Today while doing regular paath, the following two pankitis pulled my attention very strongly:

1) ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸੈ ਨ, ਬਾਹਰਿ ਜਾਇ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਛੋਡਿ, ਕਾਹੇ ਬਿਖੁ ਖਾਇ॥1॥
In my humble opinion, the meaning of the above pankiti is, "the mind resides not inside (Hirda) but goes out (through the 9 doors); Why does it leave Amrit and consume poison? The above meaning is derived by placing the above stated pauses.

Now if we change the pauses as follows:

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਵਸੈ, ਨ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਜਾਇ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਛੋਡਿ, ਕਾਹੇ ਬਿਖੁ ਖਾਇ॥1॥
the meaning would be: The mind now resides inside, and does not go out; Why would it now leave amrit and eat poison?

If we place no bishraam on the pankiti then the meaning of the first pankiti would be: The mind resides neither inside nor outside. This means nothing at all. Most paathis do paath like this i.e. place no pause in the first pankiti and doing so causes such an error as far as meanings are concerned.

I humbly believe that the first pauses are correct but there are some translators who have done the meanings according to the second version above. The above very clearly illustrates how important it is to place bishraams where required. But the problem is that one can place bishraams only if one understands baani. For this reason, we should strive to understand Gurbani, as much as we can. Rome was not built in a day, nor can we learn Gurbani in one day but if we make a consistent effort, i.e. learn every day, then sooner than later, we would become quite well-versed in understanding Gurbani.

2) Please ponder upon the following pankiti:

ਤਹ ਮਰਣੁ ਨ, ਜੀਵਣੁ; ਸੋਗੁ ਨ, ਹਰਖਾ॥ ਸਾਚ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵਰਖਾ॥3

By place the pauses as above the meaning would be: There (in that spiritual realm) there is no death, only life and there is no sorrow, only happiness. There is always the shower of true Naam there.

If we change the bishraams to as follows:

ਤਹ ਮਰਣੁ ਨ ਜੀਵਣੁ; ਸੋਗੁ ਨ ਹਰਖਾ॥ ਸਾਚ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵਰਖਾ॥3

By place the pauses as above the meaning would be: There (in that spiritual realm) there is no death or life; and there is no sorrow or happiness. There is always the shower of true Naam there.

I personally am inclined towards the meanings done in the first version but many translators have done the meanings as per second version too.

Which meanings are more accurate, only Guru Sahib knows but the point this daas wants to make is that it is important to place bishraams where required, otherwise, our paath cannot be called Shudh paath.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh