The Guru Granth Sahib: Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Spiritual Verses and Teachings
Summary: This section presents the Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars from the Guru Granth Sahib, the central religious text of Sikhism compiled by Guru Arjan Dev. The Guru Granth Sahib is revered as a living Guru in the Sikh tradition and contains profound spiritual teachings, hymns, and devotional verses. Readers will find an indexed collection of these shaloks with their original compositions and translations.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 001
One Universal Creator God. Truth Is The Name. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred.
Image Of The Undying. Beyond Birth. Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace:
Shaloks In Addition To
The Vaars.
First Mehl:
O you with swollen breasts, let your consciousness become deep and
profound.
O mother-in-law, how can I bow? Because of my stiff nipples, I cannot bow.
O sister, those
mansions built as high as mountains
- I have seen them come crumbling down. O bride, do not
be so proud of your nipples. ||1||
O bride with deer-like eyes, listen to the words of deep
and infinite wisdom.
First, examine the merchandise, and then, make the deal.
Proclaim that
you will not associate with evil people; celebrate victory with your friends.
This proclamation,
to meet with your friends, O bride - give it some thought.
Surrender mind and body to the Lord
your Friend; this is the most excellent pleasure.
Do not fall in love with one who is destined
to leave.
O Nanak, I am a sacrifice to those who understand this. ||2||
If you wish to
swim across the water, then consult those who know how to swim.
Those who have survived these
treacherous waves are very wise. ||3||
The storm rages and the rain floods the land; thousands
of waves rise and surge.
If you cry out for help from the True Guru, you have nothing to fear
- your boat will not sink. ||4||
O Nanak, what has happened to the world?
There is no guide
or friend.
There is no love, even among brothers and relatives.
For the sake of the world,
people have lost their faith. ||5||
They cry and weep and wail.
They slap their faces and
pull their hair out.
But if they chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord, they shall be absorbed
into it.
O Nanak, I am a sacrifice to them. ||6||
O my mind, do not waver or walk on the
crooked path; take the straight and true path.
The terrible tiger is behind you, and the pool
of fire is ahead.
My soul is skeptical and doubtful, but I cannot see any other way to go.
O Nanak, as Gurmukh, dwell with your Beloved Lord, and you shall be saved. ||7||
The tiger
is killed, and the mind is killed, through the Teachings of the True Guru.
One who understands
himself, meets with the Lord, and never dies again.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 002
One who sees the One and Only Lord with his eyes - his hands shall not get muddy and dirty.
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs are saved; the Guru has surrounded the ocean with the embankment of Truth.
||8||
If you wish to put out the fire, then look for water; without the Guru, the ocean of
water is not found.
You shall continue to wander lost in reincarnation through birth and death,
even if you do thousands of other deeds.
But you shall not be taxed by the Messenger of Death,
if you walk in harmony with the Will of the True Guru.
O Nanak, the immaculate, immortal status
is obtained, and the Guru will unite you in the Lord's Union. ||9||
The crow rubs and washes
itself in the mud puddle.
Its mind and body are polluted with its own mistakes and demerits,
and its beak is filled with dirt.
The swan in the pool associated with the crow, not knowing
that it was evil.
Such is the love of the faithless cynic; understand this, O spiritually wise
ones, through love and devotion.
So proclaim the victory of the Society of the Saints, and
act as Gurmukh.
Immaculate and pure is that cleansing bath, O Nanak, at the sacred shrine of
the Guru's river. ||10||
What should I account as the rewards of this human life, if one does not feel love and devotion
to the Lord?
Wearing clothes and eating food is useless, if the mind is filled with the love
of duality.
Seeing and hearing is false, if one speaks lies.
O Nanak, praise the Naam, the
Name of the Lord; everything else is coming and going in egotism. ||11||
The Saints are few
and far between; everything else in the world is just a pompous show. ||12||
O Nanak, one who
is struck by the Lord dies instantaneously; the power to live is lost.
If someone dies by such
a stroke, then he is accepted.
He alone is struck, who is struck by the Lord; after such a
stroke, he is approved.
The arrow of love, shot by the All-knowing Lord, cannot be pulled out.
||13||
Who can wash the unbaked clay pot?
Joining the five elements together, the Lord made
a false cover.
When it pleases Him, He makes it right.
The supreme light shines forth, and
the celestial song vibrates and resounds. ||14||
Those who are totally blind in their minds,
do not have the integrity to keep their word.
With their blind minds, and their upside-down
heart-lotus, they look totally ugly.
Some know how to speak and understand what they are told.
Those people are wise and good-looking.
Some do not know the Sound-current of the Naad, spiritual
wisdom or the joy of song. They do not even understand good and bad.
Some have no idea of perfection,
wisdom or understanding; they know nothing about the mystery of the Word.
O Nanak, those people
are really donkeys; they have no virtue or merit, but still, they are very proud. ||15||
He
alone is a Brahmin, who knows God.
He chants and meditates, and practices austerity and good
deeds.
He keeps to the Dharma, with faith, humility and contentment.
Breaking his bonds,
he is liberated.
Such a Brahmin is worthy of being worshipped. ||16||
He alone is a Kh'shaatriyaa,
who is a hero in good deeds.
He uses his body to give in charity;
he understands his farm,
and plants the seeds of generosity.
Such a Kh'shaatriyaa is accepted in the Court of the Lord.
Whoever practices greed, possessiveness and falsehood,
shall receive the fruits of his own
labors. ||17||
Do not heat your body like a furnace, or burn your bones like firewood.
What
have your head and feet done wrong? See your Husband Lord within yourself. ||18||
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 003
God the Cosmic Husband dwells within all hearts; without Him, there is no heart at all.
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs are the happy, virtuous soul-brides; the Lord is revealed to them. ||19||
If you desire to play this game of love with Me,
then step onto My Path with your head in hand.
When you place your feet on this Path,
give Me your head, and do not pay any attention to public
opinion. ||20||
False is friendship with the false and greedy. False is its foundation.
O Moollah, no one knows where death shall strike. ||21||
Without spiritual wisdom, the people
worship ignorance.
They grope in the darkness, in the love of duality. ||22||
Without the
Guru, there is no spiritual wisdom; without Dharma, there is no meditation.
Without Truth,
there is no credit; without capital, there is no balance. ||23||
The mortals are sent into
the world; then, they arise and depart.
There is no joy in this. ||24||
Raam Chand, sad
at heart, assembled his army and forces.
The army of monkeys was at his service; his mind and
body became eager for war.
Raawan captured his wife Sita, and Lachhman was cursed to die.
O Nanak, the Creator Lord is the Doer of all; He watches over all, and destroys what He has created.
||25||
In his mind, Raam Chand mourned for Sita and Lachhman.
Then, he remembered Hanuman
the monkey-god, who came to him.
The misguided demon did not understand that God is the Doer
of deeds.
O Nanak, the actions of the Self-existent Lord cannot be erased. ||26||
The city
of Lahore suffered terrible destruction for four hours. ||27||
Third Mehl:
The city of Lahore
is a pool of ambrosial nectar, the home of praise. ||28||
First Mehl:
What are the signs
of a prosperous person? His stores of food never run out.
Prosperity dwells in his home, with
the sounds of girls and women.
All the women of his home shout and cry over useless things.
Whatever he takes, he does not give back. Seeking to earn more and more, he is troubled and uneasy.
||29||
O lotus, your leaves were green, and your blossoms were gold.
What pain has burnt
you, and made your body black? O Nanak, my body is battered.
I have not received that water
which I love.
Seeing it, my body blossomed forth, and I was blessed with a deep and beautiful
color. ||30||
No one lives long enough to accomplish all he wishes.
Only the spiritually
wise live forever; they are honored for their intuitive awareness.
Bit by bit, life passes
away, even though the mortal tries to hold it back.
O Nanak, unto whom should we complain?
Death takes one's life away without anyone's consent. ||31||
Do not blame the Sovereign Lord;
when someone grows old, his intellect leaves him.
The blind man talks and babbles, and then
falls into the ditch. ||32||
All that the Perfect Lord does is perfect; there is not too little,
or too much.
O Nanak, knowing this as Gurmukh, the mortal merges into the Perfect Lord God.
||33||
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 004
Shalok, Third Mehl:
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Do not
call the wandering beggars holy men, if their minds are filled with doubt.
Whoever gives to
them, O Nanak, earns the same sort of merit. ||1||
One who begs for the supreme status of the
Fearless and Immaculate Lord
- how rare are those who have the opportunity, O Nanak, to give
food to such a person. ||2||
If I were a religious scholar, an astrologer, or one who could
recite the four Vedas,
I could be famous throughout the nine regions of the earth, for my wisdom
and thoughtful contemplation. ||3||
If a Brahmin kills a cow or a female infant, and accepts
the offerings of an evil person,
he is cursed with the leprosy of curses and criticism; he
is forever and ever filled with egotistical pride.
One who forgets the Naam, O Nanak, is covered
by countless sins.
Let all wisdom be burnt away, except for the essence of spiritual wisdom.
||4||
No one can erase that primal destiny written upon one's forehead.
O Nanak, whatever
is written there, comes to pass. He alone understands, who is blessed by God's Grace. ||5||
Those who forget the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and become attached to greed and fraud,
are
engrossed in the entanglements of Maya the enticer, with the fire of desire within them.
Those
who, like the pumpkin vine, are too stubborn climb the trellis, are cheated by Maya the cheater.
The self-willed manmukhs are bound and gagged and led away; the dogs do not join the herd of cows.
The Lord Himself misleads the misguided ones, and He Himself unites them in His Union.
O Nanak,
the Gurmukhs are saved; they walk in harmony with the Will of the True Guru. ||6||
I praise
the Praiseworthy Lord, and sing the Praises of the True Lord.
O Nanak, the One Lord alone is
True; stay away from all other doors. ||7||
O Nanak, wherever I go, I find the True Lord.
Wherever I look, I see the One Lord. He reveals Himself to the Gurmukh. ||8||
The Word of the
Shabad is the Dispeller of sorrow, if one enshrines it in the mind.
By Guru's Grace, it dwells
in the mind; by God's Mercy, it is obtained. ||9||
O Nanak, acting in egotism, countless thousands
have wasted away to death.
Those who meet with the True Guru are saved, through the Shabad,
the True Word of the Inscrutable Lord. ||10||
Those who serve the True Guru single-mindedly
- I fall at the feet of those humble beings.
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, the Lord
abides in the mind, and the hunger for Maya departs.
Immaculate and pure are those humble beings,
who, as Gurmukh, merge in the Naam.
O Nanak, other empires are false; they alone are true emperors,
who are imbued with the Naam. ||11||
The devoted wife in her husband's home has a great longing
to perform loving devotional service to him;
she prepares and offers to him all sorts of sweet
delicacies and dishes of all flavors.
In the same way, the devotees praise the Word of the
Guru's Bani, and focus their consciousness on the Lord's Name.
They place mind, body and wealth
in offering before the Guru, and sell their heads to Him.
In the Fear of God, His devotees
yearn for His devotional worship; God fulfills their desires, and merges them with Himself.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 005
My Lord God is Self-existent and Independent. What does He need to eat to be satisfied?
Whoever walks in harmony with the Will of the True Guru, and sings the Glorious Praises of the
Lord, is pleasing to Him.
Blessed, blessed are they, in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, O Nanak,
who walk in harmony with the Will of the True Guru. ||12||
Those who do not serve the True
Guru, and do not keep the Shabad enshrined in their hearts
- cursed are their lives. Why did
they even come into the world?
If one follows the Guru's Teachings, and keeps the Fear of God
in his mind, then he is lovingly attuned to the sublime essence of the Lord.
By his primal
destiny, he obtains the Name; O Nanak, he is carried across. ||13||
The world wanders lost
in emotional attachment to Maya; it does not realize that its own home is being plundered.
The self-willed manmukh is blind in the world; his mind is lured away by sexual desire and anger.
With the sword of spiritual wisdom, kill the five demons. Remain awake and aware to the Guru's
Teachings.
The Jewel of the Naam is revealed, and the mind and body are purified.
Those
who lack the Naam wander around lost, with their noses cut off; without the Name, they sit and
cry.
O Nanak, no one can erase that which is pre-ordained by the Creator Lord. ||14||
The
Gurmukhs earn the wealth of the Lord, contemplating the Word of the Guru's Shabad.
They receive
the wealth of the Naam; their treasures are overflowing.
Through the Word of the Guru's Bani,
they utter the Glorious Praises of the Lord, whose end and limitations cannot be found.
O Nanak,
the Creator is the Doer of all; the Creator Lord beholds all. ||15||
Within the Gurmukh is
intuitive peace and poise; his mind ascends to the Tenth Plane of the Akaashic Ethers.
No one
is sleepy or hungry there; they dwell in the peace of the Ambrosial Name of the Lord.
O Nanak,
pain and pleasure do not afflict anyone, where the Light of the Lord, the Supreme Soul, illuminates.
||16||
All have come, wearing the robes of sexual desire and anger.
Some are born, and some
pass away. They come and go according to the Hukam of the Lord's Command.
Their comings and
goings in reincarnation do not end; they are imbued with the love of duality.
Bound in bondage,
they are made to wander, and they cannot do anything about it. ||17||
Those, upon whom the
Lord showers His Mercy, come and meet the True Guru.
Meeting with the True Guru, they turn
away from the world; they remain dead while still alive, with intuitive peace and poise.
O
Nanak, the devotees are imbued with the Lord; they are absorbed in the Name of the Lord. ||18||
The intellect of the self-willed manmukh is fickle; he is very tricky and clever within.
Whatever
he has done, and all that he does, is useless. Not even an iota of it is acceptable.
The charity
and generosity he pretends to give will be judged by the Righteous Judge of Dharma.
Without
the True Guru, the Messenger of Death does not leave the mortal alone; he is ruined by the love
of duality.
Youth slips away imperceptibly, old age comes, and then he dies.
The mortal
is caught in love and emotional attachment to children and spouse, but none of them will be his
helper and support in the end.
Whoever serves the True Guru finds peace; the Name comes to
abide in the mind.
O Nanak, great and very fortunate are those who, as Gurmukh, are absorbed
in the Naam. ||19||
The self-willed manmukhs do not even think of the Name; without the Name,
they cry in pain.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 006
They do not worship the Lord, the Supreme Soul; how can they find peace in duality?
They
are filled with the filth of egotism; they do not wash it away with the Word of the Shabad.
O Nanak, without the Name, they die in their filth; they waste the priceless opportunity of this
human life. ||20||
The self-willed manmukhs are deaf and blind; they are filled with the fire
of desire.
They have no intuitive understanding of the Guru's Bani; they are not illumined
with the Shabad.
They do not know their own inner being, and they have no faith in the Guru's
Word.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad is within the being of the spiritually wise ones. They
always blossom in His love.
The Lord saves the honor of the spiritually wise ones.I am forever
a sacrifice to them.
Servant Nanak is the slave of those Gurmukhs who serve the Lord. ||21||
The poisonous snake, the serpent of Maya, has surrounded the world with its coils, O mother!
The antidote to this poisonous venom is the Name of the Lord; the Guru places the magic spell
of the Shabad into the mouth.
Those who are blessed with such pre-ordained destiny come and
meet the True Guru.
Meeting with the True Guru, they become immaculate, and the poison of egotism
is eradicated.
Radiant and bright are the faces of the Gurmukhs; they are honored in the Court
of the Lord.
Servant Nanak is forever a sacrifice to those who walk in harmony with the Will
of the True Guru. ||22||
The True Guru, the Primal Being, has no hatred or vengeance. His heart
is constantly attuned to the Lord.
Whoever directs hatred against the Guru, who has no hatred
at all, only sets his own home on fire.
Anger and egotism are within him night and day; he
burns, and suffers constant pain.
They babble and tell lies, and keep on barking, eating the
poison of the love of duality.
For the sake of the poison of Maya, they wander from house to
house, and lose their honor.
They are like the son of a prostitute, who does not know the name
of his father.
They do not remember the Name of the Lord, Har, Har; the Creator Himself brings
them to ruin.
The Lord showers His Mercy upon the Gurmukhs, and reunites the separated ones
with Himself.
Servant Nanak is a sacrifice to those who fall at the Feet of the True Guru.
||23||
Those who are attached to the Naam, the Name of the Lord, are saved; without the Name,
they must go to the City of Death.
O Nanak, without the Name, they find no peace; they come
and go in reincarnation with regrets. ||24||
When anxiety and wanderings come to an end, the
mind becomes happy.
By Guru's Grace, the soul-bride understands, and then she sleeps without
worry.
Those who have such pre-ordained destiny meet with the Guru, the Lord of the Universe.
O Nanak, they merge intuitively into the Lord, the Embodiment of Supreme Bliss. ||25||
Those
who serve their True Guru, who contemplate the Word of the Guru's Shabad,
who honor and obey
the Will of the True Guru, who keep the Lord's Name enshrined within their hearts,
are honored,
here and hereafter; they are dedicated to the business of the Lord's Name.
Through the Word
of the Shabad, the Gurmukhs gain recognition in that Court of the True Lord.
The True Name
is their merchandise, the True Name is their expenditure; the Love of their Beloved fills their
inner beings.
The Messenger of Death does not even approach them; the Creator Lord Himself
forgives them.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 007
O Nanak, they alone are wealthy, who are imbued with the Naam; the rest of the world is poor.
||26||
The Lord's Name is the Support of the Lord's humble servants. Without the Lord's Name,
the there is no other place, no place of rest.
Following the Guru's Teachings, the Name abides
in the mind, and one is intuitively, automatically absorbed in the Lord.
Those with great good
fortune meditate on the Naam; night and day, they embrace love for the Name.
Servant Nanak
begs for the dust of their feet; I am forever a sacrifice to them. ||27||
The 8.4 million species
of beings burn in desire and cry in pain.
All this show of emotional attachment to Maya shall
not go with you at that very last instant.
Without the Lord, peace and tranquility do not come;
unto whom should we go and complain?
By great good fortune, one meets the True Guru, and comes
to understand the contemplation of God.
The fire of desire is totally extinguished, O servant
Nanak, enshrining the Lord within the heart. ||28||
I make so many mistakes, there is no end
or limit to them.
O Lord, please be merciful and forgive me; I am a sinner, a great offender.
O Dear Lord, if You made an account of my mistakes, my turn to be forgiven would not even come.
Please forgive me, and unite me with Yourself.
The Guru, in His Pleasure, has united me with
the Lord God; He has cut away all my sinful mistakes.
Servant Nanak celebrates the victory
of those who meditate on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. ||29||
Those who have been separated
and alienated from the Lord are united with Him again, through the Fear and the Love of the True
Guru.
They escape the cycle of birth and death, and, as Gurmukh, they meditate on the Naam,
the Name of the Lord.
Joining the Saadh Sangat, the Guru's Congregation, the diamonds and jewels
are obtained.
O Nanak, the jewel is priceless; the Gurmukhs seek and find it. ||30||
The
self-willed manmukhs do not even think of the Naam. Cursed are their lives, and cursed are their
homes.
That Lord who gives them so much to eat and wear - they do not enshrine that Lord, the
Treasure of Virtue, in their minds.
This mind is not pierced by the Word of the Shabad; how
can it come to dwell in its true home?
The self-willed manmukhs are like discarded brides,
ruined by coming and going in the cycle of reincarnation.
The Gurmukhs are embellished and
exalted by the Naam, the Name of the Lord; the jewel of destiny is engraved upon their foreheads.
They enshrine the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, within their hearts; the Lord illumines their heart-lotus.
I am forever a sacrifice to those who serve their True Guru.
O Nanak, radiant and bright are
the faces of those whose inner beings are illuminated with the Light of the Naam. ||31||
Those
who die in the Word of the Shabad are saved. Without the Shabad, no one is liberated.
They
wear religious robes and perform all sorts of rituals, but they are ruined; in the love of duality,
their world is ruined.
O Nanak, without the True Guru, the Name is not obtained, even though
one may long for it hundreds of times. ||32||
The Name of the Lord is utterly great, lofty
and high, the highest of the high.
No one can climb up to it, even though one may long for
it, hundreds of times.
Speaking about self-discipline, no one become pure; everyone walks around
wearing religious robes.
Those blessed by the karma of good deeds go and climb the ladder of
the Guru.
The Lord comes and dwells within that one who contemplates the Word of the Guru's
Shabad.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 008
O Nanak, when someone dies in the Word of the Shabad, the mind is pleased and appeased. True
is the reputation of those who are true. ||33||
Emotional attachment to Maya is a treacherous
ocean of pain and poison, which cannot be crossed.
Screaming, "Mine, mine!", they
rot and die; they pass their lives in egotism.
The self-willed manmukhs are in limbo, neither
on this side, nor the other; they are stuck in the middle.
They act as they are pre-destined;
they cannot do anything else.
Following the Guru's Teachings, the jewel of spiritual wisdom
abides in the mind, and then God is easily seen in all.
O Nanak, the very fortunate ones embark
on the Boat of the True Guru; they are carried across the terrifying world-ocean. ||34||
Without
the True Guru, there is no giver who can bestow the Support of the Lord's Name.
By Guru's Grace,
the Name comes to dwell in the mind; keep it enshrined in your heart.
The fire of desire is
extinguished, and one finds satisfaction, through the Love of the Name of the Lord.
O Nanak,
the Gurmukh finds the Lord, when He showers His Mercy. ||35||
Without the Shabad, the world
is so insane, that it cannot even be described.
Those who are protected by the Lord are saved;
they remain lovingly attuned to the Word of the Shabad.
O Nanak, the Creator who made this
making knows everything. ||36||
The Pandits, the religious scholars, have grown weary of making
fire-offerings and sacrifices, making pilgrimages to all the sacred shrines, and reading the Puraanas.
But they cannot get rid of the poison of emotional attachment to Maya; they continue to come and
go in egotism.
Meeting with the True Guru, one's filth is washed off, meditating on the Lord,
the Primal Being, the All-knowing One.
Servant Nanak is forever a sacrifice to those who serve
their Lord God. ||37||
Mortals give great thought to Maya and emotional attachment; they harbor
great hopes, in greed and corruption.
The self-willed manmukhs do not become steady and stable;
they die and are gone in an instant.
Only those who are blessed with great good fortune meet
the True Guru, and leave behind their egotism and corruption.
Chanting the Name of the Lord,
they find peace; servant Nanak contemplates the Word of the Shabad. ||38||
Without the True
Guru, there is no devotional worship, and no love of the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
Servant
Nanak worships and adores the Naam, with love and affection for the Guru. ||39||
Do not trust
greedy people, if you can avoid doing so.
At the very last moment, they will deceive you there,
where no one will be able to lend a helping hand.
Whoever associates with the self-willed manmukhs,
will have his face blackened and dirtied.
Black are the faces of those greedy people; they
lose their lives, and leave in disgrace.
O Lord, let me join the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation;
may the Name of the Lord God abide in my mind.
The filth and pollution of birth and death is
washed away, O servant Nanak, singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. ||40||
Whatever is
pre-destined by the Lord God Creator, cannot be erased.
Body and soul are all His. The Sovereign
Lord King cherishes all.
The gossipers and slanderers shall remain hungry and die, rolling
in the dust; their hands cannot reach anywhere.
Outwardly, they do all the proper deeds, but
they are hypocrites; in their minds and hearts, they practice deception and fraud.
Whatever
is planted in the farm of the body, shall come and stand before them in the end.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 009
Nanak offers this prayer: O Lord God, please forgive me, and unite me with Yourself. ||41||
The mortal being does not understand the comings and goings of reincarnation; he does not see
the Court of the Lord.
He is wrapped up in emotional attachment and Maya, and within his being
is the darkness of ignorance.
The sleeping person wakes, only when he is hit on the head by
a heavy club.
The Gurmukhs dwell upon the Lord; they find the door of salvation.
O Nanak,
they themselves are saved, and all their relatives are carried across as well. ||42||
Whoever
dies in the Word of the Shabad, is known to be truly dead.
By Guru's Grace, the mortal is satisfied
by the sublime essence of the Lord.
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, he is recognized
in the Court of the Lord.
Without the Shabad, everyone is dead.
The self-willed manmukh
dies; his life is wasted.
Those who do not remember the Name of the Lord, shall cry in pain
in the end.
O Nanak, whatever the Creator Lord does, comes to pass. ||43||
The Gurmukhs
never grow old; within them is intuitive understanding and spiritual wisdom.
They chant the
Praises of the Lord, forever and ever; deep within, they intuitively meditate on the Lord.
They dwell forever in blissful knowledge of the Lord; they look upon pain and pleasure as one
and the same.
They see the One Lord in all, and realize the Lord, the Supreme Soul of all.
||44||
The self-willed manmukhs are like stupid children; they do not keep the Lord in their
thoughts.
They do all their deeds in egotism, and they must answer to the Righteous Judge of
Dharma.
The Gurmukhs are good and immaculately pure; they are embellished and exalted with
the Word of the Guru's Shabad.
Not even a tiny bit of filth sticks to them; they walk in harmony
with the Will of the True Guru.
The filth of the manmukhs is not washed away, even if they
wash hundreds of times.
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs are united with the Lord; they merge into the
Guru's Being. ||45||
How can someone do bad things, and still live with himself?
By his
own anger, he only burns himself.
The self-willed manmukh drives himself crazy with worries
and stubborn struggles.
But those who become Gurmukh understand everything.
O Nanak, the
Gurmukh struggles with his own mind. ||46||
Those who do not serve the True Guru, the Primal
Being, and do not reflect upon the Word of the Shabad
- do not call them human beings; they
are just animals and stupid beasts.
They have no spiritual wisdom or meditation within their
beings; they are not in love with the Lord.
The self-willed manmukhs die in evil and corruption;
they die and are reborn, again and again.
They alone live, who join with the living; enshrine
the Lord, the Lord of Life, within your heart.
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs look beautiful in that
Court of the True Lord. ||47||
The Lord built the Harimandir, the Temple of the Lord; the Lord
dwells within it.
Following the Guru's Teachings, I have found the Lord; my emotional attachment
to Maya has been burnt away.
Countless things are in the Harimandir, the Temple of the Lord;
contemplate the Naam, and the nine treasures will be yours.
Blessed is that happy soul-bride,
O Nanak, who, as Gurmukh, seeks and finds the Lord.
By great good fortune, one searches the
temple of the body-fortress, and finds the Lord within the heart. ||48||
The self-willed manmukhs
wander lost in the ten directions, led by intense desire, greed and corruption.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 010
Their attachment to Maya does not cease; they die, only to be reborn, over and over again.
Serving the True Guru, peace is found; intense desire and corruption are discarded.
The pains
of death and birth are taken away; servant Nanak reflects upon the Word of the Shabad. ||49||
Meditate on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, O mortal being, and you shall be honored in the Court
of the Lord.
All your sins and terrible mistakes shall be taken away, and you shall be rid
of your pride and egotism.
The heart-lotus of the Gurmukh blossoms forth, realizing God, the
Soul of all.
O Lord God, please shower Your Mercy upon servant Nanak, that he may chant the
Name of the Lord. ||50||
In Dhanaasaree, the soul-bride is known to be wealthy, O Siblings
of Destiny, when she works for the True Guru.
She surrenders her body, mind and soul, O Siblings
of Destiny, and lives according to the Hukam of His Command.
I sit where He wishes me to sit,
O Siblings of Destiny; wherever He sends me, I go.
There is no other wealth as great, O Siblings
of Destiny; such is the greatness of the True Name.
I sing forever the Glorious Praises of
the True Lord; I shall remain with the True One forever.
So wear the clothes of His Glorious
Virtues and goodness, O Siblings of Destiny; eat and enjoy the flavor of your own honor.
How
can I praise Him, O Siblings of Destiny? I am a sacrifice to the Blessed Vision of His Darshan.
Great is the Glorious Greatness of the True Guru, O Siblings of Destiny; if one is blessed with
good karma, He is found.
Some do not know how to submit to the Hukam of His Command, O Siblings
of Destiny; they wander around lost in the love of duality.
They find no place of rest in the
Sangat, O Siblings of Destiny; they find no place to sit.
Nanak: they alone submit to His Command,
O Siblings of Destiny, who are pre-destined to live the Name.
I am a sacrifice to them, O Siblings
of Destiny, I am forever a sacrifice to them. ||51||
Those beards are true, which brush the
feet of the True Guru.
Those who serve their Guru night and day, live in bliss, night and day.
O Nanak, their faces appear beautiful in the Court of the True Lord. ||52||
True are the faces
and true are the beards, of those who speak the Truth and live the Truth.
The True Word of
the Shabad abides in their minds; they are absorbed in the True Guru.
True is their capital,
and true is their wealth; they are blessed with the ultimate status.
They hear the Truth, they
believe in the Truth; they act and work in the Truth.
They are given a place in the Court of
the True Lord; they are absorbed in the True Lord.
O Nanak, without the True Guru, the True
Lord is not found. The self-willed manmukhs leave, wandering around lost. ||53||
The rainbird
cries, "Pri-o! Pri-o! Beloved! Beloved!" She is in love with the treasure, the water.
Meeting with the Guru, the cooling, soothing water is obtained, and all pain is taken away.
My thirst has been quenched, and intuitive peace and poise have welled up; my cries and screams
of anguish are past.
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs are peaceful and tranquil; they enshrine the Naam,
the Name of the Lord, within their hearts. ||54||
O rainbird, chirp the True Name, and let
yourself be attuned to the True Lord.
Your word shall be accepted and approved, if you speak
as Gurmukh.
Remember the Shabad, and your thirst shall be relieved; surrender to the Will of
the Lord.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 011
The clouds are heavy, hanging low, and the rain is pouring down on all sides; the rain-drop
is received, with natural ease.
From water, everything is produced; without water, thirst is
not quenched.
O Nanak, whoever drinks in the Water of the Lord, shall never feel hunger again.
||55||
O rainbird, speak the Shabad, the True Word of God, with natural peace and poise.
Everything is with you; the True Guru will show you this.
So understand your own self, and
meet your Beloved; His Grace shall rain down in torrents.
Drop by drop, the Ambrosial Nectar
rains down softly and gently; thirst and hunger are completely gone.
Your cries and screams
of anguish have ceased; your light shall merge into the Light.
O Nanak, the happy soul-brides
sleep in peace; they are absorbed in the True Name. ||56||
The Primal Lord and Master has sent
out the True Hukam of His Command.
Indra mercifully sends forth the rain, which falls in torrents.
The body and mind of the rainbird are happy. only when the rain-drop falls into its mouth.
The corn grows high, wealth increases, and the earth is embellished with beauty.
Night and
day, people worship the Lord with devotion, and are absorbed in the Word of the Guru's Shabad.
The True Lord Himself forgives them, and showering them with His Mercy, He leads them to walk
in His Will.
O brides, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, and be absorbed in the True Word
of His Shabad.
Let the Fear of God be your decoration, and remain lovingly attuned to the True
Lord.
O Nanak, the Naam abides in the mind, and the mortal is saved in the Court of the Lord.
||57||
The rainbird wanders all over the earth, soaring high through the skies.
But it obtains
the drop of water, only when it meets the True Guru, and then, its hunger and thirst are relieved.
Soul and body and all belong to Him; everything is His.
He knows everything, without being
told; unto whom should we offer our prayers?
O Nanak, the One Lord is prevading and permeating
each and every heart; the Word of the Shabad brings illumination. ||58||
O Nanak, the season
of spring comes to one who serves the True Guru.
The Lord rains His Mercy down upon him, and
his mind and body totally blossom forth; the entire world becomes green and rejuvenated. ||59||
The Word of the Shabad brings eternal spring; it rejuvenates the mind and body.
O Nanak, do
not forget the Naam, the Name of the Lord, which has created everyone. ||60||
O Nanak, it is
the spring season, for those Gurmukhs, within whose minds the Lord abides.
When the Lord showers
His Mercy, the mind and body blossom forth, and all the world turns green and lush. ||61||
In the early hours of the morning, whose name should we chant?
Chant the Name of the Transcendent
Lord, who is All-powerful to create and destroy. ||62||
The Persian wheel also cries out, "Too!
Too! You! You!", with sweet and sublime sounds.
Our Lord and Master is always present;
why do you cry out to Him in such a loud voice?
I am a sacrifice to that Lord who created the
world, and who loves it.
Give up your selfishness, and then you shall meet your Husband Lord.
Consider this Truth.
Speaking in shallow egotism, no one understands the Ways of God.
The
forests and fields, and all the three worlds meditate on You, O Lord; this is the way they pass
their days and nights forever.
Without the True Guru, no one finds the Lord. People have grown
weary of thinking about it.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 012
But if the Lord casts His Glance of Grace, then He Himself embellishes us.
O Nanak, the
Gurmukhs meditate on the Lord; blessed and approved is their coming into the world. ||63||
Yoga is not obtained by wearing saffron robes; Yoga is not obtained by wearing dirty robes.
O Nanak, Yoga is obtained even while sitting in your own home, by following the Teachings of the
True Guru. ||64||
You may wander in all four directions, and read the Vedas throughout the
four ages.
O Nanak, if you meet with the True Guru, the Lord shall come to dwell within your
mind, and you shall find the door of salvation. ||65||
O Nanak, the Hukam, the Command of your
Lord and Master, is prevailing. The intellectually confused person wanders around lost, misled
by his fickle consciousness.
If you make friends with the self-willed manmukhs, O friend, who
can you ask for peace?
Make friends with the Gurmukhs, and focus your consciousness on the
True Guru.
The root of birth and death will be cut away, and then, you shall find peace, O
friend. ||66||
The Lord Himself instructs those who are misguided, when He casts His Glance
of Grace.
O Nanak, those who are not blessed by His Glance of Grace, cry and weep and wail.
||67||
Shalok, Fourth Mehl:
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Blessed and very fortunate are those happy soul-brides who, as Gurmukh, meet their Sovereign Lord
King.
The Light of God shines within them; O Nanak, they are absorbed in the Naam, the Name
of the Lord. ||1||
Waaho! Waaho! Blessed and Great is the True Guru, the Primal Being, who
has realized the True Lord.
Meeting Him, thirst is quenched, and the body and mind are cooled
and soothed.
Waaho! Waaho! Blessed and Great is the True Guru, the True Primal Being, who looks
upon all alike.
Waaho! Waaho! Blessed and Great is the True Guru, who has no hatred; slander
and praise are all the same to Him.
Waaho! Waaho! Blessed and Great is the All-knowing True
Guru, who has realized God within.
Waaho! Waaho! Blessed and Great is the Formless True Guru,
who has no end or limitation.
Waaho! Waaho! Blessed and Great is the True Guru, who implants
the Truth within.
O Nanak, Blessed and Great is the True Guru, through whom the Naam, the Name
of the Lord, is received. ||2||
For the Gurmukh, the true Song of Praise is to chant the Name
of the Lord God.
Chanting the Praises of the Lord, their minds are in ecstasy.
By great
good fortune, they find the Lord, the Embodiment of perfect, supreme bliss.
Servant Nanak praises
the Naam, the Name of the Lord; no obstacle will block his mind or body. ||3||
I am in love
with my Beloved; how can I meet my Dear Friend?
I seek that friend, who is embellished with
Truth.
The True Guru is my Friend; if I meet Him, I will offer this mind as a sacrifice to
Him.
He has shown me my Beloved Lord, my Friend, the Creator.
O Nanak, I was searching for
my Beloved; the True Guru has shown me that He has been with me all the time. ||4||
I stand
by the side of the road, waiting for You; O my Friend, I hope that You will come.
If only someone
would come today and unite me in Union with my Beloved.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 013
I would cut my living body into four pieces for anyone who shows me my Beloved.
O Nanak,
when the Lord becomes merciful, then He leads us to meet the Perfect Guru. ||5||
The power
of egotism prevails within, and the body is controlled by Maya; the false ones come and go in
reincarnation.
If someone does not obey the Command of the True Guru, he cannot cross over
the treacherous world-ocean.
Whoever is blessed with the Lord's Glance of Grace, walks in harmony
with the Will of the True Guru.
The Blessed Vision of the True Guru's Darshan is fruitful;
through it, one obtains the fruits of his desires.
I touch the feet of those who believe in
and obey the True Guru.
Nanak is the slave of those who, night and day, remain lovingly attuned
to the Lord. ||6||
Those who are in love with their Beloved - how can they find satisfaction
without His Darshan?
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs meet Him with ease, and this mind blossoms forth
in joy. ||7||
Those who are in love with their Beloved - how can they live without Him?
When they see their Husband Lord, O Nanak, they are rejuvenated. ||8||
Those Gurmukhs who are
filled with love for You, my True Beloved,
O Nanak, remain immersed in the Lord's Love, night
and day. ||9||
The love of the Gurmukh is true; through it, the True Beloved is attained.
Night and day, remain in bliss, O Nanak, immersed in intuitive peace and poise. ||10||
True
love and affection are obtained from the Perfect Guru.
They never break, O Nanak, if one sings
the Glorious Praises of the Lord. ||11||
How can those who have true love within them live
without their Husband Lord?
The Lord unites the Gurmukhs with Himself, O Nanak; they were separated
from Him for such a long time. ||12||
You grant Your Grace to those whom You Yourself bless
with love and affection.
O Lord, please let Nanak meet with You; please bless this beggar with
Your Name. ||13||
The Gurmukh laughs, and the Gurmukh cries.
Whatever the Gurmukh does,
is devotional worship.
Whoever becomes Gurmukh contemplates the Lord.
The Gurmukh, O Nanak,
crosses over to the other shore. ||14||
Those who have the Naam within, contemplate the Word
of the Guru's Bani.
Their faces are always radiant in the Court of the True Lord.
Sitting
down and standing up, they never forget the Creator, who forgives them.
O Nanak, the Gurmukhs
are united with the Lord. Those united by the Creator Lord, shall never be separated again. ||15||
To work for the Guru, or a spiritual teacher, is terribly difficult, but it brings the most excellent
peace.
The Lord casts His Glance of Grace, and inspires love and affection.
Joined to the
service of the True Guru, the mortal being crosses over the terrifying world-ocean.
The fruits
of the mind's desires are obtained, with clear contemplation and discriminating understanding
within.
O Nanak, meeting the True Guru, God is found; He is the Eradicator of all sorrow. ||16||
The self-willed manmukh may perform service, but his consciousness is attached to the love of
duality.
Through Maya, his emotional attachment to children, spouse and relatives increases.
He shall be called to account in the Court of the Lord, and in the end, no one will be able to
save him.
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 014
Without the Lord's Name, all is pain. Attachment to Maya is agonizingly painful.
O Nanak,
the Gurmukh comes to see, that attachment to Maya separates all from the Lord. ||17||
The Gurmukh
obeys the Order of her Husband Lord God; through the Hukam of His Command, she finds peace.
In His Will, she serves; in His Will, she worship and adores Him.
In His Will, she merges in
absorption. His Will is her fast, vow, purity and self-discipline; through it, she obtains the
fruits of her mind's desires.
She is always and forever the happy, pure soul-bride, who realizes
His Will; she serves the True Guru, inspired by loving absorption.
O Nanak, those upon whom
the Lord showers His Mercy, are merged and immersed in His Will. ||18||
The wretched, self-willed
manmukhs do not realize His Will; they continually act in ego.
By ritualistic fasts, vows,
purities, self-disciplines and worship ceremonies, they still cannot get rid of their hypocrisy
and doubt.
Inwardly, they are impure, pierced through by attachment to Maya; they are like
elephants, who throw dirt all over themselves right after their bath.
They do not even think
of the One who created them. Without thinking of Him, they cannot find peace.
O Nanak, the
Primal Creator has made the drama of the Universe; all act as they are pre-ordained. ||19||
The Gurmukh has faith; his mind is contented and satisfied. Night and day, he serves the Lord,
absorbed in Him.
The Guru, the True Guru, is within; all worship and adore Him. Everyone comes
to see the Blessed Vision of His Darshan.
So believe in the True Guru, the supreme sublime
Contemplator. Meeting with Him, hunger and thirst are completely relieved.
I am forever a sacrifice
to my Guru, who leads me to meet the True Lord God.
O Nanak, those who come and fall at the
Feet of the Guru are blessed with the karma of Truth. ||20||
That Beloved, with whom I am in
love, that Friend of mine is with me.
I wander around inside and outside, but I always keep
Him enshrined within my heart. ||21||
Those who meditate on the Lord single-mindedly, with
one-pointed concentration, link their consciousness to the True Guru.
They are rid of pain,
hunger, and the great illness of egotism; lovingly attuned to the Lord, they become free of pain.
They sing His Praises, and chant His Praises; in His Glorious Praises, they sleep in absorption.
O Nanak, through the Perfect Guru, they come to meet God with intuitive peace and poise. ||22||
The self-willed manmukhs are emotionally attached to Maya; they are not in love with the Naam.
They practice falsehood, gather falsehood, and eat the food of falsehood.
Gathering the poisonous
wealth and property of Maya, they die; in the end, they are all reduced to ashes.
They perform
religious rituals of purity and self-discipline, but they are filled with greed, evil and corruption.
O Nanak, the actions of the self-willed manmukhs are not accepted; in the Court of the Lord, they
are miserable. ||23||
Among all Ragas, that one is sublime, O Siblings of Destiny, by which
the Lord comes to abide in the mind.
Those Ragas which are in the Sound-current of the Naad
are totally true; their value cannot be expressed.
Those Ragas which are not in the Sound-current
of the Naad - by these, the Lord's Will cannot be understood.
O Nanak, they alone are right,
who understand the Will of the True Guru.
Everything happens as He wills. ||24||
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 015
The Ambrosial Nectar of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is within the True Guru.
Following
the Guru's Teachings, one meditates on the Immaculate Naam, the Pure and Holy Naam.
The Ambrosial
Word of His Bani is the true essence. It comes to abide in the mind of the Gurmukh.
The heart-lotus
blossoms forth, and one's light merges in the Light.
O Nanak, they alone meet with the True
Guru, who have such pre-ordained destiny inscribed upon their foreheads. ||25||
Within the
self-willed manmukhs is the fire of desire; their hunger does not depart.
Emotional attachments
to relatives are totally false; they remain engrossed in falsehood.
Night and day, they are
troubled by anxiety; bound to anxiety, they depart.
Their comings and goings in reincarnation
never end; they do their deeds in egotism.
But in the Guru's Sanctuary, they are saved, O Nanak,
and set free. ||26||
The True Guru meditates on the Lord, the Primal Being. The Sat Sangat,
the True Congregation, loves the True Guru.
Those who join the Sat Sangat, and serve the True
Guru - the Guru unites them in the Lord's Union.
This world, this universe, is a terrifying
ocean. On the Boat of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, the Guru carries us across.
The Sikhs
of the Guru accept and obey the Lord's Will; the Perfect Guru carries them across.
O Lord,
please bless me with the dust of the feet of the Guru's Sikhs. I am a sinner - please save me.
Those who have such pre-ordained destiny written upon their foreheads by the Lord God, come to
meet Guru Nanak.
The Messenger of Death is beaten and driven away; we are saved in the Court
of the Lord.
Blessed and celebrated are the Sikhs of the Guru; in His Pleasure, the Lord unites
them in His Union. ||27||
The Perfect Guru has implanted the Lord's Name within me; it has
dispelled my doubts from within.
Singing the Kirtan of the Praises of the Lord's Name, the
Lord's path is illuminated and shown to His Sikhs.
Conquering my egotism, I remain lovingly
attuned to the One Lord; the Naam, the Name of the Lord, dwells within me.
I follow the Guru's
Teachings, and so the Messenger of Death cannot even see me; I am immersed in the True Name.
The Creator Himself is All-pervading; as He pleases, He links us to His Name.
Servant Nanak
lives, chanting the Name. Without the Name, he dies in an instant. ||28||
Within the minds
of the faithless cynics is the disease of egotism; these evil people wander around lost, deluded
by doubt.
O Nanak, this disease is eradicated only by meeting with the True Guru, the Holy
Friend. ||29||
Following the Guru's Teachings, chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har.
Attracted
by the Lord's Love, day and night, the body-robe is imbued with the Lord's Love.
I have not
found any being like the Lord, although I have searched and looked all over the world.
The
Guru, the True Guru, has implanted the Naam within; now, my mind does not waver or wander anywhere
else.
Servant Nanak is the slave of the Lord, the slave of the slaves of the Guru, the True
Guru. ||30||
Section 43 - Shaloks In Addition To The Vaars - Part 016
Shalok, Fifth Mehl:
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
They alone
are imbued with the Lord, who do not turn their faces away from Him - they realize Him.
The
false, immature lovers do not know the way of love, and so they fall. ||1||
Without my Master,
I will burn my silk and satin clothes in the fire.
Even rolling in the dust, I look beautiful,
O Nanak, if my Husband Lord is with me. ||2||
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, I worship
and adore the Naam, with love and balanced detachment.
When the five enemies are overcome,
O Nanak, this musical measure of Raga MAAROO becomes frtuiful. ||3||
When I have the One Lord,
I have tens of thousands. Otherwise, people like me beg from door to door.
O Brahmin, your
life has passed away uselessly; you have forgotten the One who created you. ||4||
In Raga Sorat'h,
drink in this sublime essence, which never loses its taste.
O Nanak, singing the Glorious Praises
of the Lord's Name, one's reputation is immaculate in the Court of the Lord. ||5||
No one can
kill those whom God Himself protects.
The treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is within
them. They cherish His Glorious Virtues forever.
They take the Support of the One, the Inaccessible
Lord; they enshrine God in their mind and body.
They are imbued with the Love of the Infinite
Lord, and no one can wipe it away.
The Gurmukhs sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord; they
obtain the most excellent celestial peace and poise.
O Nanak, they enshrine the treasure of
the Naam in their hearts. ||6||
Whatever God does, accept that as good; leave behind all other
judgements.
He shall cast His Glance of Grace, and attach you to Himself.
Instruct yourself
with the Teachings, and doubt will depart from within.
Everyone does that which is pre-ordained
by destiny.
Everything is under His control; there is no other place at all.
Nanak is in
peace and bliss, accepting the Will of God. ||7||
Those who meditate in remembrance on the
Perfect Guru, are exalted and uplifted.
O Nanak, dwelling on the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
all affairs are resolved. ||8||
The sinners act, and generate bad karma, and then they weep
and wail.
O Nanak, just as the churning stick churns the butter, so does the Righteous Judge
of Dharma churn them. ||9||
Meditating on the Naam, O friend, the treasure of life is won.
O Nanak, speaking in Righteousness, one's world becomes sanctified. ||10||
I am stuck in an
evil place, trusting the sweet words of an evil advisor.
O Nanak, they alone are saved, who
have such good destiny inscribed upon their foreheads. ||11||
They alone sleep and dream in
peace, who are imbued with the Love of their Husband Lord.
Those who have been separated from
the Love of their Master, scream and cry twenty-four hours a day. ||12||
Millions are asleep,
in the false illusion of Maya.
O Nanak, they alone are awake and aware, who chant the Naam
with their tongues. ||13||
Seeing the mirage, the optical illusion, the people are confused
and deluded.
Those who worship and adore the True Lord, O Nanak, their minds and bodies are
beautiful. ||14||
The All-powerful Supreme Lord God, the Infinite Primal Being, is the Saving
Grace of sinners.
Source: English translation of the Guru Granth Sahib by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa. This translation has been released into the public domain and is reproduced here for educational and spiritual study. The text has been organized and reformatted by Jayaram V for Hinduwebsite.com