Siri Jap jee Sahib Santhiya Questions

A Gursikh in private mail, has asked the following questions with respect to Siri Jap jee Sahib Santhiya that was uploaded on this site:

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ਕਰਮੀ ਆਵੈ ਕਪੜਾ, ਨਦਰੀ ਮੋਖੁ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥ - Shouldn't the word ਨਦਰੀ be pronounced with nasal sound?

ਗੁਰਾ ਇਕ ਦੇਹਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥ - I think word Gura shouldn't be with nasal sound because it is a request to Guru Ji as in "O Guru Ji, please give me this realization that". A devotee is requesting. Had he been telling it would be pronounced with nasal sound.

Below are humble responses from Daas.

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ਕਰਮੀ ਆਵੈ ਕਪੜਾ, ਨਦਰੀ ਮੋਖੁ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥ - Shouldn't the word ਨਦਰੀ be pronounced with nasal sound?

ਨਦਰਿ means his glance of Mehar and it is a singular noun. From ਨਦਰਿ the word ਨਦਰੀ (Singular noun in Instrumental case i.e. Karan Kaarak Naav) has been formed and this too is singular. Therefore, it should be pronounced without nasal sound. If ਨਦਰੀ had been a Plural Instrumental Case noun as the word ਕਰਮੀ is in "Karmee Sehaj na Oopjai", then it would have been pronounced as nasal sound in the end.

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ਗੁਰਾ ਇਕ ਦੇਹਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥ - I think word Gura shouldn't be with nasal sound because it is a request to Guru Ji as in "O Guru Ji, please give me this realization that". A devotee is requesting. Had he been telling it would be pronounced with nasal sound.

Its a matter of interpretation. Most scholars interpret it as you have interpreted but Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee has interpreted it differently in "Gurbani diyaan Laga Matra dee Vilakhanta".

Bhai Sahib has interpreted this Pankiti as ਗੁਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇਕ ਸਿਖਸ਼ਾ ਬੁਝਾਇ ਦਿਤੀ ਹੈ। What is that Sikhsha? This is mentioned in the next Pankiti - ਸਭਨਾ ਜੀਆ ਕਾ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ। If you go with this interpretation of Bhai Sahib, then you should pronounce the nasal sound on ਗੁਰਾ.

However, if you go with the interpretation of Professor Sahib Singh ----- ਹੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ! (ਤੇਰੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਹੈ ਕਿ) ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇਕ ਸਮਝ ਦੇਹ ਕਿ ਜਿਹੜਾ ਸਭਨਾਂ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦਾਤਾਂ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਇਕ ਰੱਬ ਹੈ, ਮੈਂ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਭੁਲਾ ਨਾ ਦਿਆਂ। ---- then you should pronounce the word ਗੁਰਾ without the nasal sound.

Gurbani is Agam Agadh Bodh. May Guru Sahib forgive our mistakes while doing Vichaar on Gurbani.

Kulbir Singh

Professor Puran Singh used to write his interpretations of Japji Sahib, and he ended up writing several different interpretations because Japji Sahib would take his heart in whole new directions everytime he recited it. He even wrote:

"Some of you will say this is not a translation of JapuJi. True, it is not the million readings we can have of it, but it is one of those readings. Music has an infinite number of moods, and meanings…"

He also wrote:

"The Guru’s sayings cannot be exhausted by any amount of interpretations. A million new and varied interpretations leave them as fresh as ever. They are truly creations of art and any one of us can look at them and have his heart full of meaning and direction and love and miracle and what ever he may desire.”


So deep is gurbani.

I've just listened to Japji in Bhai Jeevan Singh Ji's melodious and calming voice thanks to the seva of the i-katha team.

As the paath I read has a tasksali influence, I noticed that the their recitation was similar in some ways to how Taksali Singhs read paath. For instance a part from a couple of words, they did not pronounce ਸ਼, and clearly pronounced the Aunkar sounds, especially on words at the end of lines.

Do other Singh's from Bhai Randhir Singh Ji's time read gurbani in a similar style?

When I get time I will listen to the rest of their Nitnem. Their voice is simply mind blowing.

If you listen carefully, you notice that Bhai Sahib does pronounce nasal sounds on many words e.g. on Gura ik deh bujhaaee... , he pronounces Gura with nasal in the end. This is evident even more if you listen to the first pauri of Siri Anand Sahib. Many nasal sounds and Sh sound for Shabad is pronounced by Bhai Sahib.

Kulbir Singh

Tithe Gharea SURAT, MAT, MAN, BUDH.
Tithe Gharea Sura Sidha Ki SUDH.

Veer Ji, can we know in detail, how all these five states of mind, heart or brain are different from each other. What are there english equivalents?