rāmkalī mahalā 9.
sādho kaün jugati ab kījai.
jā te durmati sagal bināsai rām bhagati manu bhījai.1. rahāu.
manu māiā mahi urajhi rahio hai būjhai nah kachu giānā.
kaünu nāmu jagu jā kai simrai pāvai padu nirbānā.1.
bhae daïāl kripāl sant jan tab ih bāt batāī.
sarab dharam māno tih kīe jih prabh kīrati gāī.2
rām nāmu naru nisi bāsur mahi nimakh ek uri dhārai.
jam ko trāsu miṭai nānak tih apuno janamu savārai.3.2.
-Guru Granth Sahib 902
Guru Teghbahadar Sahib moves from addressing the mind to addressing the virtuous, learned, or saintly beings. This Sabad questions spiritual beings and encourages them to replace the ignorance of the mind with devotion to IkOankar (the Divine).
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
Ramkali is a rag (musical mode) used to evoke feelings of triumph regardless of circumstance. In the larger Indic musical tradition, it is about two moods — madhur (sweet) and chakat (startled). There is a level of sweetness and a level of startling that is expressed in these compositions. The way it is explained in many traditions is that Ramkali is usually used to communicate a disciplined and wise teacher explaining something to a disciplined and wise student. They are both very aware that there is pain, but they know that this is what is best. The struggle makes the triumph that much sweeter.
In the second composition, the Guru moves from addressing the mind to addressing the virtuous, learned, or saintly beings. The Guru says, O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now, by which all negative thinking may be destroyed, and the mind may be drenched in devotion to the Beautiful? In the first composition, the Guru gets the mind to acknowledge that this negative thinking or negativity has to flee from the body forever. In the second composition, the question of how to do that comes. The answer also comes in the beginning: the mind needs to be drenched in the devotion of the Beautiful. But then the question of method arises again — how do we do that? It is not just that we want to get rid of only the negative thinking; it is that we want to replace it with something else, to occupy the mind with something good, something that will make this life fruitful. That something is devotion to the Beautiful Charming One. But in order to fill the mind with this devotion, we must first figure out what is currently occupying all of the space in our minds.
O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now? The mind is completely drenched in Maya or material attachment. It is completely entangled and caught up, so much so that there is no room or time to figure out any wisdom or knowledge. The Guru asks, which is that Nam (Identification) through the remembrance of which the world can become free? There is a redefinition of Nam here because different schools of thought define and understand the word differently. So which Nam is it, the Guru asks those who have experienced freedom, that we ought to remember or contemplate in this world to be free? Which Nam will free us here and now?
O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now? When the virtuous beings, or the truth-exemplars, are compassionate and full of grace, then they explain this to us. We ought to consider that person to have done all of the “religious” practices and rituals if they have sung praises of the One, if they have contemplated on the virtues of the One. Regardless of any other ritual or deed, this is the one thing that eclipses all other things: singing praises of IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force).
O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now? The Guru talks about the person who is able to bring the Nam of the Beautiful One into their heart even for a moment within twenty-four hours, day and night. This is not about age or status. The Guru says if we are able to do this for even a moment; if we can have the Nam of the Beautiful One living in our hearts; if we can feel it even for a split second, that is when the fear of death is erased, and life becomes beautiful.
We might sing all the time — but this does not mean we are necessarily connected in our hearts. It does not mean that it works every time! But if we keep singing and adopt the virtues of the One, we can feel that full connection in our hearts even in a split second. And in that tiny moment of connection, Nam enters us; fear leaves us, and life becomes beautiful. The connection does not happen every time! There is a learning process here, with a conscious understanding that it is difficult to experience that connection. But awareness is important, and it can happen when we think things are too far along and we are out of time, as long as our consciousness changes. And the question then becomes, once it changes, once we have that glimpse, once we feel Nam enter us even for a moment, will we change? Will our behaviors change?
In the second composition, the Guru moves from addressing the mind to addressing the virtuous, learned, or saintly beings. The Guru says, O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now, by which all negative thinking may be destroyed, and the mind may be drenched in devotion to the Beautiful? In the first composition, the Guru gets the mind to acknowledge that this negative thinking or negativity has to flee from the body forever. In the second composition, the question of how to do that comes. The answer also comes in the beginning: the mind needs to be drenched in the devotion of the Beautiful. But then the question of method arises again — how do we do that? It is not just that we want to get rid of only the negative thinking; it is that we want to replace it with something else, to occupy the mind with something good, something that will make this life fruitful. That something is devotion to the Beautiful Charming One. But in order to fill the mind with this devotion, we must first figure out what is currently occupying all of the space in our minds.
O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now? The mind is completely drenched in Maya or material attachment. It is completely entangled and caught up, so much so that there is no room or time to figure out any wisdom or knowledge. The Guru asks, which is that Nam (Identification) through the remembrance of which the world can become free? There is a redefinition of Nam here because different schools of thought define and understand the word differently. So which Nam is it, the Guru asks those who have experienced freedom, that we ought to remember or contemplate in this world to be free? Which Nam will free us here and now?
O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now? When the virtuous beings, or the truth-exemplars, are compassionate and full of grace, then they explain this to us. We ought to consider that person to have done all of the “religious” practices and rituals if they have sung praises of the One, if they have contemplated on the virtues of the One. Regardless of any other ritual or deed, this is the one thing that eclipses all other things: singing praises of IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force).
O virtuous beings! Which method may be used now? The Guru talks about the person who is able to bring the Nam of the Beautiful One into their heart even for a moment within twenty-four hours, day and night. This is not about age or status. The Guru says if we are able to do this for even a moment; if we can have the Nam of the Beautiful One living in our hearts; if we can feel it even for a split second, that is when the fear of death is erased, and life becomes beautiful.
We might sing all the time — but this does not mean we are necessarily connected in our hearts. It does not mean that it works every time! But if we keep singing and adopt the virtues of the One, we can feel that full connection in our hearts even in a split second. And in that tiny moment of connection, Nam enters us; fear leaves us, and life becomes beautiful. The connection does not happen every time! There is a learning process here, with a conscious understanding that it is difficult to experience that connection. But awareness is important, and it can happen when we think things are too far along and we are out of time, as long as our consciousness changes. And the question then becomes, once it changes, once we have that glimpse, once we feel Nam enter us even for a moment, will we change? Will our behaviors change?
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