salok m: 1.
haü vici āiā haü vici gaiā. haü vici jammiā haü vici muā.
haü vici ditā haü vici laiā. haü vici khaṭiā haü vici gaiā.
haü vici saciāru kūṛiāru. haü vici pāp punn vīcaru. haü vici narki surgi avtāru.
haü vici hasai haü vici rovai. haü vici bharīai haü vici dhovai. haü vici jātī jinsī khovai.
haü vici mūrakhu haü vici siāṇā. mokh mukti kī sār na jāṇā.
haü vici māiā haü vici chāiā. haümai kari kari jant upāiā.
haümai būjhai tā daru sūjhai. giān vihūṇā kathi kathi lūjhai.
nānak hukmī likhīai lekhu. jehā vekhahi tehā vekhu.1.
haü vici āiā haü vici gaiā. haü vici jammiā haü vici muā.
haü vici ditā haü vici laiā. haü vici khaṭiā haü vici gaiā.
haü vici saciāru kūṛiāru. haü vici pāp punn vīcaru. haü vici narki surgi avtāru.
haü vici hasai haü vici rovai. haü vici bharīai haü vici dhovai. haü vici jātī jinsī khovai.
haü vici mūrakhu haü vici siāṇā. mokh mukti kī sār na jāṇā.
haü vici māiā haü vici chāiā. haümai kari kari jant upāiā.
haümai būjhai tā daru sūjhai. giān vihūṇā kathi kathi lūjhai.
nānak hukmī likhīai lekhu. jehā vekhahi tehā vekhu.1.
salok m: 1. |
haü vici āiā haü vici gaiā. haü vici jammiā haü vici muā. |
haü vici ditā haü vici laiā. haü vici khaṭiā haü vici gaiā. |
haü vici saciāru kūṛiāru. haü vici pāp punn vīcaru. haü vici narki surgi avtāru. |
haü vici hasai haü vici rovai. haü vici bharīai haü vici dhovai. haü vici jātī jinsī khovai. |
haü vici mūrakhu haü vici siāṇā. mokh mukti kī sār na jāṇā. |
haü vici māiā haü vici chāiā. haümai kari kari jant upāiā. |
haümai būjhai tā daru sūjhai. giān vihūṇā kathi kathi lūjhai. |
nānak hukmī likhīai lekhu. jehā vekhahi tehā vekhu.1. |
Guru Nanak explores the elements of what we might traditionally think of as ego, but instead of speaking about ego as a one-dimensional and inherently negative, the Guru is speaking of a sense of self, or I-ness. There are dimensions or elements of this I-ness, and instead of portraying it as a fundamentally “bad” thing, Guru Nanak discusses the ways in which it manifests, either as an assertion of the self, or a denial. This verse is about what happens when we assert our I-ness.
When we say something like “this is my car,” or “this is my house,” when we are claiming things and saying “I did this,” that is the result of an assertion of the self. A denial of the self from the angle of Maya (illusion) is a recognition of our senses of self as illusory and a shift toward I-ness in its original form, which leads to a sense of 1-Ness, (One Universal Integrative Force, or 1Force). I-ness when referring to the denial of the small self and the realization of the Self with a capital ’S’ is eternal, while the I-ness when referring to the assertion of the self and a disregard for the Self, is transient.
Guru Nanak is listing all of the things that happen when we are asserting our I-ness, until we arrive towards the end of the verse, where the question of how to solve this riddle of the two manifestations of I-ness (as an assertion or as a denial) is answered. It is when we have resolved our I-ness that we see the gateway to the One, or 1Force, and become free. Until then, we are caught up in our sense of self and in all of the binaries that exist. Until then, we are burned up from the inside out, anxiously angered or in pain, consumed with negativity and jealousy. The resolution of I-ness comes with deep knowledge of the self and the Self.
Part of that deep knowledge is that the One who gives the Command is also the One who writes it. But, depending on which lens of this I-ness we are looking at things through, that influences what we see. If we have not resolved our I-ness and shifted our sense of self to a sense of the larger Self, we will see everything around us as a game of ego. This is the understanding of I-ness that creates bondages. If we have gone through that shift in perspective, we will see everything as a denial of that negativity, and we will understand I-ness in a way that is more in line with its original form, as 1-Ness. This is the understanding of I-ness that frees us.
I-ness in this form is powerful, as we are asserting the original Self and denying the deceptive self. There is a sense of I-ness that is productive and necessary so that we do not float through the world with our hands thrown up in the air, convinced that nothing we do matters. Guru Nanak is not saying that we must destroy our sense of self so much that we do not act in the world. Instead, the sense of self shifts so that it becomes about the larger I-ness, and is no longer egocentric. There is an annihilation of the ego or the self, replaced by the Self, which happens when we have received the deep knowledge.
Once that deep knowledge is received, we become like rivers in the ocean. The rivers are still there, but once those rivers feed into the ocean, they do not claim that they are rivers anymore. Instead, they say “I am the ocean,” an understanding of that comes with deep knowledge of 1-Ness. An experience that comes with the Wisdom (the Guru, the one who brings enlightenment-light by dispelling ignorance-darkness). I-ness transforms into 1-Ness.
When we say something like “this is my car,” or “this is my house,” when we are claiming things and saying “I did this,” that is the result of an assertion of the self. A denial of the self from the angle of Maya (illusion) is a recognition of our senses of self as illusory and a shift toward I-ness in its original form, which leads to a sense of 1-Ness, (One Universal Integrative Force, or 1Force). I-ness when referring to the denial of the small self and the realization of the Self with a capital ’S’ is eternal, while the I-ness when referring to the assertion of the self and a disregard for the Self, is transient.
Guru Nanak is listing all of the things that happen when we are asserting our I-ness, until we arrive towards the end of the verse, where the question of how to solve this riddle of the two manifestations of I-ness (as an assertion or as a denial) is answered. It is when we have resolved our I-ness that we see the gateway to the One, or 1Force, and become free. Until then, we are caught up in our sense of self and in all of the binaries that exist. Until then, we are burned up from the inside out, anxiously angered or in pain, consumed with negativity and jealousy. The resolution of I-ness comes with deep knowledge of the self and the Self.
Part of that deep knowledge is that the One who gives the Command is also the One who writes it. But, depending on which lens of this I-ness we are looking at things through, that influences what we see. If we have not resolved our I-ness and shifted our sense of self to a sense of the larger Self, we will see everything around us as a game of ego. This is the understanding of I-ness that creates bondages. If we have gone through that shift in perspective, we will see everything as a denial of that negativity, and we will understand I-ness in a way that is more in line with its original form, as 1-Ness. This is the understanding of I-ness that frees us.
I-ness in this form is powerful, as we are asserting the original Self and denying the deceptive self. There is a sense of I-ness that is productive and necessary so that we do not float through the world with our hands thrown up in the air, convinced that nothing we do matters. Guru Nanak is not saying that we must destroy our sense of self so much that we do not act in the world. Instead, the sense of self shifts so that it becomes about the larger I-ness, and is no longer egocentric. There is an annihilation of the ego or the self, replaced by the Self, which happens when we have received the deep knowledge.
Once that deep knowledge is received, we become like rivers in the ocean. The rivers are still there, but once those rivers feed into the ocean, they do not claim that they are rivers anymore. Instead, they say “I am the ocean,” an understanding of that comes with deep knowledge of 1-Ness. An experience that comes with the Wisdom (the Guru, the one who brings enlightenment-light by dispelling ignorance-darkness). I-ness transforms into 1-Ness.
In I-ness the being came into this world, in I-ness departed; in I-ness the being took birth in this world, in I-ness passed away.
In I-ness the being gave, in I-ness received; in I-ness the being earned, in I-ness lost.
In I-ness the being is truthful, in I-ness is deceitful; in I-ness, the being reflects on transgressions and moral acts, in I-ness, experiences happiness (heaven) and pain (hell).
In I-ness, the being laughs, in I-ness cries; in I-ness the being is soiled with the filth of vices, in I-ness tries to cleanse this filth with ritual practices. Thus, afflicted with ego one loses one’s high status.
In I-ness, the being sometimes wanders like an ignorant fool, in I-ness is sometimes wise; in I-ness, the being does not understand the value of freedom.
In I-ness, the being chases after Maya, in I-ness falls under the influence of Maya; in I-ness, living beings are created.
If one understands that both positive and negative actions occur in I-ness, only then can one realize IkOankar. Without spiritual-wisdom, one continues to blabber and uselessly quarrel with others.
Nanak! In accordance with the Command, the Writ is inscribed. As humans see or presume their existence in relation to IkOankar, so does their form or character become, in accordance with this Writ.
In I-ness the being gave, in I-ness received; in I-ness the being earned, in I-ness lost.
In I-ness the being is truthful, in I-ness is deceitful; in I-ness, the being reflects on transgressions and moral acts, in I-ness, experiences happiness (heaven) and pain (hell).
In I-ness, the being laughs, in I-ness cries; in I-ness the being is soiled with the filth of vices, in I-ness tries to cleanse this filth with ritual practices. Thus, afflicted with ego one loses one’s high status.
In I-ness, the being sometimes wanders like an ignorant fool, in I-ness is sometimes wise; in I-ness, the being does not understand the value of freedom.
In I-ness, the being chases after Maya, in I-ness falls under the influence of Maya; in I-ness, living beings are created.
If one understands that both positive and negative actions occur in I-ness, only then can one realize IkOankar. Without spiritual-wisdom, one continues to blabber and uselessly quarrel with others.
Nanak! In accordance with the Command, the Writ is inscribed. As humans see or presume their existence in relation to IkOankar, so does their form or character become, in accordance with this Writ.
In ego (the being) came (into this world), in ego went away. In ego took birth, in ego died.
In ego gave, in ego took. In ego earned, in ego lost.
In ego (becomes) truthful and deceitful. In ego (does) reflection on sin and charity. In ego (takes) birth in heaven and hell.
In ego laughs, in ego cries. In ego is filled (with dirt), in ego washes (it). In ego loses (one’s own high) caste and kind.
In ego (becomes a) fool, in ego, wise. Does not know the value of salvation and liberation.
In ego (one chases) Maya, in ego (one comes under its) shade. Continually engaged in ego, living beings are created.
If (one) understands (this) ego, (only) then (may one) realize the Door (of IkOankar). Without spiritual-wisdom, having repeatedly blabbered, one quarrels.
Nanak! Under the Command the Writ is inscribed. (Based on this Writ) as the (humans) see, so does their form (become).
In ego gave, in ego took. In ego earned, in ego lost.
In ego (becomes) truthful and deceitful. In ego (does) reflection on sin and charity. In ego (takes) birth in heaven and hell.
In ego laughs, in ego cries. In ego is filled (with dirt), in ego washes (it). In ego loses (one’s own high) caste and kind.
In ego (becomes a) fool, in ego, wise. Does not know the value of salvation and liberation.
In ego (one chases) Maya, in ego (one comes under its) shade. Continually engaged in ego, living beings are created.
If (one) understands (this) ego, (only) then (may one) realize the Door (of IkOankar). Without spiritual-wisdom, having repeatedly blabbered, one quarrels.
Nanak! Under the Command the Writ is inscribed. (Based on this Writ) as the (humans) see, so does their form (become).
In this salok of eighteen lines, parallelism has been beautifully employed. For example, in the first fourteen lines, the phrase ‘haü vici’ (in ego) has been used twenty times. As a result of the appearance of this phrase at the beginning and the middle of the first, second, third, fourth, eighth, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth lines, there is syntactic parallelism in the beginning and the middle. Because the phrase only appears at the beginning of the fifth, sixth, seventh and tenth lines, there is syntactic parallelism in the beginning.
The first, second, third, fourth, eighth, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth lines are structurally similar. Likewise, the fifth, sixth, seventh and tenth lines exhibit structural similarity. Thus, there is structural parallelism.
In the first nine lines, and the eleventh and thirteenth lines, there is antagonistic lexical parallelism because of the use of opposing words like ‘āiā-gaiā’ (arrived-departed) in the first line, ‘jammiā-muā’ (born-died) in the second line, ‘ditā-laiā’ (gave-took) in the third line, ‘khaṭiā-gaiā’ (earned-lost) in the fourth line, ‘saciāru-kūṛiāru’ (truthful-liar/deceitful) in the fifth line, ‘pāp-punn’ (transgression-moral/upright) in the sixth line, ‘narki-surgi’ (hell-heaven) in the seventh line, ‘hasai-rovai’ (laughs-cries) in the eighth line, ‘bharīai-dhovai’ (filled with dirt-washed/cleansed) in the ninth line, ‘mūrakhu-siāṇā’ (fool-wise) in the eleventh line, and ‘māiā-chāiā’ (Maya-shade) in the thirteenth line. Under this literary scheme, every aspect of life, good and bad, has been shown to be under the overarching influence of ego.
Deflection has been introduced in the twelfth and fourteenth lines, by removing the phrase ‘haü vici’ (in ego) in order to elaborate on the figurative expressions.
Similarly, by using the word ‘haümai’ (ego) instead of ‘haü’ (ego), deflection at the word level has been introduced in the fourteenth and fifteenth lines. This way, it has been explained that one who recognized ego, realized the door of IkOankar, but the ignorant individual is not able to understand this fact, and continues to stay trapped in the material aspects of life.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth lines, the use of the words ‘būjhai’ (understands), ‘sūjhai’ (realize) and ‘lūjhai’ (fights/quarrels) introduces a unique aural beauty. These words have been used to satirically reference those who remain stuck in ego. In addition to satire, there is a presence of alliteration as well. Similarly, the seventeenth and the eighteenth lines also exhibit alliteration through phrases like ‘likhīai lekhu’ (Writ is inscribed) and ‘jehā vekhahi tehā vekhu’ (as the humans see, so does their form become).
The first, second, third, fourth, eighth, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth lines are structurally similar. Likewise, the fifth, sixth, seventh and tenth lines exhibit structural similarity. Thus, there is structural parallelism.
In the first nine lines, and the eleventh and thirteenth lines, there is antagonistic lexical parallelism because of the use of opposing words like ‘āiā-gaiā’ (arrived-departed) in the first line, ‘jammiā-muā’ (born-died) in the second line, ‘ditā-laiā’ (gave-took) in the third line, ‘khaṭiā-gaiā’ (earned-lost) in the fourth line, ‘saciāru-kūṛiāru’ (truthful-liar/deceitful) in the fifth line, ‘pāp-punn’ (transgression-moral/upright) in the sixth line, ‘narki-surgi’ (hell-heaven) in the seventh line, ‘hasai-rovai’ (laughs-cries) in the eighth line, ‘bharīai-dhovai’ (filled with dirt-washed/cleansed) in the ninth line, ‘mūrakhu-siāṇā’ (fool-wise) in the eleventh line, and ‘māiā-chāiā’ (Maya-shade) in the thirteenth line. Under this literary scheme, every aspect of life, good and bad, has been shown to be under the overarching influence of ego.
Deflection has been introduced in the twelfth and fourteenth lines, by removing the phrase ‘haü vici’ (in ego) in order to elaborate on the figurative expressions.
Similarly, by using the word ‘haümai’ (ego) instead of ‘haü’ (ego), deflection at the word level has been introduced in the fourteenth and fifteenth lines. This way, it has been explained that one who recognized ego, realized the door of IkOankar, but the ignorant individual is not able to understand this fact, and continues to stay trapped in the material aspects of life.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth lines, the use of the words ‘būjhai’ (understands), ‘sūjhai’ (realize) and ‘lūjhai’ (fights/quarrels) introduces a unique aural beauty. These words have been used to satirically reference those who remain stuck in ego. In addition to satire, there is a presence of alliteration as well. Similarly, the seventeenth and the eighteenth lines also exhibit alliteration through phrases like ‘likhīai lekhu’ (Writ is inscribed) and ‘jehā vekhahi tehā vekhu’ (as the humans see, so does their form become).