their sacred duty,
brave and warlike in the fight! Therefore tend him as thy father, as thy mother tend his wife,
And to thee, like fair Ayodhya be thy humble forest life, Go, my son, the voice of Duty bids my gallant Lakshman go, Serve thy elder with devotion and with valour meet thy foe

CITIZENS’ LAMENT

Spake Sumantra chariot-driver waiting by the royal car, “Haste thee, mighty-destined Rama,
for we wander long and far, Fourteen years in Dandak’s forest shall the righteous Rama stray, Such is Dasa-ratha’s mandate, haste thee Rama and obey.” Queenly Sita bright-apparelled,
with a strong and trusting heart, Mounted on the car of splendour for the pathless woods to part,
And the king for needs providing gave her robes and precious store,
For the many years of exile in a far and unknown shore, And a wealth of warlike weapons to the exiled princes gave, Bow and dart and linkéd armour,
sword and shield and lances brave. Then the gallant brothers mounted on the gold-emblazoned car, For unending was the journey and the wilderness was far, Skilled Sumantra saw them seated,
urged the swiftly-flying steed, Faster than the speed of tempest was the noble coursers’ speed.
And they parted for the forest; like a long unending night,
Gloomy shades of grief and sadness deepened on the city’s might,
Mute and dumb but conscious creatures felt the woe the city bore, Horses neighed and shook their bright bells,
elephants returned a roar! Man and boy and maid and matron followed Rama with their eye, As the thirsty seek the water when the parchéd fields are dry, Clinging to the rapid chariot,
by its side, before, behind,

TO BE CONTINUED

CONTD FROM Vol 8 ISSUE 42

|| 1 || So what should I say to this crazy mind, which is affectionately attached to them? The Lord is the Master of the meek, the Destroyer of all fears, and I have forgotten to praise Him. || 2 || Like a dog’s tail, which will never straighten out, the mind will not change, no matter how many things are tried. Says Nanak, please, Lord, uphold the honor of Your innate nature; I chant Your Name.

|| 3 || 9 || SORAT’H, NINTH MEHL: O mind, you have not accepted the Guru’s Teachings. What is the use of shaving your head, and wearing saffron robes? || 1 || Pause || Abandoning Truth, you cling to falsehood; your life is uselessly wasting away. Practicing hypocrisy, you fill your belly, and then sleep like an animal. || 1 || You do not know the Way of the Lord’s meditation; you have sold yourself into Maya’s hands. The madman remains entangled in vice and corruption; he has forgotten the jewel of the Naam.

|| 2 || He remains thoughtless, not thinking of the Lord of the Universe; his life is uselessly passing away. Says Nanak, O Lord, please, confirm your innate nature; this mortal is continually making mistakes. || 3 || 10 || SORAT’H, NINTH MEHL: That man, who in the midst of pain, does not feel pain, who is not affected by pleasure, affection or fear, and who looks alike upon gold and dust;

|| 1 || Pause || Who is not swayed by either slander or praise, nor affected by greed, attachment or pride; who remains unaffected by joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor; || 1 || who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world; who is not touched by sexual desire or anger – within his heart, God dwells. || 2 || That man, blessed by Guru’s Grace, understands this way. O Nanak, he merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water.

|| 3 || 11 || SORAT’H, NINTH MEHL: O dear friend, know this in your mind. The world is entangled in its own pleasures; no one is for anyone else. || 1 || Pause || In good times, many come and sit together, surrounding you on all four sides. But when hard times come, they all leave, and no one comes near you. || 1 || Your wife, whom you love so much, and who has remained ever attached to you, runs away crying, “Ghost! Ghost!”, as soon as the swan-soul leaves this body.

|| 2 || This is the way they act – those whom we love so much. At the very last moment, O Nanak, no one is any use at all, except the Dear Lord. || 3 || 12 || 139 || SORAT’H, FIRST MEHL, FIRST HOUSE, ASHTAPADEES, CHAU-TUKAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: I am not torn by duality, because I do not worship any other than the Lord; I do not visit tombs or crematoriums. I do not enter the houses of strangers, engrossed in desire. The Naam, the Name of the Lord, has satisfied my desires. Deep within my heart, the Guru has shown me the home of my being, and my mind is imbued with peace and poise, O Siblings of Destiny. You Yourself are all-knowing, and You Yourself are all-seeing; You alone bestow intelligence, O Lord.

|| 1 || My mind is detached, imbued with detachment; the Word of the Shabad has pierced my mind, O my mother. God’s Light shines continually within the nucleus of my deepest self; I am lovingly attached to the Bani, the Word of the True Lord Master. || Pause || Countless detached renunciates talk of detachment and renunciation, but he alone is a true renunciate, who is pleasing to the Lord Master. The Word of the Shabad is ever in his heart; he is absorbed in the Fear of God, and he works to serve the Guru. He remembers the One Lord, his mind does not waver, and he restrains its wanderings. He is intoxicated with celestial bliss, and is ever imbued with the Lord’s Love; he sings the Glorious Praises of the True Lord.

|| 2 || The mind is like the wind, but if it comes to rest in peace, even for an instant, then he shall abide in the peace of the Name, O Siblings of Destiny. His tongue, eyes and ears are imbued with Truth; O Lord, You quench the fires of desire. In hope, the renunciate remains free of hopes; in the home of his own inner self, he is absorbed in the trance of deep meditation. He remains content, satisfied with the charity of the Naam; he drinks in the Ambrosial Amrit with ease.

|| 3 || There is no renunciation in duality, as long as there is even a particle of duality. The whole world is Yours, Lord; You alone are the Giver. There is not any other, O Siblings of Destiny. The self-willed manmukh dwells in misery forever, while the Lord bestows greatness upon the Gurmukh. God is infinite, endless, inaccessible and unfathomable; His worth cannot be described.

|| 4 || The consciousness in deep Samaadhi, the Supreme Being, the Lord of the three worlds – these are Your Names, Lord. The creatures born into this world have their destiny inscribed upon their foreheads; they experience according to their destinies. The Lord Himself causes them to do good and bad deeds; He Himself makes them steadfast in devotional worship. The filth of their mind and mouth is washed off when they live in the Fear of God; the inaccessible Lord Himself blesses them with spiritual wisdom.

|| 5 || Only those who taste it know its sweet taste, like the mute, who eats the candy, and only smiles. How can I describe the indescribable, O Siblings of Destiny? I shall follow His Will forever. If one meets with the Guru, the Generous Giver, then he understands; those who have no Guru cannot understand this. As the Lord causes us to act, so do we act, O Siblings of Destiny. What other clever tricks can anyone try?

|| 6 || Some are deluded by doubt, while others are imbued with devotional worship; Your play is infinite and endless. As You engage them, they receive the fruits of their rewards; You alone are the One who issues Your Commands. I would serve You, if anything were my own; my soul and body are Yours. One who meets with the True Guru, by His Grace, takes the Support of the Ambrosial Naam.

|| 7 || He dwells in the heavenly realms, and his virtues radiantly shine forth; meditation and spiritual wisdom are found in virtue. The Naam is pleasing to his mind; he speaks it, and causes others to speak it as well. He speaks the essential essence of wisdom. The Word of the Shabad is his Guru and spiritual teacher, profound and unfathomable; without the Shabad, the world is insane. He is a perfect renunciate, naturally at ease, O Nanak, whose mind is pleased with the True Lord.

|| 8 || 1 || SORAT’H, FIRST MEHL, TI-TUKAS: Hope and desire are entrapments, O Siblings of Destiny. Religious rituals and ceremonies are traps. Because of good and bad deeds, one is born into the world, O Siblings of Destiny; forgetting the Naam, the Name of the Lord, he is ruined. This Maya is the enticer of the world, O Siblings of Destiny; all such actions are corrupt.

|| 1 || Listen, O ritualistic Pandit: that religious ritual which produces happiness, O Siblings of Destiny, is contemplation of the essence of the soul. || Pause || You may stand and recite the Shaastras and the Vedas, O Siblings of Destiny, but these are just worldly actions. Filth cannot be washed away by hypocrisy, O Siblings of Destiny; the filth of corruption and sin is within you. This is how the spider is destroyed, O Siblings of Destiny, by falling head-long in its own web.

|| 2 || So many are destroyed by their own evil-mindedness, O Siblings of Destiny; in the love of duality, they are ruined.Without the True Guru, the Name is not obtained, O Siblings of Destiny; without the Name, doubt does not depart. If one serves the True Guru, then he obtains peace, O Siblings of Destiny; his comings and goings are ended.

|| 3 || True celestial peace comes from the Guru, O Siblings of Destiny; the immaculate mind is absorbed into the True Lord. One who serves the Guru, understands, O Siblings of Destiny; without the Guru, the way is not found. What can anyone do, with greed within? O Siblings of Destiny, by telling lies, they eat poison.

|| 4 || O Pandit, by churning cream, butter is produced. By churning water, you shall only see water, O Siblings of Destiny; this world is like that. Without the Guru, he is ruined by doubt, O Siblings of Destiny; the unseen Divine Lord is in each and every heart.

|| 5 || This world is like a thread of cotton, O Siblings of Destiny, which Maya has tied on all ten sides.Without the Guru, the knots cannot be untied, O Siblings of Destiny; I am so tired of religious rituals. This world is deluded by doubt, O Siblings of Destiny; no one can say anything about it.

|| 6 || Meeting with the Guru, the Fear of God comes to abide in the mind; to die in the Fear of God is one’s true destiny. In the Court of the Lord, the Naam is far superior to ritualistic cleansing baths, charity and good deeds, O Siblings of Destiny. One who implants the Naam within himself, through the Guru’s halter – O Siblings of Destiny, the Lord dwells in his mind, and he is free of hypocrisy.

|| 7 || This body is the jeweller’s shop, O Siblings of Destiny; the incomparable Naam is the merchandise. The merchant secures this merchandise, O Siblings of Destiny, by contemplating the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. Blessed is the merchant, O Nanak, who meets the Guru, and engages in this trade.

|| 8 || 2 || SORAT’H, FIRST MEHL: Those who serve the True Guru, O Beloved, their companions are saved as well. No one blocks their way, O Beloved, and the Lord’s Ambrosial Nectar is on their tongue.Without the Fear of God, they are so heavy that they sink and drown, O Beloved; but the Lord, casting His Glance of Grace, carries them across. || 1 || I ever praise You, O Beloved, I ever sing Your Praises. Without the boat, one is drowned in the sea of fear, O Beloved; how can I reach the distant shore?

|| 1 || Pause || I praise the Praiseworthy Lord, O Beloved; there is no other one to praise. Those who praise my God are good, O Beloved; they are imbued with the Word of the Shabad, and His Love. If I join them, O Beloved, I can churn the essence and so find joy.

|| 2 || The gateway to honor is Truth, O Beloved; it bears the Insignia of the True Name of the Lord.We come into the world, and we depart, with our destiny written and preordained, O Beloved; realize the Command of the Commander.Without the Guru, this Command is not understood, O Beloved; True is the Power of the True Lord.

|| 3 || By His Command, we are conceived, O Beloved, and by His Command, we grow in the womb. By His Command, we are born, O Beloved, head-first, and upside-down. The Gurmukh is honored in the Court of the Lord, O Beloved; he departs after resolving his affairs.

|| 4 || By His Command, one comes into the world, O Beloved, and by His Will, he goes. By His Will, some are bound and gagged and driven away, O Beloved; the self-willed manmukhs suffer their punishment. By His Command, the Word of the Shabad, is realized, O Beloved, and one goes to the Court of the Lord robed in honor.

|| 5 || By His Command, some accounts are accounted for, O Beloved; by His Command, some suffer in egotism and duality. By His Command, one wanders in reincarnation, O Beloved; deceived by sins and demerits, he cries out in his suffering.

TO BE CONTINUED