What is 'Manhatth"?

Today's paavan hukamnaa sahib from Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar, starts with the bani below:

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
ਮਨਿ ਪਰਤੀਤਿ ਨ ਆਈਆ ਸਹਜਿ ਨ ਲਗੋ ਭਾਉ ॥
ਸਬਦੈ ਸਾਦੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਓ ਮਨਹਠਿ ਕਿਆ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਆਇਆ ਸੋ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ਹੈ ਜਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਚਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੧॥

What does it mean to sing in 'ਮਨਹਠਿ' ? And what is the solution to overcome it?

Hatt refers to stubborness. WHen used in Gurbani its often referring to people who make numerous type of efforts in perfomring rituals in trying to reach God which is also known as Hath yog. In Gurmat , we believe in Sehaj Yog. Everything comes only through the grace of GUru Sahib and we dont indulge in blind rituals. WHen we do all types of efforts without contemplating God this is known as hath. Hath and Hankar essentialy mean the same thing. Sehaj Jog refers to living in his Hukum, accepting his hukum.

ਮਨਹਠਿ ਕਰਮ ਕਰੈ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੀ ਜਿਉ ਬਾਲਕ ਬਾਲੂ ਘਰ ਉਸਰਈਆ ॥

What is the solution in destroying this destructive vice?

ਅਲਪ ਅਹਾਰ ਸੁਲਾਪ ਸੀ ਨਿੰਦ੍ਰਾ ਦਯਾ ਛਿਮਾ ਤਨ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥ਸੀਲ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਸਦਾ ਨਿਰਬਾਹਿਬੋ ਹ੍ਵੈਬੋ ਤ੍ਰਿਗੁਣ ਅਤੀਤਿ ॥੨॥

What is the reward of overcoming hath?

ਕਾਮ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਹੰਕਾਰ ਲੋਭ ਹਠ ਮੋਹ ਨ ਮਨ ਸੋ ਲਯਾਵੈ ॥ਤਬ ਹੀ ਆਤਮ ਤਤ ਕੋ ਦਰਸੇ ਪਰਮ ਪੁਰਖ ਕਹ ਪਾਵੈ ॥

Waaheguru!!

Thanks for your reply, Bhai Sukhdeep Singh jeeo. So manhatt means other activites. In regards to this particular shabad, my automatic assumption was that the reference to singing gunns was to singing Gurbani, which gave me confusion as the meaning then seemed to be that someone without parteet, sehaj, bhaou who has not found saad of the shabad, what is the point of them singing in manhatt. However I have always understood Gurbani to be saying that the only way to get this is through attaching to the shabad anyway, even if at the start there is lack of pareet, bhaou etc.

From the meaning of manhatt you have given in your post, would you say that, 'ਮਨਹਠਿ ਕਿਆ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ' means singing gunns of Vaheguru through means other than gurbani/naam? This, I would understand as then I think the shabad would say that someone without pareet, sehaj etc. they will not get anywhere and they will not get these qualities through other methods than Gurbani/naam (ਸਬਦੈ). Would you agree that this is what the shabad is saying?

Other gursikhs are also requested to please give their views, Vaheguroo.

I believe manhath in the pangti you provided
refers to forcefully trying To churn the butter
when there is no butter present.
. Without the butter (tatt, gurmantr)
It's like licking a stone but with the mantar
We churn with sehaj thus experiencing
Amrit rass.

ਮਨਿ ਪਰਤੀਤਿ ਨ ਆਈਆ ਸਹਜਿ ਨ ਲਗੋ ਭਾਉ ॥
ਸਬਦੈ ਸਾਦੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਓ ਮਨਹਠਿ ਕਿਆ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਆਇਆ ਸੋ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ਹੈ ਜਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਚਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੧॥

The meanings are very straightforward. If faith does not dwell in the mind; if there is not perpetual love, and if one does not get the taste of Shabad, then with stubbornness alone, how can one sing praises of Vaheguru? In the last Pankiti Guru Sahib makes it clear that only then one's coming to this world is acceptable if one merges in Sach (Vaheguru roopi Sach) through Guru Sahib (Gurmukh).

Basically, if one does not adopt Gurmat, then one cannot have Parteet (faith) and perpetual love and to sing praises of Vaheguru Manhatt, without Gurmat, is not of much use.

ਮਨਹਠਿ means trying to sing praises of Vaheguru through the stubbornness of mind rather than doing it through Gurmat. In order to sing praises through Gurmat, one would have to adopt Gurmat which includes getting initiated, following Hukams, and keeping Rehit.

Gurbani is Agam Agaadh Bodh.

Kulbir Singh

Thank you both, but I am still wondering, does this apply even to singing of gurbani, or does it only mean other praises (those of other religions)? If it also includes bani, then what I don't understand is, even if someone is not yet amritdhari or following full rehat, surely the only way we can obtain saad of shabad and the other qualities by 'forcing' ourselves (in a sense manhatt) anyway?