XXIII
What to ask from God
A Lady on marriage entrusts her all to her husband and gladly accepts the new mode of life whatever it be. Now nothing else appeals to her but him. It is for the husband now to provide all her needs and to look after her comforts.
Render unto Him all that belongs to Him, and make His Will thine own. In return He showers His blessings manifold, oh Nanak! He is ever so merciful.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
He who has Him as his boon companion, he stands in need of naught.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
Once a certain king intended to go abroad. He inquired of his queens as to what gift each of them would like him to bring for them from the foreign lands. One of them asked for costly jewels, another for rich apparel and still another for cosmetics. Some asked for fineries and others for delicacies, etc. The youngest of them, who loved the king most, requested his early return so that she would not have to languish long in his absence. The king on his return sent the various gifts to his other queens and himself went to the palace of the youngest and was highly pleased that there was someone who loved him the most, much more than his riches and wealth. The Rani (queen) too thanked God for her right good fortune that her husband was with her and that she needed nothing else besides him. The rest of the queens, though each one of them had got what she wanted, had not the good fortune to claim their husband's attention. All their riches and gifts availed them not without their beloved.
In exactly the same way we, through short-sightedness, ask from God or Godman for trinkets of no consequence and not Him and His Saving Grace, and like the different queens in the parable, suffer most the pangs of separation. All the riches of the world fail to give the least satisfaction. On the contrary, these things distract us from the Truth and make us more miserable. If we could but win His Grace we would then be in want no more. All His riches come to us automatically, without asking. Even if they are denied for one reason or another, it matters not, for without Him and His love they are dirty trash.
All riches and fineries befit him who has won Him, and even without them, what care if he were to live in poverty?
Guru Arjan, Shalok M5
Our most elementary needs are of the body – to wit, food, clothing and shelter. For these things we strive hard, working madly and restlessly from morn till night. We sacrifice our very self to procure these comforts – if any comfort they provide. Do we not realize that when a child comes into the world his life plan is sketched out beforehand? Without this nobody would be here at all. With destiny all shaped, the mould is cast and the spirit enters therein, ready to take his life's journey in the world.
With a predestined plan one comes into the world, oh Tulsi! with all this, the mind does not accept it.
Dame Nature now gets ready for the royal reception of the Prince of the Universe, providing milk in the mother's breast, shelter in the mother's lap, and an army of attendants to attend to his minutest needs. The Powers of Nature mobilize all their forces to claim the prince-child as their own. But as the child grows and develops into adolescence and begins to feel the life-impulse surging in him, the world, as a foster mother, claims him as her own and he fondly clings to her and her gifts forgetting his native and prenatal home in heaven.
Heaven lies about us in our infancy, shades of the prison-house begin to close upon the growing boy. Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own; yearning she hath in her own natural kind, and even with something of a mother's mind, and no unworthy aim, the homely nurse doth all she can, to make her foster child, her inmate Man, forget the glories he hath known, and that imperial palace whence he came.
Wordsworth
Again, all the gifts of the world are purely ephemeral. They are always in an unstable and changing state. Nothing is permanent. Everything is subject to decay and dissolution.
Momentarily the things appear and then recede back into the Fullness, in the twinkling of an eye the world itself sinks into the great deep.
Kabir, Gauri Kabir
In this ever-changing phenomena of the world, there is but one unchangeable permanence and that is God and God-in-action (the Holy Ghost, Kalma, Naam or Word), responsible for the creation, sustenance and dissolution of countless universes. Why then should we not long for, ask for and pray for that imperishable life principle, so that we too may have Life Everlasting and come to our eternal heritage, the everlasting Godhood which is our birthright.
Listen ye to the call of the hollow man, manifest Thyself, oh Lord, Nanak has humbly reached Thy door, through the Grace of Thy devotee.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
Our native home is in Sach Khand. Ages upon ages have gone by since we parted from the Father and we are still in exile in this world.
The soul that rises with us, our life's Star, hath had elsewhere its setting, and cometh from afar.
Wordsworth
We must then yearn for a re-union with the Beloved, separated as we are from Him for myriads of ages.
For ages upon ages have we been separated, unite us unto Thee, oh Lord, through sheer compassion if Thou wilt. We have wandered high and low in all the points of the compass, now keep us oh Thou under the shadow of Thy holy wings.
Guru Arjan, Majh M5
In countless births have I wandered away and away from Thee, this (human) birth I have dedicated to Thee and have staked it on Thee, Ravi Das now lives in hope to meet Thee once again.
Ravi Das, Dhanasari Ravi Das
Guru Amar Das, therefore, prayeth:
Through innumerable gyres have I gone without rest, in Thy mercy, oh Merciful! grant me the boon of Thy manifestation.
Guru Amar Das, Dhanasari M3
Guru Arjan prayeth:
Many a birth I had in various species, every time I had to undergo many sufferings. Through Thy Grace I have now a human birth, this then is the time to manifest Thyself unto me, oh Lord.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
Lift me oh Lord! I have fallen at Thy door, accept me in compassion, tired as I am of my wanderings. Saviour of Thy devotees, save the sinners as well, I know none besides Thee to offer my prayers, oh ferry me safely across the ocean of living matter.
Guru Arjan, Jaitsari M5
The soul pines in the separation of her Lord. Even if she is not worthy of the Lord, she prays for union with Him.
All are blessed in the love of their Lord, but I alone am the unfortunate one. So filled with spots through and through, my consort does not like even to see my face.
Guru Amar Das, Suhi War M3
Meritless as I am, I intensely pray for my turn, Oh Nanak, all the spouses had Thee in abundance, spare a night for me as well.
Guru Amar Das, War Ramkali M3
All the maidens have gone with their spouses, whereto should I, the unfortunate, turn my face? With my parents I was the light of their eyes, but woe unto me that my Lord looks not at me.
Guru Amar Das, Vadhans M3
Kill me if Thou wilt but turn not away, hug me to Thy bosom, listen ye to my prayer, just look this way and earn my gratitude, why kill me by turning Thy face away.
Kabir, Asa Kabir
Thirsty as I am for Thy sight, my mind calls for Thee in agony, I pray to Thee oh Formless and crave for Thy mercy.
Guru Arjan, Asa M5
Life is worth living with Thee before me. Be merciful, oh sweet Beloved, and drive away all doubts and delusions.
Guru Arjan, Sarang M5
I earnestly beseech and pray for just one thing, I make a sacrifice of all my wealth and possessions for a union with Thee.
Guru Arjan, Bilawal M5
What may I ask for and repeat unto Thee except that I hunger and thirst for Thy sight; it is through the Word of the Master that one reaches Truth, Nanak, therefore, prays for this alone.
Guru Nanak, Suhi M1
I have just one submission and listen ye to that, certainly Thou art great, compassionate, and immaculate.
Guru Nanak, Tilang M1
We never remember Thee and waste our life in fruitless pursuits. Nanak sayeth, oh God, remember Thou the pledge (of redemption), regardless of our defaults.
Guru Arjan, Sorath M5
Thou art the abode of all virtues and Lord of us all with no virtue in us, no bondsman can praise Thee enough, when he holds even his body and life from Thee. Thou saved me from the hell-fires, I have taken shelter at Thy feet, Thou art the only stake of my life and honour, I depend on naught else.
Guru Arjan, Suhi M5
Great is the Lord, boundless, infinite and ineffable, oh Nanak! He is the Saviour of all who take refuge in Him.Guru Arjan, Jaitsari M5
I pray to Thee, oh Lord! of body, mind and soul, oh Nanak! it is His greatness else none knew me before.
Guru Arjan, Asa M5
Thou alone art the Doer of all things, to whom then should we offer prayers.
Guru Nanak, Bhairon M1
Helpless are we and Merciful art Thou, what can we, the sinners, say unto Thee. In spite of our broken words of no meaning, accept us and grant us the gift of perfection.
Ravi Das, Dhanasari Ravi Das
Thou art the woof and warp of my very existence, I, therefore, pray unto Thee alone. I have no other place to turn to for worship, I place all my comforts and discomforts before Thee.
Guru Ram Das, Suhi M4
I cannot do justice to Thy greatness, for I am an ignorant fool. Oh Lord! redeem poor Nanak, for he has taken shelter at Thy feet.
Guru Ram Das, Suhi M4
Again, we have in the Sikh Scriptures:
We, the ignorant, insensate and devoid of all virtues, have taken refuge with Thee, oh Primal Being, through Thy Boundless Grace, oh Lord! save us, in spite of all our shortcomings.
Guru Ram Das, Bilawal M4
Oh God! have mercy and ferry us across, save us with the help of Thy Melodious Song. We are bogged in the mire of infatuation, oh extend to us Thy hand and pull us out.
Guru Ram Das, Asa M4
Look ye not on my merits and demerits, but forgive me my faults, oh Merciful. How can the clay-toy be washed clean? That indeed is the fate of all human beings.
Guru Arjan, Ramkali M5
Oh Lord! be Thou compassionate on the orphan at Thy door, sustain him in the blind well of the body, for he is imbecile both in mind and intellect.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
We are the great defaulters and sinners with a galaxy of thefts to boot, now Nanak is at Thy feet, oh Lord! save him as you wilt.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
Oh Saviour and Sustainer Peerless, listen ye to me, oh Nanak! the ignorant and the foolish never think of Him, nor do they know the pitch dark night in which they live.
Guru Nanak, Tokhari M1
I have no virtues of the body or of the mind and have come from afar, I have neither riches nor beauty, save me the homeless one.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
One who slips at every step cannot escape on his own account, oh Nanak, He may forgive and pilot me across in His Divine Mercy.
Guru Arjan, Gauri M5
We commit blunders without number and know not their consequences, oh Lord! forgive us in Thy Grace for we are inveterate sinners.
Guru Amar Das, Shalok M3
Like the great deep sea, we are full of faults, with Thy Mercy and Saving Grace, Thou can save the mill-stones from sinking down.
Guru Nanak, Gauri M1
The whole world is in the throes of death pangs. God alone can save it, as He may with His limitless love.
The entire world is being consumed in the invisible flames of hell-fire, save us all with Thy loving Grace in whatever way it may be possible.
Guru Amar Das, Bilawal War M3
Oh Lord! Thou art peerlessly deep and infinitely high and none reaches Thee, we pray that we may not forget Thee, the fountain of all comforts.
Guru Arjan, Suhi M5
Oh the Great Giver and perfect Master, I ask of Thee but one gift, the gift of Hari. Shower Thy blessings on Nanak, oh my oldest Friend, become manifest in me.
Guru Ram Das, Kalyan M4
Good and evil intentions are both in your control, oh Lord We are but instruments and You are the motor-power behind us. We only act and do as You actuate us from behind.
All our thoughts and good intentions are in Thy control, Thou alone art the motor-power behind all our actions, oh Nanak! He is the overruling power that works as He wills.
Guru Ram Das, Bilawal M4
We, per se are incapable of rendering any service to God, and cannot pride ourselves on our so-called service. It is in the refulgence of God's Light that we live and have our very being. When He withdraws the life current, we become helpless, –
None can serve Thee nor feel elated at anything. When the life currents are withdrawn, how helpless do we become.
Guru Amar Das, Bilawal M3
We must ask for God from God, for all else means inviting headache. The greatest gift from Him is that of Naam or the Power of Godhead, which when granted brings with It contentment and satisfaction.
Except Thee all else is the source of trouble and misery, grant us the gift of Thy Word that brings in peace and satiation.
Guru Arjan, Ramkali M5
Maulana Rumi prayeth in this wise, –
Ask from God nothing but God, except Him, all else is perishable. Never ask God for a thing that must decay, ask not of God anything beside Himself. Do not darken thy mind with thoughts and cares that are chimerical.