ਫੀਲੁ ਰਬਾਬੀ ਬਲਦੁ ਪਖਾਵਜ ਕਊਆ ਤਾਲ ਬਜਾਵੈ ॥
ਪਹਿਰਿ ਚੋਲਨਾ ਗਦਹਾ ਨਾਚੈ ਭੈਸਾ ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਾਵੈ ॥੧॥
ਰਾਜਾ ਰਾਮ ਕਕਰੀਆ ਬਰੇ ਪਕਾਏ ॥
ਕਿਨੈ ਬੂਝਨਹਾਰੈ ਖਾਏ ॥੧॥rahaaoll
ਬੈਠਿ ਸਿੰਘੁ ਘਰਿ ਪਾਨ ਲਗਾਵੈ ਘੀਸ ਗਲਉਰੇ ਲਿਆਵੈ ॥
ਘਰਿ ਘਰਿ ਮੁਸਰੀ ਮੰਗਲੁ ਗਾਵਹਿ ਕਛੂਆ ਸੰਖੁ ਬਜਾਵੈ ॥੨॥
ਬੰਸ ਕੋ ਪੂਤੁ ਬੀਆਹਨ ਚਲਿਆ ਸੁਇਨੇ ਮੰਡਪ ਛਾਏ ॥
ਰੂਪ ਕੰਨਿਆ ਸੁੰਦਰਿ ਬੇਧੀ ਸਸੈ ਸਿੰਘ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਏ ॥੩॥
ਕਹਤ ਕਬੀਰ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਰੇ ਸੰਤਹੁ ਕੀਟੀ ਪਰਬਤੁ ਖਾਇਆ ॥
ਕਛੂਆ ਕਹੈ ਅੰਗਾਰ ਭਿ ਲੋਰਉ ਲੂਕੀ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਨਾਇਆ ॥੪॥੬॥This Shabad is a riddle and the challenge for the seeker to solve this riddle lies within the Shabad - ਰਾਜਾ ਰਾਮ ਕਕਰੀਆ ਬਰੇ ਪਕਾਏ ॥ ਕਿਨੈ ਬੂਝਨਹਾਰੈ ਖਾਏ ॥੧॥rahaaoll - Raja Raam has cooked Pakoray of ice but only some rare ones who have realized it, have eaten them.
The literal meanings of this Shabad are straight-forward as follows:
Literal Interpretation: Elephant (ਫੀਲੁ) has become the Rabaab-player, Ox (ਬਲਦੁ) has become the Pakhaavaj (Tabla kind of instrument) player and the crow (ਕਊਆ) is playing Khadtaala. Wearing Chola, the donkey (ਗਦਹਾ) is dancing and the male-buffalo (ਭੈਸਾ) is doing Bhagti and inspirings others as well (1). The lion (ਸਿੰਘੁ) is sitting home and serving the guests while chhuchhundar (ਘੀਸ, an animal of rat family) too is serving the guests with laddoo. In each of their respective homes, the mice (ਮੁਸਰੀ) are singing songs of happiness. (2) The son of a barren woman (ਬੰਸ ਕੋ ਪੂਤੁ) is going to get married and in celebration of his marriage, gold tents have been established. He has pierced very beautiful girl (i.e. married a very beautiful girl), both the rabbit and the lion are singing praises (3). Bhagat Kabir is saying that an ant has eaten a mountain and the tortoise is saying that I too want hot coal; this way I have revealed the secret Shabad. (4).
Advaita Vedanta Interpretation: Reading the above literal translation one does not understand what Bhagat Kabir jee is saying to us. The key to understanding this Shabad lies in the 3rd stanza - the son of a barren woman is going to get married and has married a very beautiful girl (Roop Kaniya Sundari). The question arises, as to how can a barren woman have a son? Taking lead from this Pankiti, some scholars interpret this Shabad as the whole world being an illusion. Just like the son of a barren woman does not exist at all, same way, everything else in this Shabad can't happen i.e. an elephant can't play a Rabaab, an ox can't beat a drum etc. This Shabad, in this way illustrates the impossibility of existence of this world. In other words, this world seems to be existing but does not exist. Now this is the matt (opinion) of such scholars who are impressed by Advaita Vedanta. It is not likely that Bhagat Kabir jee wrote such a detailed Bujhaarat (riddle) to just show that the world is not in existence. We have to reject these meanings of this Shabad as Gurmat does not subscribe to the Advaita-Vedanta's philosophy of world existence and the position of Jeev, Jada and Ishwar.
Humble Interpretation: So then what is the meaning of this Shabad. Again, the key to opening this riddle lies in the 3rd stanza - the son of a barren woman is going to get married and has gotten married to a beautiful girl. Who is the son of a barren woman? Who is the barren woman? The barren woman is Maya that cannot create anything nor it can have any offspring. The whole world has been created by Vaheguru but such is the illusion of Maya that every Jeev thinks of himself being born from Maya. Therefore the barren woman is Maya and the son of barren woman is the Jeev. The Jeev is not in fact Maya's son and is rather Vaheguru jee's son, but under the spell of Maya believes himself to be Maya's son.
So who is the beautiful girl whom "Bans ko Poot" has married? This beautiful girl is Gurmat i.e. Guru Sahib's Matt and once the Jeev adopts Gurmat, then his actions become totally opposite of before. Now let's do Vichaar on the other stanzas of this great Shabad but before that let's do Vichaar on some of the animals that have been mentioned in this Shabad
- Elephant is stubborn and Kaami.
- Ox is dumb and lazy.
- Crow is evil, deceptive, opportunist, and eats dirt.
- Donkey is stupid, stubborn and Kaami.
- The Bhainsa (male buffalo) holds grudge, is lazy and stubborn.
- Lion is violent, proud and uncontrollable.
- Chhuchhundar is chanchal (unstable) and uncontrollable (is very fast).
- Mice are destructive and are constantly on the run, destroying place where they reside.
The mind which should be Atma-roop i.e. jyot-roop like Atma has shed it's good qualities and has taken up animalistic qualities of elephant, ox, crow, donkey, buffalo, lion, rat etc. But when the mind adopts Gurmat, it gives up it's animalistic qualities and does actions that Gurmukhs do. Now let's do Vichaar on the remaining stanzas, in the light of Vichaar we have done above:
After marrying (adopting) the beautiful girl (Gurmat), the mind which was like elephant is now playing Rabaab, ox like mind is beating Pakhavaj and crow like mind is involved in beating Khadtaala. The donkey like mind has adopted the attire of Bhagats and the buffalo like mind is not only doing Bhagti himself but also inspiring others to do Bhagti. In other words, the mind has shed the animal qualities and is indulged in singing praises of Vaheguru. (1). The lion like proud mind has become humble, now stays home and humbly serves others. Chuchundar like mind that was not stable for a minute too now brings Laddoo for guests at home. The mice (Gyan Indriyaan) now stay at home and sing the songs of happiness. In other words, the proud, unstable and violent mind has become humble and stable and is now serving Sangat with Seva. The gyaan Indriyaan that were always indulged in destructive pleasures of Maya now remain home and are indulged in singing Mangal i.e. praises of Vaheguru (2). The son of Maya (the Jeev) is now going to get married to the beautiful girl (Gurmat), the place has been decorated with golden tents and both the lowly (sassai, rabbit) and the great (lion) are praising this marriage i.e. when a person adopts Gurmat, the world praises the good actions of Gurmukhs) – (3). In the end, Bhagat Kabir jee is addressing Bhagat Sants is saying that an ant has eaten a mountain i.e. the humble Jeev which was in a hopeless situation before adopting Gurmat has not eaten the mountain of ignorance and Haume. The mind which was like tortoise i.e. kept hiding is now openly asking for hot coal i.e. Darshan of Vaheguru; this way Bhagat jee has revealed the Looki Shabad i.e. the secret Baat to the world.
This Shabad is a very lofty Shabad and it is impossible to lay claim to solving this riddle Shabad. The above is based on the meagre understanding of Gurmat that Guru Sahib has blessed. Different scholars have interpreted this according to their understandings but
Gurbani is Agam Agaad Bodh.The gist of this Shabad is that when the Jeev who is indulged in Maya adopts Gurmat, all his actions become extraordinarily different from the world. The stubborn mind that was previously engaged in Manmatt actions under the influence of Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Ahankaar, now engages in singing praises of Vaheguru. The violent, proud lion-like mind and rat-like mind now becomes humble and stable; and with these Gurmat qualities serves the Sangat. With these Gurmat qualities, the Jeev which was after the pleasures of Maya, now seeks hot coal i.e. Darshan of Vaheguru.
If we look at actions of Gurmukhs and Manmukhs, we see that many things they do are opposite to each other:
1. Manmukhs cut hair, Gurmat keep hair
2. When Manmukhs are asleep, Gurmukhs are awake and when Gurmukhs sleep, Manmukhs are awake. Gurmukhs get up at early hours – between 1am and 2am while many Manmukhs sleep around midnight and sleep through Amritvela. Gurmukhs sleep early during the night when Manmukhs are busy with their Maya pleasures e.g. TV, drinking, indulging in Kaam etc.
3. Manmukhs eat just about anything (e.g. meat) without regard to the source of food and who cooks it. while Gurmukhs eat according to Gurmat, food that comes from honest earnings and prepared by devotees.
4. Manmukhs wear clothes to please people; Gurmukhs wear Baana to please Guru Sahib.
5. Manmukhs aim to collect the profits of Maya; Gurmukhs aim to collect profits of Naam.
May Guru Sahib enable us to adopt Gurmat to the fullest.
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
