- Guru Granth Sahib -
Rag Sri Raag
- Ashtapadis -
M.5
- Guru Arjan -
Hymn 1, Ashtapadis Hymn 26
When you are confronted with terrible hardships, and no one offers you any support, when your friends turn into enemies, and even your relatives have deserted you, and when all support has given way, and all hope has been lost - if you then come to remember the Supreme Lord God, even the hot wind shall not touch you. ||1||
Our Lord and Master is the Power of the powerless. He does not come or go; He is Eternal and Permanent. Through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, He is known as True. If you are weakened by the pains of hunger and poverty, with no money in your pockets, and no one will give you any comfort, and no one will satisfy your hopes and desires, and none of your works will be accomplished - if you then come to remember the Supreme Lord God, you shall obtain the eternal kingdom. ||2||
When you are plagued by great and excessive anxiety, and diseases of the body; when you are wrapped up in the attachments of household and family, sometimes feeling joy, and then other times sorrow; when you are wandering around in all four directions, and you cannot sit or sleep even for a moment - if you come to remember the Supreme Lord God, then your body and mind shall be cooled and soothed. ||3||
When you are under the power of sexual desire, anger and worldly attachment, or a greedy miser in love with your wealth; if you have committed the four great sins and other mistakes; even if you are a murderous fiend who has never taken the time to listen to sacred books, hymns and poetry - if you then come to remember the Supreme Lord God, and contemplate Him, even for a moment, you shall be saved. ||4||
People may recite by heart the Shaastras, the Simritees and the four Vedas; they may be ascetics, great, self-disciplined Yogis; they may visit sacred shrines of pilgrimage and perform the six ceremonial rituals, over and over again, performing worship services and ritual bathings. Even so, if they have not embraced love for the Supreme Lord God, then they shall surely go to hell. ||5||
You may possess empires, vast estates, authority over others, and the enjoyment of myriads of pleasures; you may have delightful and beautiful gardens, and issue unquestioned commands; you may have enjoyments and entertainments of all sorts and kinds, and continue to enjoy exciting pleasures - and yet, if you do not come to remember the Supreme Lord God, you shall be reincarnated as a snake. ||6||
You may possess vast riches, maintain virtuous conduct, have a spotless reputation and observe religious customs; you may have the loving affections of mother, father, children, siblings and friends; you may have armies well-equipped with weapons, and all may salute you with respect; But still, if you do not come to remember the Supreme Lord God, then you shall be taken and consigned to the most hideous hell! ||7||
You may have a body free of disease and deformity, and have no worries or grief at all; you may be unmindful of death, and night and day revel in pleasures; you may take everything as your own, and have no fear in your mind at all; but still, if you do not come to remember the Supreme Lord God, you shall fall under the power of the Messenger of Death. ||8||
The Supreme Lord showers His Mercy, and we find the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. The more time we spend there, the more we come to love the Lord. The Lord is the Master of both worlds; there is no other place of rest. When the True Guru is pleased and satisfied, Oh Nanak, the True Name is obtained. ||9||1||26||
Ang 70,71
Fifth House, M.5
- Guru Arjan -
Hymn 2, Ashtapadis Hymn 27
I do not know what pleases my Lord. Oh mind, seek out the way! The meditatives practice meditation, and the wise practice spiritual wisdom, but how rare are those who know God! ||1||
The worshipper of Bhagaauti practices self-discipline, the Yogi speaks of liberation, and the ascetic is absorbed in asceticism. ||2||
The men of silence observe silence, the Sanyaasees observe celibacy, and the Udaasees abide in detachment. ||3||
There are nine forms of devotional worship. The Pandits recite the Vedas. The householders assert their faith in family life. ||4||
Those who utter only One Word, those who take many forms, the naked renunciates, the wearers of patched coats, the magicians, those who remain always awake, and those who bathe at holy places of pilgrimage ||5||
Those who go without food, those who never touch others, the hermits who never show themselves, and those who are wise in their own minds ||6||
Of these, no one admits to any deficiency; all say that they have found the Lord. But he alone is a devotee, whom the Lord has united with Himself. ||7||
Abandoning all devices and contrivances, I have sought His Sanctuary. Nanak has fallen at the Feet of the Guru. ||8||2||27||
Ang 71
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