Appendix
From Sikh Scriptures
We are severed from Thee through our own deeds: show Mercy and take us unto Thee again, having wandered in all directions, tired and worn out we have come to Thy feet, just as a dry cow is of no consequence and vegetables without moisture go stale and become valueless, so we, the worthless, have no peace without our Beloved. If the Beloved reveals Himself not in the house (body), the same, nay the very town where one lives is like a desert, and all the make-up and ornamentation of the body become useless. In the absence of the Beloved, all friends and relations appear like angels of death (Yamaduts), Nanak prayeth: kindly grant me the gift of Thy Holy Word, and unite me with the Lord, who abides for ever.
Bara Maha 133
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My mind yearns for the sight of the Lord, as a thirsty man doth for water, my heart is pierced with the Love’s dart from my Lord and He alone knows my miserable state. Whosoever narrates to me the tales of my Beloved, he alone is a brother unto me, come together ye brothers, accept the Master’s Word and sing songs of my Beloved. Oh Lord! fulfil Nanak’s desire: Grant him Thy Holy Vision, the harbinger of peace.
Oh mother! how can I find my Beloved, the Lord of my soul? I am not beautiful, nor wise, nor strong, I am a stranger come from afar, I have no riches, nor I am youthful; grant this helpless creature Thy shelter (Sharan). I have become love-stricken from endless seeking, I am wandering about, thirsty for a vision of the Lord, now oh Nanak! the most merciful Lord has quenched my thirst through contact with the Saints.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
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Oh Ocean of Mercy! always reside in my heart, grant me such wisdom that may make me love the Lord, I ask for the dust of Thy servant’s feet, that I may rub it over and over again on my forehead; fallen as I am to the lowest depths, I am sure that I will be purified by singing Thy praises. Let Thy will be sweet unto me, and whatever Thou doest should be pleasant for me; whatever Thou givest I should accept it with a good grace and should not wish for aught else; knowing Thee to be always near me, I wish to be the dust to Thy servants; if we get the company of Saints, then alone can we attain the Lord, we are always Thy boy-servants, and Thou art our Master, Nanak saith: I am a child and Thou art my father and mother, and Thy Naam in my mouth is just like exhilarating nectar.
Guru Arjan, Todi M5
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It is through Thee that I live, do not forsake me even for a moment, oh grant me but one gift: remove my doubts and protect me my Beloved, Thou the Knower of all secrets; the wealth of the Word is more than millions of earthly kingdoms, the nectar of Thy look is the Highest honour for me. Oh Omnipotent Beloved: grant me the power to sing Thy praises all the time, oh benefactor of all souls, I take shelter with Thee, Nanak lovingly sacrifices himself at Thy feet.
Guru Arjan, Todi M5
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Lord, make me the dust of Thy feet, most merciful Beloved, the Captivator of my heart, be gracious enough to satisfy this craving of mine. Thy praises are being chanted in all the ten directions, Thy all-knowing wisdom is present everywhere; those who sing Thy praises, my Creator, shall have no regrets when quitting the world. The contact of the Saints relieves us from all bonds and pains, Nanak knows that all pleasures, riches and delights are of no consequence, without the Love of the Lord.
Guru Arjan, Todi M5
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There is none else beside Thee, Thou the Creator and aught happens as Thou desireth, all my strength is from Thee and so the support of my mind: Nanak always meditates on Thee alone.
Oh Par Brahm, Thou art the highest Benefactor, and sustaineth all, Thou art and Thou shall ever be: Unreachable, Unknowable, the Highest and the Endless. Those who serve Thee are freed from fear and pain, through Guru’s Grace, Nanak sings Thy praises.
Whatever we see is evolved from Thee, Thou the Ocean of Goodness, beautiful Lord, oh seeker, remember Him constantly: but this remembrance, oh Nanak, cometh only through his Grace. I am an humble servant of one who meditates on Thee, company of such a one liberates all the world, Nanak saith: Oh Lord! I pray for the luminous dust of the Saints: fulfil this craving of mine.
Guru Arjan, Tilang M5
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Thou art a most loving Lord with many disciples like me, thou art an Ocean of jewels, with depths immeasurable, Thou, oh Supreme Wisdom! be merciful unto me, and give me understanding to meditate on Thee all the time, oh my self, do not be vain and proud, but humble like dust for that is the Way to liberation, the Lord of Nanak is the highest of all, and many like Nanak serve His will.
Guru Arjan, Suhi M5
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Be gracious, my Lord, that my eyes behold Thy gracious form, give me millions of tongues, my Beloved, that I may sing Thy Naam, singing of Thee will save me from the path of Yama and drive away all pain and sorrow: The Lord permeates the water, earth, ether and everything besides and I see Him everywhere. All doubts and delusions having vanished, I see the Lord as the nearest of the near, oh Lord! be merciful to Nanak, that he may have Thy blessed vision.
My Beloved Lord, grant me millions of ears that I may hear Thy praises forever, hearing it is that purifies the mind and snaps the bondage of time, all bondage end by constantly meditating on the Everpresent; and then comes in rejoicing and True Knowlede. By constantly repeating His Name (Naam) we become concentrated into an effortless state of Bliss. Remembrance of the Lord burns away all sins and evil thoughts fly like enchanter driven, Nanak prayeth: Lord be kind that men may hear the voice of the Everpresent Word.
Millions of hands serve Thee, and millions of feet walk Thy Path, Thy Word is the boat to ferry us across the ocean of life and death, whosoever sits in that boat crosses the Bhavsagar (the fearful sea of life and death), and is blessed for ever with no desire unfulfilled. All the deadly sins vanish giving plasc to Bliss, and the Mystic Sounds become audible, whatever the mind desires that comes to pass, the Unstruck Sound of the Word is a priceless gem, Nanak saith: Be kind and grant us the boon of treading Thy Path all the time.
This is the boon, this the honour, this the treasure of Naam, and fortunate is he who comes by it; this is the delectable delight and this the highest enjoyment, for one who meditates at His feet: now the mind is absorbed in the contemplation of His feet and has taken shelter in Him, the Creator of all, everything is Thine, oh Lord! and Thou art mine; oh merciful One, I am worthless fellow and Thou an Ocean of Bliss: this realisation comes through the company of the Saints, Nanak saith: The Lord hath been kind: my mind is now absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His Lotus Feet.
Guru Arjan, Suhi M5
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Thou art my father and Thou art my mother, Thou art my relative and Thou art my brother, Thou art my Protector everywhere, what fear can I have? I found Thee out through Thy Merciful Grace: Thou art my shelter and also my honour, there is non else besides Thee, whatever happens is of Thy doing and nothing is of us.
Guru Arjan, Majh M5
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Thou art our Lord and to Thee we pray: the soul and the body are Thy gifts, Thou art mother and father to us, and we are Thy children: through Thy kindness we get immense happiness, nobody knows Thy greatness, Thou art the Highest Lord of all. Thou art the Sustainer of all creation, which is created by Thee and obeys Thy will. Thou alone knowest Thy vastness, Nanak is always pouring himself out in Thy Love.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
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Oh Benefactor of this unworthy soul! My Life, body an mind are all Thine, how can one guage Thy greatness? What cleverness can a purchased slave show? All my body and soul are Thine: oh most beautiful and attractive Beloved! I shall give all that I have for glimpse of Thee, Thou my Benefactor, oh Lord! I am a poor beggar at Thy door, and Thou art ever gracious, there is nothing that I can do. Oh Master! Thou alone art Unreachable and Limitless: what service can I render? What words can I utter to please Thee? How can I have Thy Darshan ( a look at Thee)? We cannot know Thy Greatness, nor Thy Existence Infinite: My mind is yearning just for a glimpse of Thee. I persist in begging of Thee without feeling any sense of shame, the gift that I may have the luminous dust from the feet of Thy Saints to smear on my face. The Master showed His Mercy, oh Nanak! And the Lord liberated me through His Grace.
Guru Arjan, Suhi M5
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Who is ours besides Thee? Oh my Beloved, the Sustainer of my life breath. You only know the Inner State of my mind, and you alone are the Good Friend: I have derived all happiness from Thee, oh my Master! Unspeakable, Unweighable, I cannot describe Thy various plays, oh Thou, the Ocean of all goodness and the source of real happiness. Thou art Unreachable, Ever-Present Lord but becomest known through the Master’s Grace. Thou hast eliminated all my fears, and have liberated me after finishing off my egoism, the fear of life and death is also gone in the company of Saints; I touch the feet of the Guru and serve Him. I sacrifice my whole being a million times for Him through Whose Grace I have crossed the sea of fear, Nanak saith: I have now found the Beloved.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
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Thou art my Protector here and hereafter, Thou nourished me in my mother’s womb: the fire of Maya cannot affect those who are intoxicated with Thy Love, and are absorbed in Thy Holy contemplation. What qualities of Thine can I describe? I realise Thy presence within my mind and body: Thou art my friend and Master, I know not anyone else besides Thee. Whomsoever Thou takest under Thy protection not a breath of the scorching air can touch Him. Thou art the Lord and in Thy Sharan (shelter) one gets immense happiness. Thou makest Thyself known through meditation in the company of the Saints; Thou the Highest, the Limitless and the Priceless. Thou art my True Master and I Thy humble slave; Thou art Lord, Thy greatness true, Nanak sacrifices his all for Thee.
Guru Arjan, Majh M5
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Thou art my boon companion and my friend, Thou art my Beloved and my Love goes only to Thee, Thou art my spouse, honour and adornment, and I cannot live without Thee, even for a while.
Thou art my jewel and my very life, Thou my Master (Sahib) and my Ruler (Khan) too, I shall ever abide by Thy will and shall do what Thou willeth, wherever I look, I see Thee there in fullness. I will recite with my tongue Thy Word that made me fearless, Thou art my great Treasure and Bhandar (merchandise). Thou art sweetly and the support of my mind, Thou art my honour and I am absorbed in Thy Love.
Thou art my shelter and Thou my support, I worship Thee in my mind and body after having got this secret from the Guru, the Guru made me firmly established in the One, oh Nanak! the servant of Hari is ever sustained by Hari.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5