ਗਜ ਸਾਢੇ ਤੈ ਤੈ ਧੋਤੀਆ ਤਿਹਰੇ ਪਾਇਨਿ ਤਗ ॥
ਗਲੀ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਜਪਮਾਲੀਆ ਲੋਟੇ ਹਥਿ ਨਿਬਗ ॥
ਓਇ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਸੰਤ ਨ ਆਖੀਅਹਿ ਬਾਨਾਰਸਿ ਕੇ ਠਗ ॥੧॥
ਐਸੇ ਸੰਤ ਨ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਭਾਵਹਿ ॥
ਡਾਲਾ ਸਿਉ ਪੇਡਾ ਗਟਕਾਵਹਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਬਾਸਨ ਮਾਂਜਿ ਚਰਾਵਹਿ ਊਪਰਿ ਕਾਠੀ ਧੋਇ ਜਲਾਵਹਿ ॥
ਬਸੁਧਾ ਖੋਦਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਦੁਇ ਚੂਲ੍ਹ੍ਹੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਮਾਣਸ ਖਾਵਹਿ ॥੨॥
ਓਇ ਪਾਪੀ ਸਦਾ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਅਪਰਾਧੀ ਮੁਖਹੁ ਅਪਰਸ ਕਹਾਵਹਿ ॥
ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੀ ਸਗਲ ਕੁਟੰਬ ਡੁਬਾਵਹਿ ॥੩॥
ਜਿਤੁ ਕੋ ਲਾਇਆ ਤਿਤ ਹੀ ਲਾਗਾ ਤੈਸੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਵੈ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਿਸੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਭੇਟੈ ਪੁਨਰਪਿ ਜਨਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥੪॥੨॥
Guru Pyaaree Sangat jeo Sirimaan Bhagat Kabeer Sahib jee – the most respected bhagat Kabeer jee speaks to us in Raag Aasaa on Ang 476 of SGGS jee. One time the followers of bhagat Kabeer Sahib jee went to have darshan of Bhagat Kabeer jee. They were travelling from far away and when they came to the town which was known as Kanshi Ko (in other words Banaras). When they got to that town they met some people who outwardly like they, were saints, like they were holy men and when they saw them they immediately thought that these are men of God. Why? Because they are wearing the dhotis, the loin clothes, they had malas – rosaries in their hands and they were wearing the sacred thread – the janaeus. These followers of Bhagat Kabeer jee, these disciples of Bhagat Kabeer jee they had some money with them and when these people saw the first so called holy man he cried out, ‘Narayan Narayan! The second fake holy man cried out, ‘Damodar Damodar! The third cried out, ‘Bindra bane’, ‘Bindra bane’ and the fourth cried out, ‘Hare Krishan, Hare Krishan’. When they heard this they went deeper into the jungles where the fake holy men were sitting. These disciples had respect in their hearts because they men were calling out what they identified to be names of God. The words Narayan, Damodar, Bindra bane and Hare Krishan are all names of God.
Guru Gobind Singh jee Maharaj has written about this in the charitars in the Siri Dasam Granth as well – the scene which happened. These fake holy men proceeded to rob and loot those innocent disciples of Bhagat Kabeer Jee. When they went to see Bhagat Kabeer Jee, Bhagat jee saw that they were upset and asked what had happened to you on the way. They replied, well, we have been looted, we have been robbed by holy men. Bhagat jee said well, what did they look like? The disciples of bhagat Kabeer Jee went to explain what they looked like:
Gaj saatae thai thai dhotheeaa thiharae paaein thag |
They were wearing dhootheaa – loin clothes, gaj saatae thai – means three and a half yards. They were wearing loin clothes which were three and a half yards long. One dhoothhee they had with them and each of them had spare dhothees – had spare loin cloths. Why? They had one loin cloth to eat and one loin cloth for other times to keep their purity. They are saying they looked outwardly pure.Thiharae paaein thag – they were wearing not one, not two but three sacred jaenaeu‘s – three sacred thread.
Galee jinaa japamaaleeaa lottae hath nibag |
In their necks they were wearing japamaaleeaa – they had rosaries. Lottae hath nibag – in their hands they had lottae – they had garbay – they had water jugs which were nibag – glitteringly white, shining. So outwardly they are looking amazingly pure and Kabeer jee asked, what did they say? What did they do? And the disciples of Bhagat Kabeer jee went to say, well, the first one was sayingNarayan. Kabeer jee asked well, do you know what they meant? They replied, well we thought that was the name of God. Kabeer jee said they were saying Narayan – Nar means human and ayanmeans has come. Narayaan Narayaan indicating that a human being has come, a human being has arrived. Bhagat jee said that they have got their own language, these thags –these robbers. Narayan– although being the name of God, in their code language it meant that a human being has come. What was the second that those men said, bhagat jee asked? The second thing that they said wasdamodar damodar. Damodar again is the name of God but in their language it means, Dam-odar –odar means stomach, da(a)m meaning money. They’ve got money tied around their stomachs, in their satchels, in their bags. The third one said, told the disciples of Bhagat Kabeer jee, bindra bane bindra bane. Bindra bane again in another name referring to God but in their code language it meansbindra bane – when they go into the jungle that’s when we will loot them. And the fourth one said,Hare Krishan Hare Krishan and Kabeer jee explained that Hare means to steal from and Krishan means in the darkness. So when they are fully in the darkness we will steal from them, we will steal from them. So these people have taken the names of God and perverted them into their own language of looting and robbing. So they proceeded to rob these disciples of Bhagat Kabeer jee when they went into the jungle, into the darkness. And Kabeer jee said,
Oue har kae santh n aakheeahi baanaaras kae thag |1|
You can’t call them saints, the saints of the Lord, of Hari, of Waheguru! These are Baanaaras kae thag– these are the robbers of the city of Baanaaras. Bhagat Kabeer jee is waking us up today as well as saying, have we got these tendencies within ourselves? We all must look within ourselves as well.
Aisae santh n mo ko bhaavehi |
Kabeer jee said such saints n mo ko bhaavehi – do not please me. They are not in my definition of saints. Bhaavehi means to please – this doesn’t please my sense of saint. This is not what I define a saint to be, Bhagat Kabeer jee is saying. Factually speaking, these people aren’t saints!
Ddaalaa sio paeddaa gattakaavehi |1| rehaao |
Ddaalaa means branches and paeddaa means the whole tree, gattakaavehi – literally to eat. They eat the branches along with the tree! What does this mean? Branches of human being are the wealth which he owns. Just to get at these branches, just to get at this wealth, they try and kill the whole human being, murder the whole human being, murder the whole tree.
Rehaao –
bhagat jee says pause and think about this.
Baasan maaj charaavehi oopar kaathee dhoe jalaavehi |
Baasan – means their pots and pans, maaj means to clean them. They clean their pots and pans and everything externally. Charaavehi oopar – they put them in higher places, in places where no one else can touch them. Kaathee dhoe jalaavehi – they even wash the wood. They don’t even burn wood without washing them. Only once they’ve washed the wood will they burn the wood. They say, O it might have the defection of birds or anything else, so we can’t use this wood. We can only use it once it has been washed. Externally they have so much purity. Kabeer jee says,
Basudhaa khodh karehi dhue choolae saarae maanas khaavehi |2|
They dig out the basudhaa – the earth and they make dhue choolae – two separate fireplaces. One separate one for cooking a certain thing and another for cooking another thing – to keep the purity again. But saarae maanas khaavehi – but they eat the whole human being. What does that mean? They will kill a human being in order to take all his wealth. Also at that time in India there was a place where priest would say, O if you give us all your wealth, if you give it away as a gift to the priests and give even your wife and you cut yourself in half with a sword then you’ll go to heaven. In these types of ways they were eating human beings, literally means to be murdering.
Oue paapee sadhaa firehi aparaadhee mukhahu aparas kehaavehi |
They are always paapee – they are always sinners. Sadhaa firehi – they wondering aroundaparaadhee – committing more sins. Mukhahu aparas kehaavehi – but if you speak to them they say we are aparas – we are non-touching saints. There were these types of saints in India at that time & they used to call themselves aparas – those people who are so pure that they don’t touch anything. So those types of people, Bhagat Kabeer jee is saying, ‘touch-nothing’ saints, they wouldn’t touch anything but they are sinners really. Guru Arjan Dev jee Maharaj on Ang 274 of SGGS jee explains to us what a true ‘touch-nothing’ saint is in the Salok of Sukhmani Sahib, our dhaarai jo anthar naam – the One who has the name of God in his heart that person sarab mai paekhai bhagavaan – who sees God in all, nimakh nimakh thaakur namasakaarai – who acts, in every moment, bows down in reverence to God, Naanak ouhu aparas sagal nisathaarai – Satuguru Maharaj is saying that person is truly an aparas – is truly "attached to -nothing" saint, no sins and he sagal nisathaarai – he saves everyone who meets him. So Guru Sahib jee has given us the true definition of aparas and Bhagat Kabeer jee Maharaj is saying that these people aren’t the true aparas! To be the true aparas you have to follow the path which Satguru Arjan Dev jee has defined in Sukhmani Sahib. In Sukhmani Sahib, they say mithiaa naahee rasanaa paras – if you want to be a true aparas – a true touch-nothing (touched by nothing – taintless) saint then you should not speak any falsehood with your tongue.Man mehi preeth niranjan dharas – and in your heart you should bear the love to ‘see’ the Lord. Par thria roop n paekhai naethr – with your eyes do not look on other’s beauty with sin, with sinful view.Saadh kee ttehal santhasang haeth – serve the holy congregation. Karan n sunai kaahoo kee nindhaa– with your ears do not listen to anyone’s slander. Sabh thae jaanai aapas ko mandhaa – know yourself as lower than all. Gur prasaadh bikhiaa pareharai – with the Guru’s grace you’ll give up all your corruption. Man kee baasanaa man thae ttarai – give up your evil desires from your mind.Eindhree jith panch dhokh thae rehath – one who conquers all of his desires and whose senses are beyond all these desires naanak kott madhae ko aisaa aparas – O Nanak, only amongst millions is a touch-nothing (touched by nothing – taintless) saint like this. So Guru Arjan Dev jee Maharaj is giving us a true definition of aparas and Bhagat Kabeer jee is saying that these people are not aparas.
Sadhaa sadhaa firehi abhimaanee sagal kuttanb ddubaavehi |3|
They wonder around in their own ego and they sagal kuttanb ddubaavehi – drown in this world ocean their whole family and anyone who meets them.
Jith ko laaeiaa thith hee laagaa thaisae karam kamaavai |
But looking on this, through Kabeer jee’s braham drishti – which means the eyes of someone who has that complete brahamgyaan, who has complete knowledge of God, Bhagat jee says, O disciplesjith ko laaeiaa thith hee laagaa – such people where they’ve been placed by God that is where they get attached to. Thaisae karam kamaavai – they carry out such karam, such acts accordingly, being bound, attached to the situation.
Kahu kabeer jis sathigur bhaettai punarap janam n aavai |4|2|
Satkaar jog – respected Bhagat Kabeer jee says, jis sathigur bhaettai – that person who meets theSatguru, the True Guru punarap janam n aavai – he or she is not reincarnated again.
Now to look into another set of meanings of this shabad we must delve into deeper meanings again and look into the shabad from the beginning.
Gaj saatae thai thai dhotheeaa thiharae paaein thag |
Gaj means to repeat with the tongue, saatae thai – means three and a half syllables. ThatOankaar shabad – name of God Oankaar which is three and a half syllables – in this interpretation of the shabad from the perspective we are looking at it now, Bhagat Kabeer jee is telling us who the true saints are! So not only in one shabad has Bhagat Kabeer jee given us what those fake saadhs are, but he has also given us what true saints are as well. Gaj – with their tongue they repeat saatae thai – that three and a half syllables shabad Oankaar. They repeat that name ik oankaar sath naam karathaa purakh nirabho niravair akaal moorath ajoonee saibhan gur prasaadh – again and again, again and again. Thai dhotheeaa – they’ve washed away their three ishaas – their three desires. The three desires are Sut, vit and lok. Sutmeans to have more progeny, to have more children; all their desires are attached to their families. Vit means that which is attached to gathering together more wealth and lok describes that desire to gather together glory and praise from the world. They have dhotheeaa – they’ve washed away these three desires by meditating upon that three syllable wordIkOankaar – by meditating upon that One God’s name. Thiharae paaein thag – on their man, body and sareer – on their mind, in their words and on their body; by their mind, words and actions they have put on them the thag – the sacred thread of true understanding. With their mind, words or actions they do not carry out any paap. They’ve washed these three away.Thai dhotheeaa – they’ve washed they three of their ages, their youth has been spent meditating on IkOankaar, their middle age has been spent meditating on IkOankaar and their old age has been spent meditating on IkOankaar and they’ve washed, they’ve purified these three ages by gaj – by repeating again and again the name of the Lord, the name of Waheguru. Thiharae paaein thag – Bhagat Kabeer jee is saying that on their mind, body and words they have the sacred thread of control. They have control over these things. Also they wear the sacred thread of sravan – listening, manan – accepting and nidhyaasan – practicing. Not just listening to the name of the Lord but accepting it and practicing the words of the Guru throughout their lives.
Galee jinaa japamaaleeaa lottae hath nibag |
Their galee – their words – what they say are like japamaaleeaa – are like rosaries. What does that mean? What they are saying, their words, their way of living, the advice that they give – they are so beautiful, it’s like wearing the rosary. Listening to what the saints have said is like wearing a rosary around your neck. Guru Arjan Dev jee says in Maru Raag, on Ang 1101 – in a small Salok they say: katharreeaa santhaah thae sukhaaoo pandheeaa – the saying of saints are the paths of peace. In the same way Bhagat Kabeer jee is saying here that the words of the saints are like rosaries, they are worthy of being carried around your neck and bearing with you at all times because by simply following out what the saints are saying you are meditating upon the lord. Lottae hath nibag – in their hands they have lottae – means to restrain. They’ve restrained their hands from nibag. Bag means to wander around, to wander in other’s pockets, they restrain them from stealing from anyone. They’ve restrained their hands from going towards wealth that belongs to others, Bhagat Kabeer jee is saying. That they’ve gained control over their hands and they are nibag – bag means cranes, they are not like cranes always looking for fish they’ve become swans – they’ve been beautified by meditating upon the Lord, upon the name of Waheguru – those great saints.
Oue har kae santh n aakheeahi baanaaras kae thag |1|
Where we have the two words santh and n – these two words separated, we can put them together here, Oue har kae santhn aakheeahi – we read santhn together. Bhagat Kabeer jee says that they are aakheeahi – they are called the saints of the lord and baanaaras kae thag – that essence of Waheguru, that ras of Waheguru which is in all bodies they thag – they loot that. If they are going to rob anything, they rob the name of the Lord. They repeat it again and again. As Kabeer jee says in Salok on Ang 1366 of SGGS jee: Kabeer loottanaa hai th loott lai raam naam hai loott – if you must rob and plunder, then plunder the Lord’s Name. Again Kabeer jee is saying that those great sant, those great saints have looted the ras; the essence of Waheguru which is in all bodies, which is pervading through all.
Aisae santh n mo ko bhaavehi |
If we read these santhn again (santh and n together), then Kabeer jee is saying that these saints please me. this is what I would define as a saint. Another reading of this line is aisae santh nmo ko bhaavehi – if you put n and mo together, it gives nmo which means I bow down andbhaavehi – means they are worthy of. Kabeer jee is saying that they are worthy of being bowed down to.
Ddaalaa sio paeddaa gattakaavehi |1| rehaao |
Because along with the branches, what are the branches? Satogun, Rajogun and tamogun.Sato – the meek and the very lowly and virtues of humility within, Rajo – kingly, the very political emotions within and the tamo – the very lazy, inertia type of qualities – these three qualities which are within all – these branches which branch out from us. What do they branch out from? From paeddaa – the tree of ignorance; ignorance to the existence of Waheguru jee within us and within everything. Kabeer jee says not only have they eaten away at sato, rajoand tamo – these three feelings, they’ve gone beyond all three of them. Why? Because they’ve gattakaavehi – they’ve broken open the roots of the tree of ignorance. They’ve got the brahamgyaan and they’ve broken open this tree of ignorance and removed it completely.
Rehaao –
this is the point to think about.
Baasan maaj charaavehi oopar kaathee dhoe jalaavehi |
They’ve washed out their baasana – their desires and charaavehi oopar – they take their soul upwards into God. Kaathee dhoe jalaavehi – this body they wash it and burn it in acceptance of the Guru’s words. They wash it with prem – with love and they get it to accept the Guru’s word, whatever the Guru says.
Basudhaa khodh karehi dhue choolae saarae maanas khaavehi |2|
Their earth like understanding, they dig up their understanding and out of their understanding, from their buddhee – from their understanding they make a fireplace and in this fireplace of wisdom they burn dhue – that idea of duality, that idea of attachment to maya, to this illusion. They burn that in the fireplace of gyaan – of spiritual wisdom. Saarae maanas khaavehi – theykhaavehi – they destroy all of their maan – all of their ego through doing this.
Oue paapee sadhaa firehi aparaadhee mukhahu aparas kehaavehi |
Here we separate paapee into paa and pee. Oue – they have, pee means their husband lord and paa means to find. They’ve found their husband lord. Sadhaa firehi aparaadhee – they’ve given up on doing sins. Another meaning of this line: aparaa means that one who has no end, ie God. That Waheguru who has no end they’ve taken their dhee – their wisdom (dhee coming from the word buddhee), they’ve taken their understanding into that limitless Waheguru.Mukhahu aparas kehaavehi – with their mouth they repeat again and again on that aparas, on that Waheguru who is beyond all sins and beyond all corruption. They meditate upon Him with their mouths and kehaavehi – they get others to meditate upon that Lord as well.
Sadhaa sadhaa firehi abhimaanee sagal kuttanb ddubaavehi |3|
Forever and forever they’ve given up on abhimaanee – on ego. Another meaning of this line:abhi means within the heart, maanee means to accept. Within their hearts they accept forever and ever that Waheguru. Sagal kuttanb ddubaavehi – they wash all of their family in the color of God’s name. Family also means the senses of their body. They completely imbue their senses with the love of God. Everything they do is imbued with His love.
Jith ko laaeiaa thith hee laagaa thaisae karam kamaavai |
Whatever they attach to their mind that is where their mind stays. They are completely in control of their mind. Thaisae karam kamaavai – their mind carries out the karams which they want their mind to carry out. As Guru Nanak Dev jee says in Japjee Sahib, Man jeetay jagjeet – they’ve won their mind so they’ve won the world. Another understanding of this line is that:Jith ko laaeiaa whereever they attach their followers to thith hee laagaa – that’s what their followers do. Thaisae karam kamaavai – their followers carry out the great deeds that the saints tell them to.
Kahu kabeer jis sathigur bhaettai punarap janam n aavai |4|2|
Bhagat Kabeer Sahib jee says, those Gurmukh pyaare, those blessed souls who have met the true Guru punarap janam n aavai – they don’t come back into life and death again.
So in this same shabad Bhagat Kabeer jee is telling us the story of those disciples who were looted. Bhagat jee is warning those disciples of people who are imposters and Bhagat jee also tells us of the true saints and the way they are living, all contained within this shabad, all contained within the Guru’s Word. So may Bhagat Kabeer jee grace us today so that we can bring the purity of inner and outer together in the understanding of their beautiful words and make our lives and lives of those around us more harmonious and more beautiful.
Jith ko laaeiaa thith hee laagaa thaisae karam kamaavai |
Kahu kabeer jis sathigur bhaettai punarap janam n aavai |4|2|
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa ! Waheguru ji ki Fateh !!
[
hukam.sikhnet.com]
oddslot
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥