ਮਹਲਾ ੨ ॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਏਹਾ ਜਾਤਿ ਹੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਏਈ ਬੰਧਨਾ ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਜੋਨੀ ਪਾਹਿ ॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਕਿਥਹੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਕਿਤੁ ਸੰਜਮਿ ਇਹ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਏਹੋ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਹੈ ਪਇਐ ਕਿਰਤਿ ਫਿਰਾਹਿ ॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਦੀਰਘ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਭੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਜੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਤਾ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥
ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹੈ ਸੁਣਹੁ ਜਨਹੁ ਇਤੁ ਸੰਜਮਿ ਦੁਖ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੨॥The first pankitis explain what Haume is. Siri Guru jee states that to associate with family is Haume and all our Karma are done under the influence of Haume. All the bonds we have are due to Haume and because of Haume we reincarnate into many life forms.
The third pankiti asks a beautiful and very relevant question - From where does Haume get created and how can it be relieved? The answer is equally beautiful - Haume is created as part of His Hukam and due to our own Karma done under the influence of Haume, we wander around. Next Siri Guru jee makes a great statement that althought Haume is a very long-term and deeply inveterate disease, still the cure too lies in it. How do we get rid of Haume?
The second-last pankiti tells us how - If Vaheguru does kirpa, then one does collects the earnings of Guru's Shabad i.e. engages in Guru's Shabad.
The last pankiti declares that listen O Saints, this is the way (earning Guru's Shabad i.e. chanting it) this sorrow of Haume goes away.
While Haume is bad but Haume is the one that causes us to do Bhagti. If there was no haume, we would never indulge in Bhagti. Siri Guru jee very beautifully writes that Haume is a very deep rooted inveterate disease (deeragh Rog) but the medicine or cure to this disease lies in Haume itself:
ਹਉਮੈ ਦੀਰਘ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਭੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਹਿ ॥(Haume is a deep rooted inveterate disease but cure for this also lies in it).
How does the cure lie in Haume? It is our Haume that first prompts us to do bhagti to get delivered from this world. It is our selfish thinking that prompts us to do udhaar or deliverance of this jeev-aatma (our soul). It is our curiosity to know the secrets of this world that prompts us to do bhagti and find out the secrets of this world. All these are forms of Haume.
The only way to get around Haume is to engage in the divine Shabad of Guru. Gurbani clearly says that one should burn Haume through the Shabda:
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਭੇਟੇ ਸੋ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਏ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੰਨਿ ਵਸਾਏ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਸੋ ਪਾਏ ॥
ਆਸ ਅੰਦੇਸੇ ਤੇ ਨਿਹਕੇਵਲੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਜਲਾਏ ॥੨॥(Meet the Satguru and reside the Naam within your mind; this way get divine happiness. But only on whom he does grace, can achieve this. Free yourself of all worries and through the Shabad burn Haume.)
May Guru Sahib do kirpa on us and may we realise our haume and free ourselves from Haume.
Gurbani is Agam Agaadh Bodh.
Kulbir Singh