paüṛī.
bhagat terai mani bhavde dari sohani kīrati gāvade.
nānak karmā bāhare dari ḍhoa na lahan̖ī dhāvade.
iki mūlu na bujhan̖i āpaṇā aṇhodā āpu gaṇāide.
haü ḍhāḍhī kā nīc jāti hori utam jāti sadāide.
tin̖ maṅgā ji tujhai dhiāide. 9.
bhagat terai mani bhavde dari sohani kīrati gāvade.
nānak karmā bāhare dari ḍhoa na lahan̖ī dhāvade.
iki mūlu na bujhan̖i āpaṇā aṇhodā āpu gaṇāide.
haü ḍhāḍhī kā nīc jāti hori utam jāti sadāide.
tin̖ maṅgā ji tujhai dhiāide. 9.
paüṛī. |
bhagat terai mani bhavde dari sohani kīrati gāvade. |
nānak karmā bāhare dari ḍhoa na lahan̖ī dhāvade. |
iki mūlu na bujhan̖i āpaṇā aṇhodā āpu gaṇāide. |
haü ḍhāḍhī kā nīc jāti hori utam jāti sadāide. |
tin̖ maṅgā ji tujhai dhiāide. 9. |
Guru Nanak focuses the ballad on mentioning those who have not yet found that one thing but who consider themselves virtuous, and comparing them to those we can call the real devoted ones. So many people claim to be devoted but have no sense of their root, or origin. They take pride in virtues that they do not have, and continue wandering.
Guru Nanak mentions this and then focuses in on those who are truly devoted, the ones who are beautifully singing praises of the One, those who are living a life that is rooted in the realization of 1-Ness and in the culture of 1-Identification.
Guru Nanak identifies with these true devotees, calls himself a low-caste minstrel, someone who was considered to be the lowest rung on the ladder of musicians at the time. An important contrast is drawn, when Guru Nanak identifies with the lowest of the low in comparison to those who claim to be devotees and consider themselves to be high in social status due to their “glorifications.” Guru Nanak is asking for the ones who genuinely recognize who they are, who walk through their lives with a sense of where they come from, where they are rooted, who remember 1Force in their thoughts and their actions. There is a deliberate eulogizing of these devotees, the lowest of the low, and a reclaiming of the narrative around the devoted ones because of how easily that title is thrown around to refer to various people (people who have not really understood their origin and who instead reap the rewards of their performative devotion). It is not enough to just sing praises, to live in a certain way, or to check things off of a list in hopes of achieving some sort of spiritual status or understanding about life. The truly devoted ones are those who are not just singing and behaving in a way that aligns with the 1Force, but who are doing this while recognizing their own rootedness in that 1Force.
Guru Nanak mentions this and then focuses in on those who are truly devoted, the ones who are beautifully singing praises of the One, those who are living a life that is rooted in the realization of 1-Ness and in the culture of 1-Identification.
Guru Nanak identifies with these true devotees, calls himself a low-caste minstrel, someone who was considered to be the lowest rung on the ladder of musicians at the time. An important contrast is drawn, when Guru Nanak identifies with the lowest of the low in comparison to those who claim to be devotees and consider themselves to be high in social status due to their “glorifications.” Guru Nanak is asking for the ones who genuinely recognize who they are, who walk through their lives with a sense of where they come from, where they are rooted, who remember 1Force in their thoughts and their actions. There is a deliberate eulogizing of these devotees, the lowest of the low, and a reclaiming of the narrative around the devoted ones because of how easily that title is thrown around to refer to various people (people who have not really understood their origin and who instead reap the rewards of their performative devotion). It is not enough to just sing praises, to live in a certain way, or to check things off of a list in hopes of achieving some sort of spiritual status or understanding about life. The truly devoted ones are those who are not just singing and behaving in a way that aligns with the 1Force, but who are doing this while recognizing their own rootedness in that 1Force.
O IkOankar! Those devotees are pleasing to Your mind, who look beautiful while singing praises at the Guru’s door.
Nanak (signature): The unfortunate beings who are devoid of praises of IkOankar do not find refuge in Your court; they keep wandering.
Some individuals do not realize their own origin, and they portray their non-virtuous self as virtuous.
O IkOankar! I am Your low caste minstrel; others consider themselves to be of high caste.
I seek the company of those devotees who always remember You.
Nanak (signature): The unfortunate beings who are devoid of praises of IkOankar do not find refuge in Your court; they keep wandering.
Some individuals do not realize their own origin, and they portray their non-virtuous self as virtuous.
O IkOankar! I am Your low caste minstrel; others consider themselves to be of high caste.
I seek the company of those devotees who always remember You.
(O IkOankar! Those) Devotees are pleasing to Your mind, (who) look beautiful, singing praise at the (Guru’s) door.
Nanak (signature): The unfortunate (ones who are devoid of Your praise), do not get admittance at (Your) door, (they) keep wandering.
Some do not understand their own origin, (and) cause to count their non-existent self.
(O IkOankar!) I am a low caste minstrel; others cause (themselves) to be called of high caste.
(I) seek those who contemplate on You.
Nanak (signature): The unfortunate (ones who are devoid of Your praise), do not get admittance at (Your) door, (they) keep wandering.
Some do not understand their own origin, (and) cause to count their non-existent self.
(O IkOankar!) I am a low caste minstrel; others cause (themselves) to be called of high caste.
(I) seek those who contemplate on You.
With the use of simple linguistic expression, it has been clarified in this pauri that those devotees who sing praises of IkOankar in the congregation, are pleasing to IkOankar. Those who are devoid of such Grace do not find refuge at the court of IkOankar. They continue wandering.
Many people do not recognize their origin, and consider themselves to be ‘great,’ even without possessing any quality. The Guru however, says, he is a humble minstrel, who sings praises of IkOankar; other individuals may find pride in being considered of a higher status.
In this way, the entire vocabulary is expressing simple and direct meaning, without the use of any specific symbolism.
Many people do not recognize their origin, and consider themselves to be ‘great,’ even without possessing any quality. The Guru however, says, he is a humble minstrel, who sings praises of IkOankar; other individuals may find pride in being considered of a higher status.
In this way, the entire vocabulary is expressing simple and direct meaning, without the use of any specific symbolism.