Ŧehā ko▫e na sujẖ▫ī jė ṯis guṇ ko▫e kare. O Nanak, God blesses the unworthy with virtue, and bestows virtue on the virtuous. Still, if the Lord does not bless you with His Glance of Grace, then who cares? What is the use?Īmong worms, you would be considered a lowly worm, and even contemptible sinners would hold you in contempt. Je ṯis naḏar na āvī ṯa vāṯ na pucẖẖai ke. With a good name and reputation, with praise and fame throughout the world. Navā kẖanda vicẖ jāṇī▫ai nāl cẖalai sabẖ ko▫e.Īnd even if you were known throughout the nine continents and followed by all,Ĭẖanga nā▫o rakẖā▫e kai jas kīraṯ jag le▫e. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at Any suggestions for improvement will be most welcome.Even if you could live throughout the four ages, or even ten times more, You can concentrate better and enjoy more if you recite bani without looking at the gutka. This is a good opportunity to memorize Gurbani, one Pauri at a time.
Those who worked hard in seeking spiritual advancement and remembered Him with love and devotion, they achieved the ultimate goal of human life – they became one with God. Those, who remained absorbed only in worldly possessions (Maya), they could not get close to God and kept on wandering in the cycles of birth and death. Our performance is being closely watched by Him. In the last slok (verse), Guru Nanak Dev ji says that the world is a stage, where we are all actors and we are playing our roles assigned by God. Towards the end, Guru ji describes the five stages of spiritual development – Dharam khand (stage of righteousness), Gian Khand (stage of spiritual knowledge), Saram Khand (stage of spiritual effort), Karam Khand Sach Khand(the final stage of Union with God). Those who meditate on His Name with love and devotion become worthy of His Grace. He says that to please God, you must speak His language – the language of Love, love for Him and His Creation. Guru ji discredits the ritualistic practices to please God such as fasting, pilgrimages, and self-punishment. His Grace is obtained by getting rid of one’s ego and total surrender to His Will.
In Japji Saheb Guru Nanak Dev ji emphasizes the concept of One God, although we may call Him by many names, everything happens under His Divine Law (Hukam), He is beyond human comprehension and union with God can only be achieved by His Grace. Therefore, this bani is generally recited without any musical instruments. While most of the bani in Guru Granth Saheb is assigned to various ragas (melodies), Japji Saheb is not assigned to any raga. This is one of the five banis every Sikh is supposed to recite every morning in accordance with our Rehet Maryada (Code of Conduct). Among all the banis that we come across on a daily basis, this is probably the most difficult to understand. It is a lyrical, but very compact composition, with verses packed with deep meanings, many times without assigned verbs, and lot of times leaving the interpretation to the imagination of the readers. Japji Saheb is the essence of Sikh religious philosophy. It starts with Mool Mantra (the beginning hymn), then 38 Paurees (stanzas), and ends with a slok (verse). It is written in Guru Granth Saheb starting on page one. This precious gift was given to us by Guru Nanak Dev ji.