CONTD FROM Vol 7 ISSUE 25 || 5 || They are entangled with that wealth, amassed by bankers.Without devotion to the Lord, they do not become acceptable. || 6 || They are entangled with the Vedas, religious discussions and egotism. They are entangled, and perish in attachment and corruption. || 7 || Nanak seeks the Sanctuary of the Lord’s Name. One who is saved by the True Guru, does not suffer entanglement. || 8 || 10 || RAAG AASAA, FIRST MEHL, ASHTAPADEES, THIRD HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: Those heads adorned with braided hair, with their parts painted with vermillion – those heads were shaved with scissors, and their throats were choked with dust. They lived in palatial mansions, but now, they cannot even sit near the palaces. || 1 || Hail to You, O Father Lord, Hail to You! O Primal Lord. Your limits are not known; You create, and create, and behold the scenes. || 1 || Pause || When they were married, their husbands looked so handsome beside them. They came in palanquins, decorated with ivory; water was sprinkled over their heads, and glittering fans were waved above them. || 2 || They were given hundreds of thousands of coins when they sat, and hundreds of thousands of coins when they stood. They ate coconuts and dates, and rested comfortably upon their beds. But ropes were put around their necks, and their strings of pearls were broken. || 3 || Their wealth and youthful beauty, which gave them so much pleasure, have now become their enemies. The order was given to the soldiers, who dishonored them, and carried them away. If it is pleasing to God’s Will, He bestows greatness; if is pleases His Will, He bestows punishment. || 4 || If someone focuses on the Lord beforehand, then why should he be punished? The kings had lost their higher consciousness, reveling in pleasure and sensuality. Since Baabar’s rule has been proclaimed, even the princes have no food to eat. || 5 || The Muslims have lost their five times of daily prayer, and the Hindus have lost their worship as well.Without their sacred squares, how shall the Hindu women bathe and apply the frontal marks to their foreheads? They never remembered their Lord as Raam, and now they cannot even chant Khudaa-i || 6 || Some have returned to their homes, and meeting their relatives, they ask about their safety. For some, it is pre-ordained that they shall sit and cry out in pain. Whatever pleases Him, comes to pass. O Nanak, what is the fate of mankind? || 7 || 11 || AASAA, FIRST MEHL: Where are the games, the stables, the horses? Where are the drums and the bugles? Where are the sword-belts and chariots? Where are those scarlet uniforms? Where are the rings and the beautiful faces? They are no longer to be seen here. || 1 || This world is Yours; You are the Lord of the Universe. In an instant, You establish and disestablish. You distribute wealth as it pleases You. || 1 || Pause || Where are the houses, the gates, the hotels and palaces? Where are those beautiful way-stations? Where are those beautiful women, reclining on their beds, whose beauty would not allow one to sleep?Where are those betel leaves, their sellers, and the haremees? They have vanished like shadows. || 2 || For the sake of this wealth, so many were ruined; because of this wealth, so many have been disgraced. It was not gathered without sin, and it does not go along with the dead. Those, whom the Creator Lord would destroy – first He strips them of virtue. || 3 || Millions of religious leaders failed to halt the invader, when they heard of the Emperor’s invasion. He burned the rest-houses and the ancient temples; he cut the princes limb from limb, and cast them into the dust. None of the Mugals went blind, and no one performed any miracle. || 4 || The battle raged between the Mugals and the Pat’haans, and the swords clashed on the battlefield. They took aim and fired their guns, and they attacked with their elephants. Those men whose letters were torn in the Lord’s Court, were destined to die, O Siblings of Destiny. || 5 || The Hindu women, the Muslim women, the Bhattis and the Rajputs – some had their robes torn away, from head to foot, while others came to dwell in the cremation ground. Their husbands did not return home – how did they pass their night? || 6 || The Creator Himself acts, and causes others to act. Unto whom should we complain? Pleasure and pain come by Your Will; unto whom should we go and cry? The Commander issues His Command, and is pleased. O Nanak, we receive what is written in our destiny. || 7 || 12 || AASAA, KAAFEE, FIRST MEHL, EIGHTH HOUSE, ASHTAPADEES: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: As the shepherd is in the field for only a short time, so is one in the world. Practicing falsehood, they build their homes. || 1 || Wake up! Wake up! O sleepers, see that the travelling merchant is leaving. || 1 || Pause || Go ahead and build your houses, if you think you will stay here forever and ever. The body shall fall, and the soul shall depart; if only they knew this. || 2 || Why do you cry out and mourn for the dead? The Lord is, and shall always be. You mourn for that person, but who will mourn for you? || 3 || You are engrossed in worldly entanglements, O Siblings of Destiny, and you are practicing falsehood. The dead person does not hear anything at all; your cries are heard only by other people. || 4 || Only the Lord, who causes the mortal to sleep, O Nanak, can awaken him again. One who understands his true home, does not sleep. || 5 || If the departing mortal can take his wealth with him, then go ahead and gather wealth yourself. See this, reflect upon it, and understand. || 6 || Make your deals, and obtain the true merchandise, or else you shall regret it later. Abandon your vices, and practice virtue, and you shall obtain the essence of reality. || 7 || Plant the seed of Truth in the soil of Dharmic faith, and practice such farming. Only then will you be known as a merchant, if you take your profits with you. || 8 || If the Lord shows His Mercy, one meets the True Guru; contemplating Him, one comes to understand. Then, one chants the Naam, hears the Naam, and deals only in the Naam. || 9 || As is the profit, so is the loss; this is the way of the world. Whatever pleases His Will, O Nanak, is glory for me. || 10 || 13 || AASAA, FIFTH MEHL: I have searched in the four directions, but no one is mine. If it pleases You, O Lord Master, then You are mine, and I am Yours. || 1 || There is no other door for me; where shall I go to worship? You are my only Lord; Your True Name is in my mouth. || 1 || Pause || Some serve the Siddhas, the beings of spiritual perfection, and some serve spiritual teachers; they beg for wealth and miraculous powers. May I never forget the Naam, the Name of the One Lord. This is the wisdom of the True Guru. || 2 || Why do the Yogis, the revellers, and the beggars wander in foreign lands? They do not understand the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, and the essence of excellence within them. || 3 || The Pandits, the religious scholars, the teachers and astrologers, and those who endlessly read the Puraanas, do not know what is within; God is hidden deep within them. || 4 || Some penitents perform penance in the forests, and some dwell forever at sacred shrines. The unenlightened people do not understand themselves – why have they become renunciates? || 5 || Some control their sexual energy, and are known as celibates. But without the Guru’s Word, they are not saved, and they wander in reincarnation. || 6 || Some are householders, servants, and seekers, attached to the Guru’s Teachings. They hold fast to the Naam, to charity, to cleansing and purification; they remain awake in devotion to the Lord. || 7 || Through the Guru, the Gate of the Lord’s Home is found, and that place is recognized. Nanak does not forget the Naam; his mind has surrendered to the True Lord. || 8 || 14 || AASAA, FIRST MEHL: Stilling the desires of the mind, the mortal truly crosses over the terrifying world-ocean. In the very beginning, and throughout the ages, You have been the Merciful Lord and Master; I seek Your Sanctuary. || 1 || You are the Giver, and I am a mere beggar. Lord, please grant me the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. The Gurmukh meditates on the Naam; the temple of his mind resounds with joy. || 1 || Pause || Renouncing false greed, one comes to realize the Truth. So let yourself be absorbed in the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, and know this supreme realization. || 2 || This mind is a greedy king, engrossed in greed. The Gurmukh eliminates his greed, and comes to an understanding with the Lord. || 3 || Planting the seeds in the rocky soil, how can one reap a profit? The selfwilled manmukh is not pleased with Truth; the false are buried in falsehood. || 4 || So renounce greed – you are blind! Greed only brings pain. When the True Lord dwells within the mind, the poisonous ego is conquered. || 5 || Renounce the evil way of duality, or you shall be plundered, O Siblings of Destiny. Day and night, praise the Naam, in the Sanctuary of the True Guru’s protection. || 6 || The self-willed manmukh is a rock, a stone. His life is cursed and useless. No matter now long a stone is kept under water, it still remains dry at its core. || 7 || The Name of the Lord is the treasure; the Perfect Guru has given it to me. O Nanak, one who does not forget the Naam, churns and drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar. || 8 || 15 || AASAA, FIRST MEHL: The travellers travel from one road to another. The world is engrossed in its entanglements, and does not appreciate the Truth. || 1 || Why wander around, and why go searching, when the Guru’s Shabad reveals Him to us? Leaving behind egotism and attachment, I have arrived at my own home. || 1 || Pause || Through Truth, one meets the True One; He is not obtained through falsehood. Centering your consciousness on the True Lord, you shall not have to come into the world again. || 2 || Why do you weep for the dead? You do not know how to weep. Weep by praising the True Lord, and recognize His Command. || 3 || Blessed is the birth of one who is destined to abide by the Lord’s Command. He obtains the true profit, realizing the Lord’s Command. || 4 || If it pleases the Commander, one goes to His Court, robed in honor. By His Command, God’s slaves are hit over the head. || 5 || The profit is earned by enshrining Truth and justice in the mind. They obtain what is written in their destiny, and overcome pride.

to be continued