“Maru Kaphi” >

• Sabad 1
  Sabad 1 Sabad 2 Sabad 3

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• Maru Kaphi Mahala 1 Ghar 2: āvaü vanñaü ḍummaṇī
  Overview Maru Kaphi Mahala 1 Ghar 2: āvaü vanñaü ḍummaṇī

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Maru Kaphi is a quiet and contemplative rag (musical mode) associated with the colder season and the afternoon. Maru is a strike and denotes a kind of directness in word choice and tone. Kaphi is the Sufi expressive way of delivering things in sweetness. It provides relaxation and assurance. These two things together mean that Maru Kaphi is a rag of warriors who are drenched in love and of bluntness paired with sweet emotions beyond logic or explanation. 

The three compositions by Guru Nanak, conventionally referred to as Maru Kaphi, show the seeker how to reflect on their two-mindedness, become Wisdom-oriented, and cultivate a relationship with the Divine.

In the first composition, Guru Nanak says, my mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. May I be a sacrifice, may I be cut into pieces, if it means the Divine-Spouse will look at me with a glance of grace for a moment. The Guru identifies with the human-bride, or the seeker, living in duality and dichotomy. The seeker reflects on their state of two-mindedness, of coming and going. The one who is in separation is in a state of constant sadness, caught up in the cycle of coming and going, and makes many other friends. But these relationships are being developed because the seeker does not know what to do or what to look for. They are looking for something they cannot find. We do this in different ways when we are in a state of sadness and dissatisfaction. We might seek out other people or experiences to distract ourselves from our own misery. We might even make new friends, as misery loves company. But these are friendships developed out of desperation and the dichotomies we are in. They are not relationships that will help us. It is because of the two-minded seeker’s state of separation that they cannot take the refuge of the Divine-Spouse, IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One). The seeker cannot find solace. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. The seeker’s mind is colored or imbued in the love of the Divine-Spouse, and the plea comes: may I be a sacrifice, may I be cut into pieces, if it means the Divine-Spouse will look at me with a momentary glance of grace. Even for a momentary glance, the seeker is willing to sacrifice themselves, to be cut into pieces for the briefest moment of grace from the Divine Spouse. This feeling cannot be explained. It is a state of existence in which the seeker circles around the One, constantly circles around the One. When we encircle someone or something, it is because we are centering our lives around that thing. We are willing to do anything for it. The seeker is encircling IkOankar and willing to do anything for a glance of grace. If it requires their limbs, they will do it just for a glance, just for a moment of happiness. Why? Because otherwise, the seeker is already dying in pain. Life feels as if it is not worth anything. And so there is a willingness to give one’s literal body or parts for a change in that state, a release from that pain, even if it is momentary. The focus on the mind here is important because it is the mind that does not understand emotions and the experiential. It is the mind that is caught up in two opposing ways of thinking, in dichotomies. And the accumulation of friends who are also living in dichotomy and duality encourages the mind to continue in this state. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. The Guru continues to identify with the voice of the two-minded seeker, reflecting, I am an unfortunate human-bride in the parents’ house. How can I go to the in-laws’ house? The separated and unfortunate seeker is disconnected in the parents’ house or in this world and this separated life. How can they be connected when it comes time for them to leave this house of existence for the hereafter, or the connected life, the in-laws’ house? Flaws are around the unfortunate seeker’s neck like a garland of non-virtues. They are filled with non-virtues, and they pine for connection. Without the Divine-Spouse, they die. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. The seeker reflects and says that if they are able to remember the Divine-Spouse in their parents’ house, if they are able to remember IkOankar here and now, in this life, if they are able to foster a relationship with the One while living, they will be able to find a dwelling in the in-laws’ house. We tell ourselves so many reasons why we cannot foster a relationship with IkOankar here and now. We are too busy; we are too flawed, we will get to it later in life. But that relationship ought to start as soon as possible. If we start remembering the One, we will find that our relationship with the One is strong before the metaphorical wedding. The fortunate human-brides, the fortunate seekers who are connected with the Divine-Spouse, who have fostered a relationship with IkOankar, sleep in comfort. They have found IkOankar, the Treasure of virtues, and it is through this relationship that they have become fortunate and virtuous. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. The unfortunate seekers who are in separation might do a lot to feel comfortable. They might live a great lifestyle outwardly, they might accumulate worldly things that they hope will give them physical and mental comfort and peace of mind. The same way we accumulate friendships even in our misery as a distraction, we accumulate material things in our misery in hopes that it will make us less miserable. But no matter what we do, we still suffer because we are still in separation. Our bodies might feel physical comfort externally, but we do not find comfort within the mind and the heart. Our lives pass in suffering and loneliness without the Spouse. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. The unfortunate seeker continues to reflect on this, saying, I savor numerous tastes, I don numerous guises. We might be enjoying great food and beautiful clothing, we might continue to accumulate different ways to escape the way we feel internally. But without the Divine-Spouse, our lives and our youth go to waste because we pine and pine in our separation. We are dying in this pain. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. So how does the seeker get that message that can really motivate them to change? Where can we get our Divine-Spouse’s love-filled message? This comes from the Wisdom. We listen to the Wisdom, which is found in the Sabad, or the Word. It is through this that the eternal seat of the eternal IkOankar is found, through the grace of the Bestower of grace, that we are dyed or imbued in love. It is through this that we are able to enter that eternal space where we are one with the Divine-Spouse, where we start to feel the grace, and the love-filled messaging is heard and resonates within us. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. Earlier the unfortunate two-minded seeker was decorating themselves in beautiful clothing and distracting themselves with friendships. Now the question comes – how do we really decorate ourselves now that we understand that these external things will not help us out of our separation? What eyeliner do we use? The Guru says that the wise or insightful one wears the eyeliner of truth around the eyes. This is what helps us to see the Seer, IkOankar. We might not have the right perspective right now. We might not have the best way of looking at things. This is what changes through the Wisdom. It is not possible to understand without the Wisdom. When Wisdom-orientedness is cultivated, we remove our pride and ego — a process that requires much effort, but when it has happened, we find that we have become wise and able to see the One. 

My mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband. The Guru ends with a humble statement, addressing the Divine-Spouse. Those who are pleasing to You are like You. The ones like me are many. The Divine-Spouse separates not from those dyed in the true One. This language is so sweet despite the directness and even perceived hardness in some of the previous stanzas. The majority of the human-brides or seekers are two-minded, separated, unfortunate, and astray. We are all looking for other love, for ways to distract ourselves from our misery, escapisms of various kinds. It is worth noting that even after such a vulnerable self-reflection on their current state and the ways they have fallen short, the seeker still calls the Divine-Spouse the Spouse. They still invoke that intimate relationship despite their struggle in that relationship due to separation and dichotomies. The ones who are colored in the One are never separated from the One. Everything they do becomes of the One. In this world and in the world beyond, they are always with the Divine-Spouse. 

This composition is about the dichotomies within us, the seekers or feminine beings, which keep us in that cycle of the parents’ and the in-laws’ home, this world, and the world beyond. Until we are in a complete relationship with IkOankar, until we understand that there is no separation between the here and the hereafter, we will remain in our two-mindedness, separated, unfortunate, and in pain. We will continue to make efforts to attract the Divine-Spouse that are only superficial and worldly and temporary. We may make these efforts and have our own attractiveness, but unless there is love or devotion with the Divine-Spouse, life is not truly fruitful. We cannot get out of this state unless we leave our attachments and prides and contemplate on the Wisdom. The Wisdom helps us understand how to connect with the One. And it is through grace that we begin to leave our two-mindedness. The Guru ends by identifying with the seeker who is not connected yet to show us how to acknowledge where we are in our own lives, and to understand that despite our current states, despite our misery, IkOankar is always there and always full of grace. The questions are: Will we follow the guidance of the Wisdom and cultivate Wisdom-orientedness? Will we make an effort to cultivate a relationship with the Divine-Spouse here and now? Will we prepare ourselves to feel that glance of grace?

The creative and all-pervasive Force (IkOankar) is one, that is, unparalleled. IkOankar is realized through the grace of eternal Wisdom (Guru).
In Rag Maru Kafi, a mixed musical mode, Sabad revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib.

If my mind is imbued with my beloved Husband, IkOankar;
If only for a moment IkOankar looks at me with the glance of grace, may I adore, may I devote my life to IkOankar.1. Pause.

I wander around in a dilemma. I make many friends.
But a seeker separated from IkOankar cannot find support anywhere else. Then how can I find solace in separation from IkOankar?1.

While living in the world (parent’s house), I have been separated from IkOankar; how can I go to the abode of IkOankar (in-law’s house)?
There is a noose of flaws around my neck. I have been robbed by these flaws. Without connection with IkOankar, I am dying in grief.2.

If I constantly remember IkOankar while living in the world, only then can I find a place in IkOankar’s abode.
The fortunate seekers, who have experienced IkOankar, the source of virtues, sleep happily forever.3.

If the seekers who are separated from IkOankar sleep on the bed with silk sheets and quilts and wear silk dresses;
even then, the life of such seekers separated from IkOankar passes in grief.4.

I savor numerous delicious foods and wear many kinds of beautiful clothes.
But without connection with IkOankar, my youth has passed in vain. Separated from IkOankar, I am always in sorrow.5.

If we listen to the call coming from the abode of the eternal IkOankar by reflecting on the Wisdom (Guru) and always remember IkOankar in our mind;
Then the true abode of the eternal IkOankar is found. One is dyed in love by the grace of the gracious IkOankar.6.

A wise seeker enlightens their consciousness through the eternal Wisdom and sees the all-pervasive IkOankar, the Caretaker of all beings, everywhere.
Through the Wisdom (Guru), the seeker receives awareness of the all-pervasive IkOankar within, and by removing ego and pride, receives honor among all.7.

The seekers who are pleasing to You become like You. There are numerous like me who have not felt Your presence.
At the end of the Sabad, by using the signature ‘Nanak,’ Guru Nanak states: The seekers who remain imbued with the love of eternal IkOankar, never forget IkOankar in their minds.8.1.9.

1 creative and all-pervasive Supreme Being; through the grace of the true Guru.
(Rag) Maru, First Embodiment; Ghar two; Kafi.

(I) the two-minded (one) come (and) go; (I) make so many friends.
(But a separated) human-bride cannot take refuge; how can (I), the separated one, find solace?1.

(If) my mind is dyed with my Divine-Husband;
May I be a sacrifice, (may I be even) cut into pieces, (if the Divine-Husband) looks (at me) with a glance for a moment.1. rahau.

(I am) a duhagan in the parent’s house, how can (I) go to the in-laws’ (house)?
Flaws are around my neck, (I) am deceived (by them); having pined, (I) die without the (Divine) Husband.2.

(If I may) remember the Divine-Husband in the parent’s house, (then only may I find) dwelling in the in-laws’ house.
Suhagans sleep with comfort, (who have) found the Treasure of virtues, the (Divine) Husband.3.

(If duhagans use) quilt, mattress, and (wear) dress on the body, having made (these) of silk;
(still) duhagans (who) have been abandoned by the Divine-Husband, their night passes in suffering.4.

(I) savor numerous tastes, (I) don numerous guises.
(But) without the Divine-Husband, my youth has passed in vain; (I), the separated one, pine (and) pine.5.

(If one) listens to the call of the true (One) through the thought of the Guru;
(then) the true seat of the true (One) is (found); through the grace of the Bestower of grace (the Divine-Husband, one is dyed) in love.6.

The wise one (wears) the kohl of truth, sees the Seer (the Divine-Husband);
understands through the Guru, is known (among all), having removed ego (and) pride.7.

(Those who) are pleasing to You are like You; (the rest) like me are numerous.
Nanak (signature): The Divine-Husband separates not from those dyed in the true (One).8.1.9.

Symbolism is effectively used in this Sabad. Here, IkOankar is portrayed as the Divine-Husband and the seeker as a human-bride. Consequently, the words ‘pir’ (husband), ‘piru’ (husband) have been used for IkOankar and the word ‘sādhan’ (bride) for the seeker.

To express two states of the being, two symbols, ‘ḍohāgaṇī’ (woman who is widowed or separated from her husband) and ‘sohāgaṇī’ (a woman whose husband is alive), have been used in this Sabad. Through the symbol of ‘ḍohāgaṇī,’ the seeker, who has turned away from the Divine-Husband, is portrayed. A being separated from IkOankar is like a human-bride separated from her husband, full of vices, helpless, surrounded by a dilemma, and subject to wandering and suffering. On the other hand, the seeker dyed with the love of the Divine-Husband is portrayed as a sohāgaṇī. Such a being enjoys comforts just like a sohāgaṇī. From a poetic perspective, such a depiction is called an allegory. In this, an ‘inevident but central statement’ is expressed through an ‘evident but non-central statement.’

Similarly, two other symbols, ‘peīaṛai’ (in the parent’s house) and ‘sāhuraṛai’ (the in-laws’ house), also appeared in this Sabad. ‘peīaṛai’ (in the parents’ house) represents this world, and ‘sāhuraṛai’ (the in-laws’ house) points to the abode of IkOankar.

Though at the surface level, the Sabad describes the human-bride through ‘ḍohāgaṇī’ and ‘sohāgaṇī,’ in reality, there is the description of a seeker who is separated from IkOankar and a seeker who is connected with IkOankar. At a semantic level, this literary style is called ‘contextual quibble.’ Here, by using this style, the state of a seeker separated from IkOankar is established through a ḍohāgaṇī, and the state of a seeker dyed in the love of IkOankar is established through sohāgaṇī.

The phrase ‘kitī mitra kareu’ (I make many friends) in the first line is a symbolic statement. Through this, the tendency of the being separated from IkOankar is pointed out, who lacks discernment about with whom they form relationships.

In the fourth line, the phrase ‘haü gholi ghumāī khannīai kītī’ (may I be a sacrifice) and ‘hik bhorī nadari nihāli’ (may look with a glance of grace for even a moment) are popular proverbial phrases. Thus, these can be categorized as proverbs.

In the sixth line, the phrase ‘mai gali aügaṇ muṭhṛī’ (flaws are around my neck, I am deceived) describes being deceived by flaws. Deceiving is a human act that has been associated with flaws here. So, personification is used here.

The ninth line, ‘lephu nihālī paṭ kī kāpaṛu aṅgi baṇāi’ (if duhagans use the quilt, mattress, and wear cloth on the body, having made these of silk), is a symbolic statement. Through this, the worldly achievements of the being are pointed out. The phrase ‘ḍukhī raiṇi vihāi’ (night passes in suffering) in the tenth line is also a symbolic statement that points to the sorrowful life of a being. The eleventh line, ‘kitī cakhaü sāḍaṛe kitī ves kareu’ (I savor numerous tastes, I don numerous guises) and the phrase ‘pir binu jobanu bādi gaïamu’ (without the Divine-Husband, my youth has passed in vain) of the twelfth line are also symbolic statements. Through these, it has been stated: No matter how many worldly comforts a being accumulates, without IkOankar, life is spent in vain.

Through accessible language in the thirteenth and fourteenth lines, it has been stated: The being is united with IkOankar through eternal Wisdom.

The fifteenth line, ‘giānī anjanu sac kā ḍekhai ḍekhaṇhāru’ (wise one wears kohl of truth, sees the Seer), is also a symbolic statement. Through this, it has been stated: A wise seeker enlightens their consciousness through the eternal Wisdom (Guru) and sees the all-pervasive IkOankar everywhere. A metaphor has appeared in the phrase ‘anjanu sac kā’ (kohl of truth) of this line. Here, ‘sac’ is the subject of comparison, and ‘anjanu’ is the object of comparison, and both are considered to be the same.

The seventeenth and eighteenth lines are also symbolic statements. Through the symbol of a human-bride, it has been pointed out that the beings, dyed in the color of IkOankar, never get separated from IkOankar.

There is structural parallelism in the eleventh line, ‘kitī cakhaü sāḍaṛe kitī ves kareu’ (I savor numerous tastes, I don numerous guises), and the seventeenth line, ‘taü bhāvani taü jehīā mū jehīā kitīāh’ (those who are pleasing to You are like You; the rest like me are numerous):
kitī cakhaü sāḍaṛe
kitī ves kareu
and
taü bhāvani
taü jehīā
mū jehīā kitīāh

In the phrase ‘sukhi savandhi sohāgaṇī’ (eighth line), ‘sace sandā sadṛā suṇīai gur vīcāri’ (thirteenth line), and the phrase ‘nānak nāhu na’ (eighteenth line), there is an alliteration due to the repetition of sounds ‘s’ and ‘n.’ Similarly, in the phrases ‘gholi ghumāī’ ‘nadari nihāli’ (fourth line), ‘jhūredī jhūreu’ (twelfth line), ‘sace sacā,’ ‘nadarī nadari’ (fourteenth line), ‘ḍekhai ḍekhaṇhāru’ (fifteenth line) there is a repetition of various sounds. So here also is an alliteration. These can also be categorized as phonological parallelisms.

This Sabad contains eighteen lines. The meter of these lines is as follows: first (13+10), second (12+11), third (9+11), fourth (20+13), fifth (14+11), sixth (13+11), seventh (13+11), eighth (13+11), ninth (12+11), tenth (12+12), eleventh (11+10), twelfth (15+15), thirteenth (11+11), fourteenth (11+11), fifteenth (13+11), sixteenth (14+11), seventeenth (14+12) and eighteenth (13+12). This meter is similar to the lines of the verse form known as ‘dohra’ (13+11) in Indic poetics.