ਬਾਬਾ ਐਸਾ ਬਿਖਮ ਜਾਲਿ ਮਨੁ ਵਾਸਿਆ॥ ਬਿਬਲੁ ਝਾਗਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਪਰਗਾਸਿਆ॥This pankiti has been interpreted as follows by different scholars:
Professor Sahib:The mind gets trapped in such strong net of Maya, from which it is hard to escape. With difficulty, when one swims across this ocean (maya), then one reaches the Sehaj spiritual state and divine knowledge dawns upon one.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha: The mind has come under the control of Maya in such way as a weak fish is easy trapped by the fisherman.
Faridkoti: This mind has come under the control of Maya (attachment); those who using strong spiritual power or force swim across this ocean, get illumination of divine knowledge.
The words interpreted differently are as follows:
ਵਾਸਿਆ: Prof Sahib Singh interprets this as trapped; Nabha jee and Faridkoti as 'coming under control'.
ਬਿਬਲੁ: Prof Sahib Singh interptet this as 'flooded water; Nabha jee as Bi-bal i.e. without Bal i.e. without power or shakti; Faridkoti as With Bal i.e. using Bal or power. The prefix "Be" in Farsi means 'without' and in Sanskrit, it sometimes means 'With" e.g. Bimal means "specially (vishesh karke) with Mal" i.e. dirt and this word Bimal also means without mal (if you interpret 'Bi' as Farsi prefix) and interestingly both meanings are used in Gurbani for Bimal - very dirty and without dirt.
ਝਾਗਿ: Prof Sahib Singh and Faridkoti have interpreted this as 'To cross' and Nabha jee as 'Fish'.
ਪਰਗਾਸਿਆ: Prof Sahib Singh and Faridkoti have interpreted this as 'illumination or Prakash' and Nabha jee as 'to get stuck or trapped." If you go by the meanings done by Faridkoti or Prof Sahib Singh, then this word should be pronounced as "Pargashia" and if you go by meanings of Nabha jee, then pronounce it as "Pargasia". Prags in Sanskrit means to trap and Prakash means illumination.
The way this daas interpreted this pankiti is as follows: Because of the strong net or trap of Maya, this mind has come under it's control just like the weak fish gets trapped by the fisherman easily. I am not totally satisfied with this interpretation because there are some flaws in it but then there are flaws in all three above stated translations. Gurbani is Agam Agaadh Bodh. Who can claim to know the correct meanings. There are many such pankitis that are unsolved and only Mahapurakhs can perhaps understand them. A child studying in grade 1 cannot solve problems of trignometery.
Kulbir Singh