Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Je Ke Fateh
The Manmukh
The Manmukh is the opposite of a the Gurmukh.
Hence, a Manmukh is a material being (egoistic or unenlightened person) as opposed to a Spiritual Being, who does not have natural inclination for Gurmat and Spirituality - he is the mind-willed. People with such materialistic outlook — referred to as Manmukhs in the Gurbani — assert that everlasting happiness is attainable only in acquisition of sense-objects, persuing passions, etc. In other words, a Manmukh is ruled by his conditioned and corrupt sense-blind mind instead of Soul Consciousness. Simply stated, a Manmukh is an ego-being with the following faults: lust, anger, greed, material attachment, pride, envy, stubborn mindedness; along with numerous variations of these. Having conditioned (polluted or filthy) consciousness, he has no understanding of the Naam, Shabad, Hukam (Will), Self, God, Spirit or the Sat Guru. Consequently, he has no understanding of the ultimate purpose of life, his relationship with God, and the Way of God (Gurmat). In this madness and illusion and "I-am-ness", he cultivates the life of a faithless cynic called Saakat — an unwise and an untrue being.
ਸੇ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਜੋ ਸਬਦ ਨ ਪਛਾਨਹਿ ॥: Se manmukh jo Sabad na pachhaanahi: They alone are Manmukhs who do not realize the Shabad (sggs 1054).
ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਮੈਲਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਪਛਾਣੈ ॥: Manmukh mailaa sabad n pashhaanai: The filthy (with evil passions) Manmukh does not understand the Shabad (sggs 415).
ਰੇ ਨਰ ਐਸੀ ਕਰਹਿ ਇਆਨਥ ॥ ਤਜਿ ਸਾਰੰਗਧਰ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਤੂ ਭੂਲਾ ਮੋਹਿ ਲਪਟਿਓ ਦਾਸੀ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਾਨਥ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਧਰਣੀਧਰੁ ਤਿਆਗਿ ਨੀਚ ਕੁਲ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਹਉ ਹਉ ਕਰਤ ਬਿਹਾਵਥ ॥ ਫੋਕਟ ਕਰਮ ਕਰਹਿ ਅਗਿਆਨੀ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਅੰਧ ਕਹਾਵਥ ॥੨॥ Re nar esee karahi iyaanath ..: O man, such is the foolishness you practice. Renouncing God, the Support of the earth, you wander, deluded by doubt; you are engrossed in attachment to Maya, and you make association with Maya, the slave (or ਦਾਸੀ of God). ||1||Rahaaou|| Abandoning the Lord, the Support of the earth, you serve her of lowly ancestry (Maya), you pass your life acting egotistically ('I, I - ਮੈਂ ਮੈਂ '). ||1||Rahaaou|| You do useless deeds, you ignorant person; this is why you are called a blind (spiritually blind - ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਅੰਨ੍ਹਾ), mentally deluded Manmukh ||2|| (sggs 1001).
ਦੇਂਦੇ ਥਾਵਹੁ ਦਿਤਾ ਚੰਗਾ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਐਸਾ ਜਾਣੀਐ ॥ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਮਤਿ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ਤਾ ਕੀ ਕਿਆ ਕਰਿ ਆਖਿ ਵਖਾਣੀਐ ॥: Dende thaavahu ditta changaa Manmukh esaa jaaneeai. Surti mat chaturaaee taakee kiyaa kar aakh vakhaaneeai: They prefer the gift, instead of the Giver; such is the way of the Manmukhs. What can anyone say about their intelligence, their understanding or their cleverness? (sggs 138).
ਤੇ ਸਾਕਤ ਚੋਰ ਜਿਨਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਮਨ ਤਿਨ ਕੈ ਨਿਕਟਿ ਨ ਭਿਟੀਐ ॥੪॥: Te saakat chor jinaa Naam visaariaa man tin kai nikat n bhiteeai ||4||: Such materialists or Saakat, who have forgotten the Lord's Name, are thieves ||4|| (sggs 170).
ਚਿਰੰਕਾਲ ਪਾਈ ਦ੍ਰੁਲਭ ਦੇਹ ॥ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਹੂਣੀ ਹੋਈ ਖੇਹ ॥ ਪਸੂ ਪਰੇਤ ਮੁਗਧ ਤੇ ਬੁਰੀ ॥ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਨ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਏਹ ਸਿਰੀ ॥੩॥: Chrankaal paaee duralabh deh. Naam bihoonee hoee kheh. Pasoo pret mugadh te buree. Tisahi n boojhai jin eh siree ||3||: After a very long time, one obtains this human body, which is so difficult to obtain. Without the Naam, it is reduced to dust (because of Bikaars). (Without Name and because of Bikaars) the fool's (body) is worse than a beast and a demon. He does not understand (or remember) Him who created it - this human body ||3|| (sggs 890).
ਮਨਮੁਖੀ ਦੁਹਾਗਣਿ ਨਾਹਿ ਭੇਉ ॥: Manmukhee duhaagan naahi bhaeo: The Manmukh, suffering in separation (from God), do not understand (God's) mystery (sggs 1170).
ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਰੋਗੀ ਹੈ ਸੰਸਾਰਾ ॥: Manmukh rogee hai sansaaraa: The Manmukh is sick and diseased (with evil passions) in the world (sggs 118).
In nutshell, anyone who has not realized the true Self within (God, Truth, Shabad or Naam, Joti-Svaroopa, etc.) alone is a Manmukh. Opposite to a Manmukh is a Gurmukh who has realized the Shabad. Here Gurbani provides us with a very clear definition as to what constitutes a Manmukh and a Gurmukh. Those in the Shabad, Naam or God Consciousness are true Gurmukh, whilst the rest of us (over 99.9 percent) are just hypocrite, faithless cynics or Manmukhs engrossed in unenlightened existence of worldly attachments, evil passions, hatred, selfishness, falsehood, meaningless rituals, corruption, frauds, deception, greed, lip worship and varieties of other superficial religious or reactionary spirituality.
ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਹਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਵੀਚਾਰਹਿ ਇਹੁ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਕਾ ਆਚਾਰੁ ॥: Naam na cheetahi sabad na vichaarahi ih manmukh kaa aachaar: The conduct of the Manmukh is that he does not think of the Divine Naam, and he does not contemplate the Shabad (sggs 508).
ਮਨ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਭੂਲੇ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਦੁਰਜਨਾ ॥: Man antar haumai rog hai bharam bhoole manmukh durjanaa: Those within whose mind is the disease of ego (Haumai - ਹਉਮੈ), those self-willed (Manmukhs), the evil beings (ਬਿਕਾਰੀ ਬੰਦੇ - corrupt people), are deluded by doubt (sggs 301).
ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਅੰਧਾ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਲਾਗੈ ॥: Manmukh andhaa doojai bhaae laagai: The blind Manmukh are attached to the love of duality (sggs 113).
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਅੰਧੇ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਬੇਤਾਲੇ ॥: Manmukh andhe firahi betaale: The blind Manmukh wander around like demons (sggs 117).
ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਅੰਧੇ ਸੁਧਿ ਨ ਕਾਈ ॥: Manmukh andhe sudh na kaaee: The blind Manmukh have no understanding at all (sggs 118).
ਦੁਖ ਵਿਚਿ ਜੰਮੈ ਦੁਖਿ ਮਰੈ ਦੁਖ ਵਿਚਿ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਇ ॥ ਗਰਭ ਜੋਨੀ ਵਿਚਿ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਨਿਕਲੈ ਬਿਸਟਾ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥ ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵ ਨ ਕੀਨੀ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਭਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥: Dukh vich jamme dukh vich kaar kamaai ...: (The self-willed Manmukh) in pain he is born, in pain he dies, and in pain he does his deeds. He can never be released from the womb of reincarnation, (because, he) is ever immersed in manure (of Bikaars, evil passions, etc.). ||1|| Cursed, cursed is the self-willed Manmukh, who wastes his life away. He does not serve the Perfect Guru; he does not love the Name of the Lord. ||1||Pause|| (sggs 1130).
In this world, everyone is either a servant of Maya (illusion, delusion, etc.) or a servant of the Truth. Those who serve Maya are called Manmukhs or demons (Truth deniers, etc.), and those who serve the Truth (God) within are called Gurmukhs or Divine. Thus, a Manmukh regardless of how advanced he may be in material qualifications by education and culture, lacks in Divine qualities; consequently, does not know the essence of the Reality that is contained within himself. Such individuals fail to attain Spiritual Perfection or Intuitive Understanding of the Shabad, Naam, God, Spirit, Truth, Self or the Satguru; for their intellect is dimmed by material contamination. as indicated in the SGGS, instead of seeking holiness, they chase after Maya and, as a result, wander in this dense forest of material existence like a beast in human garb.
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਤਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਨੀ ਪਸੂ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਮਾਨਾ ॥੩॥: Manmukh tatt na jaananee pasoo maahi samaanaa ||3||: The Manmukh is a beast (i.e., he is established in an animal consciousness - ਪਸ਼ੂ-ਬ੍ਰਿਤੀ ); he does not know the essence of Reality ||3|| (sggs 1009).
ਭਗਤੀ ਸਾਰ ਨ ਜਾਣਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੀ ॥: Bhagtee saar na jaananee Manmukh ahankaaree: The egotistical Manmukhs do not appreciate the value of devotional worship (sggs 429).
ਕੂਕਰ ਸੂਕਰ ਕਹੀਅਹਿ ਕੂੜਿਆਰਾ ॥ ਭਉਕਿ ਮਰਹਿ ਭਉ ਭਉ ਭਉ ਹਾਰਾ ॥ ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਝੂਠੇ ਕੂੜੁ ਕਮਾਵਹਿ ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਦਰਗਹ ਹਾਰਾ ਹੇ ॥੧੫॥: Kookar sookar kaheeahi kooriaaraa. Bhayuki marhi bhayu bhayu bhay haaraa. Man tan jhoothe koor kamaavahi durmat dargah haaraa he ||15||: The false ones (the self-willed Manmukhs, although they look human, but) are called pigs and dogs. (Like pigs and dogs, for the sake of Maya) they bark themselves to death (death of spiritual life - ਆਤਮਕ ਮੌਤ) ; and wandering (all their lives) they get exhausted. False in mind and body (due to their love for Maya), they practice falsehood; through their evil-mindedness, they lose out in Divine Court ||15|| (sggs 1029).
ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਝੂਠੋ ਝੂਠੁ ਕਮਾਵੈ ॥: Manmukh jhootho jhooth kamaavai: The Manmukh practices falsehood, only falsehood (sggs 363).
ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਅਗਿਆਨੀ ਅੰਧੁ ਅੰਧਾਰਾ ॥: Manmukh agiaanee andh andhaaraa: The Manmukhs (because of emotional attachment: Moh) remain immersed in utter darkness of ignorance (of their spiritual life: ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ) (sggs 1067).
As the Manmukh or demons take shelter in material corruption, they are called the lowest of mankind despite their advancement in material education, science and politics. Association with such material beings is called Kusang (false or bad association). By its very nature, such association separates an individual from the Truth, and makes him forgetful of his True Nature, which is Pure Consciousness (or "Joti-svaroopa").
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਸੇਵਾ ਜੋ ਕਰੇ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਇ ॥ ਪੁਤੁ ਕਲਤੁ ਕੁਟੰਬੁ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਵਧਾਇ ॥: Manmukh sevaa jo karae doojai bhaai chit laai. Putt kalat kattamb hai Maya mohu vadhaai: The Manmukh may perform service (ਸੇਵਾ), (but while doing so, he) keeps his consciousness attached to the love of duality (not One God). Through Maya, his attachment to children, spouse and relatives increases (sggs 1422).
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਮੈਲੇ ਮਲੁ ਭਰੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥: Manmukh maile mal bhare haumai trisanaa vikaar: The Manmukhs are polluted. They are filled with the pollution of egotism, cravings and evil passions (sggs 29).
A Manmukh lifestyle is void of humility, contentment, compassion, and spiritual wisdom. Such lifestyle exhibits nothing but undesirable qualities in a person. To make us aware of Manmukhs and their conduct, the Gurbani has provided us with numerous symptoms of such material beings caught in the vertex of unenlightened existence. Some of these symptoms include: egoism, ignorance, selfishness, duality, bondage, evil-mindedness, falsehood, violence, untruthfulness, doubts, superstitions, uncontrolled senses, identification with the feeling of "I, me, mine, your", lust, anger, greed, attachment, self pride, self-conceit; jealousy and enviousness, stubborn mindedness, hatred, fanaticism, conflicts, lack of contentment, material hankering and lamentation, lack of mental control and inner peace, self-centered, full of quarrel and contentions, lack of faith, extroverted ness, ritualistic, unhappy, always interested in taking instead of giving, affinity for bad association, lack of self-discipline, mental agitation, unceasing wandering (rat-race), begging material things from God, complaining, finding faults in others, unable to bear pains and sorrows of life, love for material world instead of the Self within, corruption, fraud, larceny and swindling, bribery, cheating, lying, plundering, stealing, fond of mental speculations and material logic, attachment to material world, deceitful nature, fearful, unceasing desire for sense objects, cynicism, hypocrisy, always wanting to control the world, always wanting to be appreciated, unceasing hunger for name and fame, love for titles and honor, divisiveness, prejudices, cruelty, bigotry, unnatural diet, indulgence in worldly pleasures, illusion, delusion, wrong identity, stupor, obstinate error, love of Maya or worldliness, crookedness, animosity, and so on.
ਇਹੁ ਜਗੋ ਦੁਤਰੁ ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਪਾਰਿ ਨ ਪਾਈ ਰਾਮ ॥ ਅੰਤਰੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਮਤਾ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ਰਾਮ ॥: Ih jago dutar manmukh paar na paaee Raam. aAntar houmai mamataa kaam krodh chaturaaee raam: This world is like an untraversable ocean; the self-willed Manamukh can not cross it. Within him is egotism, Mamataa (greediness, selfishness, etc.), lust, anger and cleverness (sggs 775).
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਖੋਟੀ ਰਾਸਿ ਖੋਟਾ ਪਾਸਾਰਾ ॥ ਕੂੜੁ ਕਮਾਵਨਿ ਦੁਖੁ ਲਾਗੈ ਭਾਰਾ ॥ ਭਰਮੇ ਭੂਲੇ ਫਿਰਨਿ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤੀ ਮਰਿ ਜਨਮਹਿ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੭॥: Manmukh khoteeraas khotaa paasaaraa. Koor kamaavan dukh laagai bhaaraa. Bharme bhoole phiran din raatee mar janmahi janam gavaavaniaa ||7||: The wealth of the self-willed Manmukhs (that they collect throughout their lives) is false, and false is their ostentatious display. They practice falsehood, and suffer terrible pain. Deluded by doubt, they wander day and night; through birth and death, they waste their lives ||7|| (sggs 116).
Hence, according to the Gurbani, a Manmukh is not a question of heredity, family of birth, ancestry, race, region, social status, caste, creed, education, titles, religion or any peculiar external appearance of a person; it is a question of unenlightened existence, cynicism, egoism, ignorance, hypocrisy, bondage, mental delusion, body-consciousness, mistaken identity, and so on! The Gurbani sums it up as follows:
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਮੁਗਧੁ ਗੁਬਾਰੁ ॥: Gurmukh chaanan jaaneeai Manmukh mughad gubaar: The Gurmukh knows the Divine Light, while the foolish Manmukh gropes around in the darkness of ignorance (sggs 20).
ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਬੰਧੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਕਰਾਏ ॥੪॥੩॥: Nanak manmukh bandh hai gurmukh mukati karaae ||4||3||: O Nanak, the Manmukhs remain in bondage (with hopes, desires, etc. They become hurdles on his Way); the Gurmukhs are liberated (From these) ||4||3|| (sggs 559).
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਸਉ ਕਰਿ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਸੁਖ ਕਿ ਪੁਛਹਿ ਮਿਤ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖ ਸਉ ਕਰਿ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਉ ਲਾਇ ਚਿਤੁ ॥ ਜੰਮਣ ਮਰਣ ਕਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਕਟੀਐ ਤਾਂ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਵੀ ਮਿਤ ॥੬੬॥: Manmukh saou kar dosatee sukh ki pushahi mit. Gurmukh saou kar dosatee Satgur saou laai chit. Jamman maran kaa mool katteeai taan sukh hovee mit ||66||: O friend, If you make friends with the Manmukhs, how can you ask for Peace ( ਆਤਮਕ ਆਨੰਦ)? Make friends with the Gurmukhs, and focus your consciousness on the Satguru. (This Way when) the root of birth and death is cut away, then, you will find Ppeace ( ਆਤਮਕ ਆਨੰਦ) ||66|| (sggs 1421).
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥