REMEMBERING GURU NANAK DEV JI
(16th
April 1469 – 22 September 1539)
On this auspicious day of Gurpurab, let us have a pious look
at his message in the Japji which is regarded as the key to the Adi-Granth
and an epitome of its doctrines.
God, the creator of the universe, is
indefinable. Even countless definitions will fail to encompass His attributes. It
can rightly be said that only God Himself can tell humanity what He is.
In such a situation , it is a blessing to read Guru Nanak Ji’s
very short hymn called the Mul Mantra. It begins
like this:
“The Only Infinite One; The Only Supreme Being; The eternal;
The universal Spirit; The Creator; The All-pervading; The Sovereign ; The Harmonious;
The Immortal; The Embodiment; The un-incarnated; The Self-existent; The
Enlightener; The Bountiful.”
Add
to these attributes the following easier descriptions:
“God is one; Truth is His Name; He is the Creator; The
Fearless; Without Enmity; The Immortal; The Unborn; Self-illuminated.
By the Grace of the Guru; Recite. “Truth is the beginning;
True before ages began; True at present;
Nanak True He shall ever be; By thinking alone, He cannot be conceived; Even
though one may ponder hundred thousand times; By observing silence either, He
cannot be attained, Even though one may remain in constant meditation; The
hunger of the hungry for God cannot be appeased, Even though one may pile up
loads of worldly riches; One may use hundreds or thousands of devices, not one
can help to reach God. How shall then one justify oneself? How then screen of
falsehood be torn?
The great Guru says: All are subject to His supreme Will.
Nothing is outside the sphere of His will. Nanak, if His will is realised , no
one ever shall take pride.
The Great Guru adds:
“By hearkening the indwelling name of God, man achieves wisdom,
saintliness, courage and contentment; He understands the real nature of the
earth, the power that supports it, and the firmament; He obtains a knowledge of
the islands, the continents, upper and nether regions; and conquers the fear of
death and transmigration.”
God’s devotees are ever happy. By hearkening His name , their
sufferings and sins are wiped out.
Furthermore:
“A man whose mind is satiated in God acquires wisdom,
consciousness and understanding; He acquires the inner knowledge of all spheres
of the universe; He does not suffer the punishment of transmigration, and does
not fear death, and achieves salvation. Such is the result meditation on
immaculate God, if one worships Him with full concentration of mind. “
And finally, let me mention once again the Great Guru’s unforgettable
words about God:
“God is infinite, so is His description. His creation is
infinite, so is His bounty. His observation is infinite, so is His perception.
The limits of the secrets of His heart cannot be fathomed. The limit of His creation
cannot be ascertained. It is not possible to know the beginning or end of it.
Countless have longed to comprehend His limits. But His limits cannot be ascertained.
No body knows the limits. The more we say, the more there remains to be said of
Him. “
Before I conclude, let me admit that for this brief write up I am gratefully indebted to several sources. My
sole aim was to let the readers know the great message of Guru Nanak Dev Ji which
enables each one of us, irrespective of who we are and where we are, to lead an
utterly peaceful life.
==========
30th
November 2020
G. R. Kanwal
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