āsā mahalā 4.
tūṁ kartā saciāru maiḍā sāṁī.
jo taü bhāvai soī thīsī jo tūṁ dehi soī haü pāī.1. rahāu.
sabh terī tūṁ sabhnī dhiāiā.
jis no kripā karahi tini nām ratanu pāiā.
gurmukhi lādhā manmukhi gavāiā.
tudhu āpi vichoṛiā āpi milāiā.1.
tūṁ darīāu sabh tujh hī māhi.
tujh binu dūjā koī nāhi.
jīa jant sabhi terā khelu.
vijogi mili vichuṛiā sanjogī melu.2.
jis no tū jāṇāihi soī janu jāṇai.
hari guṇ sad hī ākhi vakhāṇai.
jini hari seviā tini sukhu pāiā.
sahaje hī hari nāmi samāiā.3.
tū āpe kartā terā kīā sabhu hoi.
tudhu binu dūjā avaru na koi.
tū kari kari vekhahi jāṇahi soi.
jan nānak gurmukhi pargaṭu hoi.4.2.
-Guru Granth Sahib 11-12
Guru Ramdas Sahib describes the eternal IkOankar (the Divine), referred to as the Creator and owner of all. By following the teachings of the Guru, the Guru-centered beings successfully realize the true worth of their lives, while the self-centered follow their minds and spend their lives in ignorance.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the first five stanzas of So Purakhu (That Being), Guru Ramdas identifies with seekers contemplating on the nature of their Sovereign. In this second sabad, Guru Ramdas explores the journey of those seekers interested in developing a heart connection to immerse in ‘this’ love-relationship with their Sovereign. Who are these seekers yearning to discover their Sovereign?
In the first stanza, we are given a glimpse of the intimate bond that can exist between the seeker and their Sovereign when the Guru says, O Eternal Sovereign; you are my Beloved. In this world-play, there are those seekers who deeply long for their Beloved’s presence. These seekers are deeply in love and focus all their efforts on revering their Sovereign. In yearning for this connection, these love-struck seekers express their love with devotion to their Sovereign. For these lovers, their relationship to their dearest Beloved becomes all-encompassing. It becomes their only focus. Thus, their relationship becomes a deeply intimate one, as they proclaim their relationship with their Beloved to be ‘theirs’ by declaring O Eternal Sovereign, you are my Beloved!
There is a comparable shift in relationship-status - the seeker’s desire to relate to their Sovereign transitions from a positional stance to a personal one. This journey is now about discovering who my Sovereign is to me, says the seeker in the here and now. With clarity, the seeker establishes their relationship with their Sovereign by claiming them to be their Beloved, their dearest Sovereign. This relationship has transcended to become a lived experience of this all-pervasive love, as the one I call my Beloved. In this relationship status, the love-struck devoted seeker declares that nothing else matters but You, so whatever You give me, I experience, I receive, and I accept. I will accept everything from the one who has claimed my heart. What transpires next for these seekers in their journey?
The vastness of the ocean waters is used as a metaphor to describe the Sovereign’s infinite nature. The expansiveness of all creation is described as existing within these ocean waters. The 1-Ness, which dwells in the ocean waters, represents the Sovereign in you and me, says Guru Ramdas. It is within reach of the seekers. The vastness of the ocean waters is available to all seekers, but only some will experience this vastness.
At the Sovereign’s discretion, Guru Ramdas says that some seekers will identify with and connect to and experience this 1-Ness. In contrast, others will choose not to or otherwise remain separated. Those separated experience their own mind-centered journey, away from You. Some seekers might journey back to You, while others will remain disconnected. Those seekers who genuinely desire to establish this heart-connection and continue to revere their Sovereign - this relationship then blossoms into love. For these seekers, their intense personal relationship begins with the Eternal Sovereign, who they define to be theirs, their dearest Beloved. These wisdom-centered seekers are gifted with the presence of their Beloved. It is implied that this love-connection is a two-way process. When the Beloved reaches out to the seeker as their companion, the relationship elevates to a more personal level.
In this union, the wisdom-centered seeker gradually begins to experience the gift of Nam, the Identification with the intuitive wisdom their Sovereign has to offer. Thus, life for these wisdom-centered seekers becomes effortless and takes on a new meaning, to become all purposeful when nothing else matters. Moreover, this state of blissful existence intuitively enables this wisdom-centered seeker to stay connected with their dearest Beloved.
In the final stanza, the wisdom-centered seeker acknowledges that everything happens when one feels the grace of the Sovereign, the knower of all hearts. After that, the relationship has become a personal one. But the seeker never forgets that their dearest Beloved, their Eternal Sovereign, is responsible for establishing this union.
Very few of us might claim that we know what it is like to love so deeply as these wisdom-centered seekers do in their love for their Beloved. Yet, our everyday experiences of loving relationships remind us that we do and that we can experience a love that transcends the ‘you’ and ‘I’ to accepting the love that naturally arises without the need for expectations or desires. Think about how one attends to a baby selflessly by responding to their needs, remaining close to them at all hours, helping them to feel secure in the pure love that exists between a parent and child. Think about how loving partnerships, relationships, marriages can transcend the ‘you’ and ‘I’ to become that love that exists between us and that 1-Ness.
These everyday experiences remind us how love can transition from a transactional experience towards loving someone as they are, without the need to change them or expect anything in return. Just like a wisdom-centered seeker who graciously claims their Sovereign to be theirs, waits patiently to receive or feel the grace of their Beloved. This love journey is enough for these wisdom-centered seekers to love their Beloved without expecting what transpires next. These wisdom-seekers, Guru Ramdas says, will discover their Beloved through their deep longing, reverence, and self-less desire to be with their dearest Beloved, their Eternal Sovereign.
What happens when this all-pervasive love experience that Guru Ramdas describes becomes experiential in our everyday life? It is a process of gradual discovery for the wisdom-centered to begin relating to the 1-Ness in the here and beyond. This discovery process has the power to transform our everyday relationships; we learn how to love ourselves and others more freely. Perhaps one starts to feel more loved and less critical of oneself and others. Maybe one develops more self-awareness of how one speaks to another; inclusivity begins to stem from our hearts rather than discrimination.
Ever reflected on what it is like to experience this love that Guru Ramdas describes, where you seek nothing else but the desire to connect to your beloved?
In the first stanza, we are given a glimpse of the intimate bond that can exist between the seeker and their Sovereign when the Guru says, O Eternal Sovereign; you are my Beloved. In this world-play, there are those seekers who deeply long for their Beloved’s presence. These seekers are deeply in love and focus all their efforts on revering their Sovereign. In yearning for this connection, these love-struck seekers express their love with devotion to their Sovereign. For these lovers, their relationship to their dearest Beloved becomes all-encompassing. It becomes their only focus. Thus, their relationship becomes a deeply intimate one, as they proclaim their relationship with their Beloved to be ‘theirs’ by declaring O Eternal Sovereign, you are my Beloved!
There is a comparable shift in relationship-status - the seeker’s desire to relate to their Sovereign transitions from a positional stance to a personal one. This journey is now about discovering who my Sovereign is to me, says the seeker in the here and now. With clarity, the seeker establishes their relationship with their Sovereign by claiming them to be their Beloved, their dearest Sovereign. This relationship has transcended to become a lived experience of this all-pervasive love, as the one I call my Beloved. In this relationship status, the love-struck devoted seeker declares that nothing else matters but You, so whatever You give me, I experience, I receive, and I accept. I will accept everything from the one who has claimed my heart. What transpires next for these seekers in their journey?
The vastness of the ocean waters is used as a metaphor to describe the Sovereign’s infinite nature. The expansiveness of all creation is described as existing within these ocean waters. The 1-Ness, which dwells in the ocean waters, represents the Sovereign in you and me, says Guru Ramdas. It is within reach of the seekers. The vastness of the ocean waters is available to all seekers, but only some will experience this vastness.
At the Sovereign’s discretion, Guru Ramdas says that some seekers will identify with and connect to and experience this 1-Ness. In contrast, others will choose not to or otherwise remain separated. Those separated experience their own mind-centered journey, away from You. Some seekers might journey back to You, while others will remain disconnected. Those seekers who genuinely desire to establish this heart-connection and continue to revere their Sovereign - this relationship then blossoms into love. For these seekers, their intense personal relationship begins with the Eternal Sovereign, who they define to be theirs, their dearest Beloved. These wisdom-centered seekers are gifted with the presence of their Beloved. It is implied that this love-connection is a two-way process. When the Beloved reaches out to the seeker as their companion, the relationship elevates to a more personal level.
In this union, the wisdom-centered seeker gradually begins to experience the gift of Nam, the Identification with the intuitive wisdom their Sovereign has to offer. Thus, life for these wisdom-centered seekers becomes effortless and takes on a new meaning, to become all purposeful when nothing else matters. Moreover, this state of blissful existence intuitively enables this wisdom-centered seeker to stay connected with their dearest Beloved.
In the final stanza, the wisdom-centered seeker acknowledges that everything happens when one feels the grace of the Sovereign, the knower of all hearts. After that, the relationship has become a personal one. But the seeker never forgets that their dearest Beloved, their Eternal Sovereign, is responsible for establishing this union.
Very few of us might claim that we know what it is like to love so deeply as these wisdom-centered seekers do in their love for their Beloved. Yet, our everyday experiences of loving relationships remind us that we do and that we can experience a love that transcends the ‘you’ and ‘I’ to accepting the love that naturally arises without the need for expectations or desires. Think about how one attends to a baby selflessly by responding to their needs, remaining close to them at all hours, helping them to feel secure in the pure love that exists between a parent and child. Think about how loving partnerships, relationships, marriages can transcend the ‘you’ and ‘I’ to become that love that exists between us and that 1-Ness.
These everyday experiences remind us how love can transition from a transactional experience towards loving someone as they are, without the need to change them or expect anything in return. Just like a wisdom-centered seeker who graciously claims their Sovereign to be theirs, waits patiently to receive or feel the grace of their Beloved. This love journey is enough for these wisdom-centered seekers to love their Beloved without expecting what transpires next. These wisdom-seekers, Guru Ramdas says, will discover their Beloved through their deep longing, reverence, and self-less desire to be with their dearest Beloved, their Eternal Sovereign.
What happens when this all-pervasive love experience that Guru Ramdas describes becomes experiential in our everyday life? It is a process of gradual discovery for the wisdom-centered to begin relating to the 1-Ness in the here and beyond. This discovery process has the power to transform our everyday relationships; we learn how to love ourselves and others more freely. Perhaps one starts to feel more loved and less critical of oneself and others. Maybe one develops more self-awareness of how one speaks to another; inclusivity begins to stem from our hearts rather than discrimination.
Ever reflected on what it is like to experience this love that Guru Ramdas describes, where you seek nothing else but the desire to connect to your beloved?
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