Book I / III – (vi)

The Merits of the Word

Holy books tell us of the innumerable merits of Naam or Word. The Word has been described in the Gospel as the Bread of Life and the Water of Life for It alone quenches the hunger and thirst of the Soul.

Let him that is athirst, come, and whosoever will, let him take the 'Water of Life' freely. 

Revelation 22:17

'A healthy mind in a healthy body' is well-known aphorism, and both derive their health and vigor from the soul; and if the soul is not provided with an adequate supply of nourishing and appropriate food-stuff the whole system, physical and mental, will be paralysed. Soul is a Conscious entity and must, therefore, feed freely on Love, Life and Light, the three essentials of Greater Consciousness.

1. Naam or Word is the panacea for all ills:

• Adhibhautik or bodily ailments like disease, sickness, old age, etc;
  
  
•  Adhidevik or ills coming on of themselves, like accident, storms and earthquakes, etc., over which a person has no control, and
  
  
• Adhiatmic or mental ills, like desires and fascinations of the world, anger, greed and attachments, etc.
  
  Naam is the sovereign remedy for all ills; It is a Comforter and a Bestower of bliss.
  
  

  Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

Again it helps as a true guide, both here and hereafter. 

It is a constant companion in both the worlds: Leave aside all else and be devoted to Naam alone. 

Guru Nanak, Asa M1

On the lonesome and dreary path of the soul after death, Naam acts as a Guide and a Comforter. 

Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

Oh my tongue! Repeat ye the Naam, thou shalt be blessed here, and hereafter thou shalt have comfort. 

Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

2. Advantages of listening to the Sound Principle of Naam or Word:

Guru Nanak, in the eighth to the eleventh stanzas of the Jap Ji (a daily prayer of the Sikhs), enumerates many advantages that accrue from the hearing and acceptance of Naam.

Stanza VIII

By communion with the Word one can attain the status of a Siddha,¹ a Pir,² a Sura,³ or a Nath;⁴ by communion with the Word, one can understand the mysteries of the earth, the supporting bull⁵ and the heavens; by communion with the Word, the earthly regions, the heavenly plateaus and the nether worlds stand revealed; by communion with the Word, we can escape unscathed through the portals of Death; oh Nanak, His devotees live in perpetual ecstasy, for the Word washes away all sin and sorrow.

Stanza IX

By communion with the Word, one can attain the powers of Shiva, Brahma and Indra; by communion with the Word, one can win esteem from all irrespective of one's past; by communion with the Word, one can have yogic insight with the mysteries of life and self all revealed; by communion with the Word, one can acquire the true import of the Shastras,⁶ Smritis⁷ and Vedas;⁸ oh Nanak, His devotees live in perpetual ecstasy, for the Word washes away all sin and sorrow.

Stanza X

By communion with the Word, one becomes the abode of Truth, contentment and true knowledge; by communion with the Word, one gets the fruit of ablution at sixty-eight pilgrimages;⁹ by communion with the Word, one wins the honour of the learned; by communion with the Word, one attains the state of Sehaj;¹⁰ oh Nanak, His devotees live in perpetual ecstasy, for the Word washes away all sin and sorrow.

Stanza XI

By communion with the Word, one becomes the abode of all virtues; by communion with the Word, one becomes a Sheikh, a Pir and a True Spiritual King; by communion with the Word, the Spiritually Blind find their way to Realisation: By communion with the Word, one crosses beyond the Limitless Ocean of illusionary Matter; oh Nanak, His devotees live in perpetual ecstasy, or the Word washes away all sin and sorrow.

By hearing or communion Guru Nanak meant communion with the Naam and nothing else, as would be clear from Gurbani:

By hearing the Sound Current, one is truly blessed and riches follow at his heels; by hearing the Sound current, one acquires miraculous powers and all his desires are fulfilled; by hearing the Sound Current, one gets fully contented and becomes devoted to Him; by hearing the Sound Current, one reaches the Sehaj and finds comfort. 

By hearing the Sound Current, one knows the Truth and escapes the angel of death; by hearing the Sound Current, one becomes self-luminous, and all darkness departs; by hearing the Sound Current, one becomes the knower of the self and reaps the full benefit of Naam; by hearing the Sound Current, one is washed of his sins and meets pure Truth! 

Oh Nanak! By hearing the Sound Current, one glows with the pine Light; and rare indeed is the elect of the Guru who comes in contact with the Naam. 

By hearing the Sound Current, the mind gets docile and one feels satiated; by hearing the Sound Current, one feels perfectly contented and is rid of all ills; by hearing the Sound Current, the Naam becomes fully manifested and one becomes Naam personified. 

Guru Ram Das, Sarang War M4

When a person by hearing the Word arises in full consciousness, he begins to understand the pine Will and conforms his living to His Plan. Hereafter, he has no will of his own, separate from that of his Creator. He now clearly sees the Cosmic Order moving in accordance with God's Plan and he just a part of the centre or hub around which all life revolves. 

Guru Nanak tells us of his state in stanzas twelve to fifteen of Jap Ji Sahib:

Stanza XII

None can describe the condition of one who has made God’s Will his own; whoever tries to do so, must realise his folly. No supply of paper, pen or scribe can ever describe the state of such a one. Oh, great is the Power of the Word; but few there be that know it.

Stanza XIII

By practice of the Word, one rises into universal consciousness and develops right understanding; by practice of the Word, one develops clairvoyance and transvision of the whole creation; by practice of the Word, one is freed from sorrow and suffering; by practice of the Word, one shall not go to Yama¹¹ after his death. Oh, great is the Power of the Word, but few there be that know it.

Stanza XIV

By practice of the Word, one speeds on to the higher Spiritual Planes unhindered; by practice of the Word, one gets into the Spiritual Plane openly and honourably; by practice of the Word, one escapes the by-paths of Yama, the king of Death; by practice of the Word, one gets in close touch with the Truth. Oh, great is the Power of the Word, but few there be that know it.

Stanza XV

By practice of the Word, one finally attains salvation; by practice of the Word, one leads one’s kith and kin as well to freedom; by practice of the Word, one saves not only himself but when he becomes an Adept, many others whom he guides; by practice of the Word, one freed from desires, escapes from the wheel of transmigration. Oh, great is the Power of the Word, but few there be that know it.

The state in which such persons remain is indescribable, being beyond the limitations of mind and intellect. The pine contact, when established, makes one the knower of the pine Plan and the working of the pine Will. Hereafter he remains unattached and the mind and matter can have no effect on him; and at the time of death, his spirit quits the body as a matter of daily routine, as he has been doing in life, and the luminous form of the Guru escorts him on.

In his ascent to spiritual regions, there are no hurdles and no barriers. The magic of Naam works as an Open Sesame to him, enabling him to traverse any spiritual region he may like.

Sikh scriptures tell us:

By contact with the Naam, the entire family gains salvation and remains in comfort; by contact with the Naam, the entire following gains merit when established therein; by contact with the Naam, all the hearers get benefited by repetition thereof; by contact with the Naam, all ills vanish and one feels satiated by constant remembrance; Oh Nanak! They alone get contact with the Naam, who are contacted by a Master-Soul. 

By contact with the Naam, the mind gets right understanding; by contact with the Naam, egotism and lusts fall off; by contact with the Naam, the Power of God becomes manifest; by contact with the Naam, there comes in peace of Godhead; Oh Nanak! Naam is a crest-jewel which only a true devotee of the Guru adores.

Guru Ram Das, Sarang War M4

By contact with the Naam, one rises in Pure Consciousness and gets absorbed therein; by contact with the Naam, one becomes the abode of virtues and feels comforted; by contact with the Naam, one escapes all delusions and never gets into trouble; by contact with the Naam, one sings true praises of Truth and is washed of all sins.

Guru Ram Das, Sarang M4

3. The practice of Naam awakens a person from a long-drawn sleep of ages to knowledge of the Self and knowledge of God.

Through the Grace of the Master, one gets interested in Naam and is awakened from long slumber of ages. 

Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

By listening to the Naam, one gets to Self-knowledge and reaps the profit of God-knowledge.

Guru Ram Das, Sarang War M4

4. An absorption in Naam ultimately leads to union of the soul with the Over-soul, uniting them in indissoluble bonds, the former feeling this close association all the time. He himself is emancipated and so many more to whom he grants the boon of Naam.

Naam is the abode of all virtues and miraculous powers, one easily gets to the fountain by devotion to the Lord. 

Guru Ram Das, Sawai M4

One merged in Naam lives in the Light of God, the worship of the pine Light comes only through a Master.

Guru Amar Das, Sri Rag M3

With Naam in one's heart, all his works shape out of themselves. No more does he depend on the people of the world, for God does everything for him and resides with him. 

Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

5. Naam brings in illumination and omniscience.

By a contact with Naam, the Light of God dawns in the human soul and one becomes truly blessed and attains his lost Godhead:

The Naam makes manifest the inner light and grants glory, the Naam brings in beatitude and leads Godward.

Guru Amar Das, Asa M3

Absorption in the Naam brings in Cosmic Awareness, oh Nanak! those who engage in the Naam are ever blissful.

Guru Nanak, Ramkali M1

By Thy Grace whosoever is given contact with the Naam, oh Nanak! the Naam leads one to the Turya state.

Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

6. Naam snaps all bondages and grants salvation:

Oh Nanak! whatsoever is attached with Naam, the messengers of death cannot come near him.

Guru Ram Das, Bihagra M4

By listening to the Naam, ye get near the Truth and the messengers of death do not molest thee.

Guru Ram Das, Sarang War M4

He who engages in the practice of the Naam, not only save himself but saves many another with him.

Guru Amar Das, Asa M3

Naam hath made us fearless, Naam hath taken us out of the gyres.

Guru Arjan, Gond M5

Oh Nanak! He escapes the fires of hell, whose body and mind are saturated with the Naam.

Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

One escapes all bondages and lives in Truth, the Naam is a rare gift in this age and a Gurumukh (devotee) gets It.

Guru Amar Das, Sorath War M3

Beside these, many other benefits can be derived from Naam. The mind gets satisfied and is no more swayed by desires. All worldly passions disappear and the poison of the world and worldly objects and relations has no effect on one devoted to Naam. All his acts and deeds are performed in a spirit of detachment and hence have no longer any binding effect. Established in Truth, he becomes one with Truth and thus attains salvation. A devotee of the Naam is always dear to the Master.

Oh my friend, Gurumukh be thou, ever engaged in Naam. By devotion to Naam, thou shalt be blessed, keep It safe within thee; without Naam, one is just a leper, obsessed with blind infatuation, fruitless are all his acts and keep him in bondage.

Guru Ram Das, Asa M4

So long as thou lives, be thou devoted to Naam, God escorts those on the Path and He takes them over in the end. 

Guru Ram Das, Sri Rag M4

In the Sikh scriptures, we very often come across sincere and earnest prayers for the attainment of Naam:

Satguru and Sat Purush is Godman indeed, and to Him I ever pray, we worms, tiny and crawling, are yet Thine, oh grant us the Light of Naam.

Guru Ram Das, Gujri M4

We wish for nothing else but the light of Thy Word, oh Master! The light that permeates in all hearts.

Guru Arjan, Gauri M5

Those Who have communed with the Word, Their toils shall end. And Their faces shall flame with Glory, not only shall They have salvation, oh Nanak, but many more shall find freedom with Them.

Jap Ji, Finale

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Explanation: 1) Siddha: A man endowed with supernatural powers. 2) Pir: A Muslim pine or a Spiritual Teacher. 3) Sura: Gods. 4) Nath: Yogin – an adept in yoga. 5) Dhaul: It is the fabled bull, supposed to be supporting the earths and heavens. 6) Shastras: The philosophical treatises of the Hindus. 7) Smritis: The ancient scriptures of the Hindus. 8) Vedas: The earliest books of human thought. 9) Ath-Sath: Literally these two words mean Eight and Sixty, i.e. sixty-eight. Nanak is once again making use of the Hindu belief that ablutions at sixty-eight places of pilgrimage bring purity from all sinful acts. 10) Sehaj: This term refers to the state when the turmoil of the physical, astral and causal worlds with all their enchanted panorama, are transcended and the Great Principle of life is seen within. 11) Yama: it is known to the men who know of the world Beyond, that at the time of shaking off the mortal coil, souls are ushered into the other world by certain messengers who are the angels of Death (Yamduts). Sinners are badly treated by them, while the others are invariably led before Yama, the king of Death. But one who practises the Word escapes Yama altogether; for he is received at the Astral World by the Radiant Form of the Master and is escorted by Him to the Spiritual Planes.