So Daru
In the Guru Granth Sahib, after ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib, five Sabads are recorded on pages 8-10 under the title ‘So Daru.’ Regarding this, a note, ‘so daru panc sabad’ (So Daru comprising five Sabads) is written under the ‘index of rags’ (musical modes), in the manuscripts of the Guru Granth Sahib. From this information, it is clear that ‘So Daru’ is a collection of five Sabads. Out of these five, the first Sabad begins with the line ‘so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā....’ Thus, these five Sabads have received the title ‘so daru.’ These Sabads are as follows:
1. so daru rāgu āsā mahalā 1. so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā… .1.
2. āsā mahalā 1. suṇi vaḍā ākhai sabhu koi… .4.2.
3. āsā mahalā 1. ākhā jīvā visrai mari jāu… .4.3.
4. rāg gūjarī mahalā 4. hari ke jan satigur sat purkhā… .4.4.
5. rāgu gūjarī mahalā 5. kāhe re man citvahi udam… .4.5.
These Sabads were recorded under this title by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606) during the compilation of Adi Granth. According to the Sikh code of conduct, these Sabads are part of the Bani, ‘So Daru Rahrasi,’ which Sikhs recite in the evening.
According to ‘Shabdarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji,’ in ‘So Daru,’ “only one Sabad is included... In the index of rags too, only this Sabad is called ‘So Daru,’” which is inaccurate. This view about (there being only one Sabad) may be correct for the Sabad in Rag Asa (page 347), but not for the ‘so daru panc sabad’ (So Daru comprising five Sabads). The index of the Guru Granth Sahib’s original manuscript (Kartarpur Bir) provided by Bhai Jodh Singh also points to this title as a collection of five Sabads. The numeric arrangement (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) available at the end of these Sabads also attests to that.
Sabad 1
so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā
Out of the five Sabads recorded under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the first Sabad. There is only one stanza of twenty-two lines in this Sabad written on page 8-9 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This Sabad is uttered by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa.
This Sabad of ‘So Daru’ is also recorded in the twenty-seventh pauri of ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib and on page 347 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Rag Asa. The Sabad in ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib is somewhat different from the other two Sabads. This view of the Faridkoti Tika, that in reality there are only two Sabads, seems correct. One appears in ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib and the other in Rag Asa. The Sabad in Rag Asa is the one that has been included in the five Sabads recorded under the title ‘So Daru.’ There is very little difference between the two Sabads of ‘So Daru’ and Rag Asa.
According to Dr. Vikram Singh, during the times of Guru Nanak Sahib, “in the beginning, there was only one Sabad ‘so daru terā kehā…’ in this composition.” Bhai Gurdas has pointed to the singing of this Sabad in the evening during Guru Nanak Sahib’s stay at Kartarpur as follows: sañjhai sodar gāvaṇā man melī kari meli milande. -Var 6, Pauri 3
This Sabad describes the praising of IkOankar by all elements and creatures of the world in innumerable ways. All elements like air, water, fire, etc., sing the praises of IkOankar. Gods-goddesses like Dharam-Raj, Chitra Gupt, Shiva, Brahma, Devi, Indra, etc., and Siddhas, celibates, righteous people, contented beings, Pandits, warriors, brave ones, enchanting women, etc., all are singing the praises of IkOankar alone. All living creatures of different parts of the cosmos, solar systems, universes, heaven, netherworld, etc., are singing the praises of IkOankar. Just like this Sabad describes how the entire creation ‘sings’ the praises of IkOankar, some other Sabads in the Guru Granth Sahib also use the same idiom to describe the entire creation ‘meditating’ on IkOankar, ‘devoting itself’ to IkOankar and ‘living in reverence’ of IkOankar. In reality, singing the praises of IkOankar, meditating on IkOankar, devoting oneself to IkOankar, and living in reverence of IkOankar or discipline all mean the same thing. All these poetic techniques inform us that the entire creation is only functioning under the will of IkOankar. Whatever is pleasing to IkOankar, IkOankar does that alone. IkOankar’s will cannot be avoided. IkOankar alone is the creator and master of the entire creation. It is only fitting for a being to happily abide by IkOankar’s will.
Some Sabads similar in meaning to the above Sabad are given below:
simarai dharatī aru ākāsā. simrahi chand sūraj guṇtāsā. paüṇ pāṇī baisantar simrahi simarai sagal upārjanā.1. simarahi khanḍ dīp sabhi loā. simrahi pātāl purīā sacu soā. simrahi khāṇī simrahi bāṇī simrahi sagale hari janā.2. simrahi brahame bisan mahesā. simrahi devate koṛi tetīsā. simrahi jakhiya dait sabhi simrahi agantu na jāī jasu ganā.3. simrahi pasu paṅkhī sabhi bhūtā. simrahi ban parbat aüdhūtā. latā balī sākh sabh simrahi ravi rahiā suāmī sabh manā.4. simrahi thūl sūkham sabhi jantā. simrahi sidh sādhik hari mantā. gupat pragaṭ simrahi prabh mere sagal bhavan kā prabh dhanā.5. simrahi nar nārī āsarmā. simrahi jāti joti sabhi varnā. simrahi guṇī catur sabhi bete simrahi raiṇī aru dinā.6. simrahi ghaṛī mūrat pal nimkhā. simarai kālu akālu suci socā. simrahi saüṇ sāstra sañjogā alakhu na lakhīai iku khinā.7. -Guru Granth Sahib 1080
paüṇu pāṇī baisantaro hukami karhi bhagtī. enā no bhaü agalā pūrī baṇat baṇatī. sabhu iko hukamu vartadā manniai sukhu pāī.3. -Guru Granth Sahib 948
bhai vici pavaṇu vahai sadvāu. bhai vici calahi lakh darīāu. bhai vici agani kaḍhai vegāri. bhai vici dhartī dabī bhāri. bhai vici indu phirai sir bhari. bhai vici rājā dharam duāru. bhai vici sūraju bhai vici chandu. koh karoṛī calat na antu. bhai vici sidh budh sur nāth. bhai vici āḍāṇe ākās. bhai vici jodh mahābal sūr. bhai vici āvahi jāvahi pūr. sagliā bhaü likhiā siri lekhu. nānak nirbhaü niraṅkaru sacu eku.1. -Guru Granth Sahib, 465.
Sabad 2
In the Guru Granth Sahib, out of the five Sabads under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the second Sabad recorded on page 9. This Sabad has also been revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa. It has four stanzas. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 348-349 under Rag Asa with a slight difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There its title is ‘rāgu āsā mahalā 1 caüpade gharu 2.’
Sabad 3
In the Guru Granth Sahib, out of the five Sabads written under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the third Sabad recorded on pages 9 and 10. This four-stanza Sabad is also revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 349 of Rag Asa with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There too its title is ‘āsā mahalā 1.’
Sabad 4
Out of five Sabads under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the fourth Sabad recorded on page 10 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This four-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Ramdas Sahib (1534-1581) in Rag Gujari. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 492 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Rag Gujari with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There its title is ‘rāgu gūjarī mahalā 4 chaüpade gharu 1.’
Sabad 5
Out of the five Sabads under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the last Sabad recorded on page 10 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This four-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606) in Rag Gujari. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from the other stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 495 under Rag Gujari with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There its title is ‘gūjarī mahalā 5 chaüpade gharu 1.’
In the Guru Granth Sahib, after ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib, five Sabads are recorded on pages 8-10 under the title ‘So Daru.’ Regarding this, a note, ‘so daru panc sabad’ (So Daru comprising five Sabads) is written under the ‘index of rags’ (musical modes), in the manuscripts of the Guru Granth Sahib. From this information, it is clear that ‘So Daru’ is a collection of five Sabads. Out of these five, the first Sabad begins with the line ‘so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā....’ Thus, these five Sabads have received the title ‘so daru.’ These Sabads are as follows:
1. so daru rāgu āsā mahalā 1. so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā… .1.
2. āsā mahalā 1. suṇi vaḍā ākhai sabhu koi… .4.2.
3. āsā mahalā 1. ākhā jīvā visrai mari jāu… .4.3.
4. rāg gūjarī mahalā 4. hari ke jan satigur sat purkhā… .4.4.
5. rāgu gūjarī mahalā 5. kāhe re man citvahi udam… .4.5.
These Sabads were recorded under this title by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606) during the compilation of Adi Granth. According to the Sikh code of conduct, these Sabads are part of the Bani, ‘So Daru Rahrasi,’ which Sikhs recite in the evening.
According to ‘Shabdarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji,’ in ‘So Daru,’ “only one Sabad is included... In the index of rags too, only this Sabad is called ‘So Daru,’” which is inaccurate. This view about (there being only one Sabad) may be correct for the Sabad in Rag Asa (page 347), but not for the ‘so daru panc sabad’ (So Daru comprising five Sabads). The index of the Guru Granth Sahib’s original manuscript (Kartarpur Bir) provided by Bhai Jodh Singh also points to this title as a collection of five Sabads. The numeric arrangement (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) available at the end of these Sabads also attests to that.
Sabad 1
so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā
Out of the five Sabads recorded under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the first Sabad. There is only one stanza of twenty-two lines in this Sabad written on page 8-9 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This Sabad is uttered by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa.
This Sabad of ‘So Daru’ is also recorded in the twenty-seventh pauri of ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib and on page 347 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Rag Asa. The Sabad in ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib is somewhat different from the other two Sabads. This view of the Faridkoti Tika, that in reality there are only two Sabads, seems correct. One appears in ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib and the other in Rag Asa. The Sabad in Rag Asa is the one that has been included in the five Sabads recorded under the title ‘So Daru.’ There is very little difference between the two Sabads of ‘So Daru’ and Rag Asa.
According to Dr. Vikram Singh, during the times of Guru Nanak Sahib, “in the beginning, there was only one Sabad ‘so daru terā kehā…’ in this composition.” Bhai Gurdas has pointed to the singing of this Sabad in the evening during Guru Nanak Sahib’s stay at Kartarpur as follows: sañjhai sodar gāvaṇā man melī kari meli milande. -Var 6, Pauri 3
This Sabad describes the praising of IkOankar by all elements and creatures of the world in innumerable ways. All elements like air, water, fire, etc., sing the praises of IkOankar. Gods-goddesses like Dharam-Raj, Chitra Gupt, Shiva, Brahma, Devi, Indra, etc., and Siddhas, celibates, righteous people, contented beings, Pandits, warriors, brave ones, enchanting women, etc., all are singing the praises of IkOankar alone. All living creatures of different parts of the cosmos, solar systems, universes, heaven, netherworld, etc., are singing the praises of IkOankar. Just like this Sabad describes how the entire creation ‘sings’ the praises of IkOankar, some other Sabads in the Guru Granth Sahib also use the same idiom to describe the entire creation ‘meditating’ on IkOankar, ‘devoting itself’ to IkOankar and ‘living in reverence’ of IkOankar. In reality, singing the praises of IkOankar, meditating on IkOankar, devoting oneself to IkOankar, and living in reverence of IkOankar or discipline all mean the same thing. All these poetic techniques inform us that the entire creation is only functioning under the will of IkOankar. Whatever is pleasing to IkOankar, IkOankar does that alone. IkOankar’s will cannot be avoided. IkOankar alone is the creator and master of the entire creation. It is only fitting for a being to happily abide by IkOankar’s will.
Some Sabads similar in meaning to the above Sabad are given below:
simarai dharatī aru ākāsā. simrahi chand sūraj guṇtāsā. paüṇ pāṇī baisantar simrahi simarai sagal upārjanā.1. simarahi khanḍ dīp sabhi loā. simrahi pātāl purīā sacu soā. simrahi khāṇī simrahi bāṇī simrahi sagale hari janā.2. simrahi brahame bisan mahesā. simrahi devate koṛi tetīsā. simrahi jakhiya dait sabhi simrahi agantu na jāī jasu ganā.3. simrahi pasu paṅkhī sabhi bhūtā. simrahi ban parbat aüdhūtā. latā balī sākh sabh simrahi ravi rahiā suāmī sabh manā.4. simrahi thūl sūkham sabhi jantā. simrahi sidh sādhik hari mantā. gupat pragaṭ simrahi prabh mere sagal bhavan kā prabh dhanā.5. simrahi nar nārī āsarmā. simrahi jāti joti sabhi varnā. simrahi guṇī catur sabhi bete simrahi raiṇī aru dinā.6. simrahi ghaṛī mūrat pal nimkhā. simarai kālu akālu suci socā. simrahi saüṇ sāstra sañjogā alakhu na lakhīai iku khinā.7. -Guru Granth Sahib 1080
paüṇu pāṇī baisantaro hukami karhi bhagtī. enā no bhaü agalā pūrī baṇat baṇatī. sabhu iko hukamu vartadā manniai sukhu pāī.3. -Guru Granth Sahib 948
bhai vici pavaṇu vahai sadvāu. bhai vici calahi lakh darīāu. bhai vici agani kaḍhai vegāri. bhai vici dhartī dabī bhāri. bhai vici indu phirai sir bhari. bhai vici rājā dharam duāru. bhai vici sūraju bhai vici chandu. koh karoṛī calat na antu. bhai vici sidh budh sur nāth. bhai vici āḍāṇe ākās. bhai vici jodh mahābal sūr. bhai vici āvahi jāvahi pūr. sagliā bhaü likhiā siri lekhu. nānak nirbhaü niraṅkaru sacu eku.1. -Guru Granth Sahib, 465.
Sabad 2
In the Guru Granth Sahib, out of the five Sabads under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the second Sabad recorded on page 9. This Sabad has also been revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa. It has four stanzas. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 348-349 under Rag Asa with a slight difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There its title is ‘rāgu āsā mahalā 1 caüpade gharu 2.’
Sabad 3
In the Guru Granth Sahib, out of the five Sabads written under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the third Sabad recorded on pages 9 and 10. This four-stanza Sabad is also revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 349 of Rag Asa with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There too its title is ‘āsā mahalā 1.’
Sabad 4
Out of five Sabads under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the fourth Sabad recorded on page 10 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This four-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Ramdas Sahib (1534-1581) in Rag Gujari. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 492 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Rag Gujari with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There its title is ‘rāgu gūjarī mahalā 4 chaüpade gharu 1.’
Sabad 5
Out of the five Sabads under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the last Sabad recorded on page 10 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This four-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606) in Rag Gujari. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from the other stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 495 under Rag Gujari with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There its title is ‘gūjarī mahalā 5 chaüpade gharu 1.’