‘Barah Maha Tukhari’ describes the longing of a seeker to unite with their Origin, and the resulting bliss in that union. It is set against the backdrop of the occurring and changing natural conditions of the twelve months of the Indic and Panjabi calendar. Out of seventeen stanzas, the first four stanzas of the composition shed light on its theme. Stanzas five to sixteen sequentially outline the Guru’s teachings through the twelve months of the year. In the last stanza, the theme is concluded by providing the essence of the entire verse.
tukhārī chant mahalā 1 bārah māhā
ikoaṅkār satigur prasādi.
tū suṇi kirat karammā purabi kamāiā.
siri siri sukh sahammā dehi su tū bhalā.
hari racanā terī kiā gati merī hari binu ghaṛī na jīvā.
pria bājhu duhelī koi na belī gurmukhi ammritu pīvāṁ.
racanā rāci rahe niraṅkārī prabh mani karam sukarmā.
nānak panthu nihāle sādhan tū suṇi ātam rāmā.1.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1107
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
The first stanza begins with a plea to IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force): You listen!
The intimacy of that address is one that sets the tone for the rest of the composition. What does that relationship look like, when we can say something like “You listen!” to the One we are longing for? Barah Maha is a composition of deep intimacy, deep trust, deep longing, and deep love for the Spouse.
Guru Nanak as the seeker (human-bride) addresses IkOankar (Divine-Husband, Spouse) with intimacy and says: However I ended up here does not matter; I am here. Whatever You have ordained is done. You did this, I did this, and now I am in pain and doubt. But everything is Yours. What do I have? I do not have a way to see what You are. Without You, I have no other friend. I want to become Wisdom (Guru) oriented. I want to bring this nectar, this sweetness. The accounts of my deeds are irrelevant. I am here now, telling You what I am going through at this moment. I am in pain. You do everything. You are showing me the way. I am seeing it — I am seeing that it can happen. But will it happen?
Guru Nanak sets the stage of the composition through the voice of the seeker, expressing a deep longing for union without getting stuck on past actions or deeds, attempting to calculate or score-keep, or take accounts to see if they are “worthy of union.” Guru Nanak presents a kind of plea that inherently challenges classically Indic ideas we may have about karam (deeds or actions, from this lifetime and previous lifetimes) being tallied up and deciding our fate.
This longing is not about the past. This is about here and now. This is not about karma. This is about Grace.