Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee Maharaj's great composition - Pehre - appear in Raag Siriraag, starting on Ang 74 of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee. In olden days, time was divided into different units. The 24 hour day was divided into 8 Pehars which works out to one Pehar being equal to 3 hours.
In this great Baani - Pehre - Siri Guru jee has divided the human life into 4 Pehars or segments. Guru Sahib very affectionately calls the Jeev - Vanjara Mitr - which means Merchant Friend. Calling the Jeev a Merchant has many profound implications. It proves that the Jeev (creature) has come to this world as per a plan by Vaheguru and not by chance, without any plan, as supporters of theory of evolution claim. Secondly, it proves that the Jeev has come here to do business because this is what merchants do. They buy and sell goods and then take home profits. Jeev has come here to do the spiritual business of collecting spiritual goods - Naam and Gurbani.
There are 4 Shabads in this Baani Pehre. The first two Shabads are of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee, the third one is authored by Siri Guru Raamdaas jee and the fourth one is composed by Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee Maharaj. The first and third Shabad contain 4 stanzas each while the second and fourth Shabads have 5 stanzas.
Basically, each of the stanza in each Shabad, explains one of the Pehars or segment of life. In the Shabads that have 5 stanzas, the extra stanza has been composed to further explain one of the Pehars.
Each of the Shabads of Pehre, depending on the kind of Jeev, has been divided into segments of life differently. If one of the Shabad explained one of the segments of life in more detail and explained other segments a bit tersely, then the subsequent Shabads have taken up explaining the other segments in more detail.
First we will begin with the first Shabad of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee Maharaj:
FIRST SHABAD OF PEHREੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਪਹਰੇ ਘਰੁ ੧ ॥ ਪਹਿਲੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਪਇਆ ਗਰਭਾਸਿ ॥ ਉਰਧ ਤਪੁ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਖਸਮ ਸੇਤੀ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ॥ ਖਸਮ ਸੇਤੀ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਵਖਾਣੈ ਉਰਧ ਧਿਆਨਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਗਾ ॥ ਨਾਮਰਜਾਦੁ ਆਇਆ ਕਲਿ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਬਾਹੁੜਿ ਜਾਸੀ ਨਾਗਾ ॥ ਜੈਸੀ ਕਲਮ ਵੁੜੀ ਹੈ ਮਸਤਕਿ ਤੈਸੀ ਜੀਅੜੇ ਪਾਸਿ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਪਹਿਲੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਪਇਆ ਗਰਭਾਸਿ ॥੧॥
ਦੂਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਗਇਆ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥ ਹਥੋ ਹਥਿ ਨਚਾਈਐ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਜਿਉ ਜਸੁਦਾ ਘਰਿ ਕਾਨੁ ॥ ਹਥੋ ਹਥਿ ਨਚਾਈਐ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਮਾਤ ਕਹੈ ਸੁਤੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥ ਚੇਤਿ ਅਚੇਤ ਮੂੜ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਅੰਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਕਛੁ ਤੇਰਾ ॥ ਜਿਨਿ ਰਚਿ ਰਚਿਆ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਮਨ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਧਰਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਦੂਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਗਇਆ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥੨॥
ਤੀਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਧਨ ਜੋਬਨ ਸਿਉ ਚਿਤੁ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਹੀ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਬਧਾ ਛੁਟਹਿ ਜਿਤੁ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੇਤੈ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਬਿਕਲੁ ਭਇਆ ਸੰਗਿ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਧਨ ਸਿਉ ਰਤਾ ਜੋਬਨਿ ਮਤਾ ਅਹਿਲਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਸੇਤੀ ਵਾਪਾਰੁ ਨ ਕੀਤੋ ਕਰਮੁ ਨ ਕੀਤੋ ਮਿਤੁ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਤੀਜੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਧਨ ਜੋਬਨ ਸਿਉ ਚਿਤੁ ॥੩॥
ਚਉਥੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਰੈਣਿ ਕੈ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਲਾਵੀ ਆਇਆ ਖੇਤੁ ॥ ਜਾ ਜਮਿ ਪਕੜਿ ਚਲਾਇਆ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਕਿਸੈ ਨ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਭੇਤੁ ॥ ਭੇਤੁ ਚੇਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਿਸੈ ਨ ਮਿਲਿਓ ਜਾ ਜਮਿ ਪਕੜਿ ਚਲਾਇਆ ॥ ਝੂਠਾ ਰੁਦਨੁ ਹੋਆ ਦਆਲੈ ਖਿਨ ਮਹਿ ਭਇਆ ਪਰਾਇਆ ॥ ਸਾਈ ਵਸਤੁ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਹੋਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਉ ਲਾਇਆ ਹੇਤੁ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਚਉਥੈ ਪਹਰੈ ਲਾਵੀ ਲੁਣਿਆ ਖੇਤੁ ॥੪॥੧॥ LOSE TRANSLATIONIn this Shabad, Guru Sahib explains that as per Hukam, the Vanjaara Mitr - Jeev - gets placed in the womb. There in the womb he is hung upside down and in this distressed state make pleas for mercy. Since this place is very tight, and it is very hot there, the Jeev finds it impossible to survive. Vaheguru hears the pleas of the Jeev and gives him support of Naam. There in this agonizing situation, the Jeev survives due to Dhyaan (concentration) on Naam. After his time is up, the Jeev comes out unceremoniously i.e. naked and such is the Hukam that the Jeev from this world will leave naked as well. Then Guru Sahib explains that as is the Hukam of Vaheguru, the Jeev comes with such Kismet. (1)
In the second stanza Guru Sahib explains how the Jeev under the influence of Maya, totally loses Dhyaan on Naam. The parents of the Jeev play with the child and love him as Jashodhra used to love Siri Krishna (Yashodra's love for Siri Krishna is legendary). Mother carries the baby around and says out loud that "this is my son". Guru Sahib comments, "O unconscious Mind, Remember Him, in the end, nothing belongs to you. That Vaheguru who created you, you don't remember him! get some wisdom in your mind." This way Guru Sahib concludes in the 2nd stanza saying that the Jeev has lost Dhyaan on Vaheguru.(2)
In the third stanza, Guru Sahib talks about the period from youth to about mid-life. In this stage, the Jeev is only concerned about his youth and money. The Jeev does not remember Naam that can save him from bonds. The Jeev does not remember Naam and becomes helpless by associating with Maya. The Jeev is intoxicated by youth and engaged in collecting wealth, and this way loses the value of human life by wasting it. The Jeev does not do the business of good Dharma and does not make Karma (good Karma) his friend and this way wastes his life collecting wealth and staying intoxicated in youth. (3)
In the fourth stanza, Guru Sahib skips the life between youth and old age, and goes straight to the last moments of the Jeev. Finally the moment of death arrives. The Jammdoots come to collect the Jeev in the same way as the farmer comes to harvest the crops. When the Jamm gets hold of the Jeev, no one realizes what happened to the Jeev. No one finds out where the Jeev gets taken by the Jamm. False crying by relatives occurs near the Jeev's dead body and in a second the Jeev becomes stranger to all. The Jeev gets that object in the next world, that he had wished for, all his life i.e. gets punished for his actions and sins. Guru Sahib says that in the 4th Pehar, the Jamm take away the Jeev as the farmer harvests his fields. (4)
ANALYSIS: In this Shabad we notice that Guru Sahib has explained the time in the womb and childhood in great detail and two stanzas are dedicated to this but the life from later childhood to mid-life gets covered only in one stanze. The old-age does not get explained at all. Then one whole stanza has been written to explain the time of death and aftermath. This Shabad basically explains the life of such person who is not a devotee of Vaheguru and leads a sinful life under the influence of Maya. In the end it has been shown that such person gets taken away by the Jammdoots (messengers of death).
As we do Vichaar on the remaining 3 Shabads, we will notice differences in how the life of the Jeev has been divided. That Vichaar to follow in the coming days. Finally we will study the differences in the 4 Pehars as explained in each of the 4 Shabads and try to understand it.
The study of Pehre is very exciting. May Guru Sahib make us true Vanjaare Mitr of Guru Sahib.
Bhul Chuk dee Maafi jee.
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
