KhandsSomeone mentioned that Khands are merely spiritual states and not actual realms where Bhagats reside. According to Gurbani (Siri Jap jee Sahib) there are 5 khands above our place of dwelling i.e. this world including solar system and other stars we see.
DHARAM KHANDPauri 34 of Siri Jap jee Sahib explains Dharam Khand. This is the khand where our soul goes to after death. This is where Dharam Rai is stationed. Almost every religion explains this khand in some form or the other. This Khand is huge and this is where heavens and hells are. Dharam Rai has an army of millions and millions jammdoots who control the whole Dharam Khand. Siri Jap jee Sahib summarizes this Khand as follows:
There are countless seasons, waters, fires, fires and low-lands like Pataal. Amidst such wide variety of things is the land of Dharam Khand. There countless kind of creatures reside. These creatures are there suffering punishments or getting rewarded for their good deeds. Everybody is judged according to their deeds done on Karam Bhoomi (our Earth or likes of it). The darbar of Dharam Rai is based on truth. Panch Jan i.e. the accepted Gursikhs get recognition and respect there. Such Gursikhs are recognised by the nishaan (symbol, or mark) on their forehead that appears as we do bhagtee of True Naam. All this may seem like fiction here but once we get there, we will realize how true it is (Nanak, Gaiyaan jaapai jaaye).
GYAAN KHANDNo matter who one is, everyone has to come to Dharam Khand. Gursikhs go there as well as Manmukhs. The difference is that when the Gursikhs arrive there, no record of them is found there and because of the divine mark on their forehead, they are very well respected there. Manmukhs on the other hand get stiff punishments there and are sent to hell and thereafter back to earth to go through the 8.4 million forms, depending on their karma.
Gursikhs and other good people who are above heaven move on to the next khand i.e. Gyaan Khand. This is a very huge Khand and references to this Khand too are found in various religious books. This is where most of the prophets and saints of other religions fall.
The ones who worship Siri Krishna, Vishnu jee, Shiv jee, and Mohammadans etc. fall in this Khand. This is where Baikunth i.e. residing place of Siri Krishna and his devotees, Buddha, and other great religious leaders are. This place is very beautiful and there are countless Krishna, Shiv jees, Buddhas there. The bhagats like Dhru reside in this Khand. This Khand is very great Khand and only fortunate ones reach here. The only drawback is that the residents of this Khand are not eternal. When Vaheguru takes back his creation, this Khand gets destroyed.
SHARAM KHAND, KARAM KHAND AND SACH KHANDThis is the third Khand and hereon it is impossible to describe the Khands. Sharam Khand and the two Khands above this i.e. Karam Khand and Sach Khand are beyond description. One thing is for sure that the way we are today, we cannot comprehend anything there in Sharam Khand. For this reason when one reaches this Khand, one gets new senses, mind, intelligence and surti. The reason is that with old senses and mann, budh, we cannot comprehend anything there. Sharam Khand is essential for Bhagats before they can enter Karam Khand and Sach Khand. Sharam Khand is like prep Khand for entering Karam Khand and Sach Khand. This Khand is extremely beautiful. Everything there is just too beautiful to describe. Guru Sahib just says that no one should bother to describe anything there as it would be futile and such person who tries to say anything about this Khand have to regret.
Karam Khand and Sach Khand exist in such fashion as a house and varaandaah exist. Varaandah is like the outskirts of a house but within the boundery of the property. Normally the top of the varandaah is ceiling. From Karam Khand one can view the inside of the house and know what is going on inside but can’t go inside. There is immense Anand (Bliss) in this Khand. Only real warriors who have subdued all bikaars can enter this Khand. This Khand – Karam Khand is accessible mostly to Gursikhs of Guru Nanak Dev jee but some rare ones who do kamaayee of Kirtam Naam (qualitative names like Raam, Gobind etc.) and give their best shot to it, but are not Gursikhs of Guru Nanak can reach Karam Khand. Both Karam Khand and Sach Khand are eternal Khands.
Sachkhand is accessible only to Gursikhs. There Vaheguru resides in comprehensible form to Gursikhs. Gursikhs stay absorbed in the bliss of Darshan of Vaheguru. Sach Khand is huge and the whole creation including other 4 Khands are within Sach Khand. Sach Khand surrounds the whole creation and is inside the whole creation. In essence Sach Khand is Vaheguru himself. In Sach Khand, the bhagats don’t lose their identity. The Ten Gurus occupy the top position along with Vaheguru. It is futile to write anything about it. Guru Nanak Sahib has written that to describe Sach Khand is like chewing iron (Nanak, Kathna KaraRaa Saar).
Dasam Duaar is a shortcut to Sach Khand. It is like a door to Sach Khand. Sitting here, one can have all the Anand of Sach Khand and know what is going on there.
by: Bhai Kulbir Singh Jee
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥