The 16th pauri of Siri Asa kee Vaar strikes me all the time. In this pauri is a pankiti as follows:
ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ ਜੇ ਕਰੇ ਸੁਲਤਾਨਾ ਘਾਹੁ ਕਰਾਇਦਾ ॥
ਦਰਿ ਮੰਗਨਿ ਭਿਖ ਨ ਪਾਇਦਾ ॥16॥If Vaheguru does his glance ਉਪਠੀ i.e. if he glances at a king with the glance of displeasure, he can turn a king into a poor gardener. We hear Gurbani but we don’t really believe in what we hear. Gurbani in this pankiti tells how transient i.e. temporary this world and it’s possessions are. When a person is sitting on a position of power in this world, such person thinks as if this position is his forever. Such persons forget that before them, several have sat on such positions and after them countless will sit on this position. Why to be proud of such intangible worldly thing? Just during the last ten-fifteen years we have witnessed how kings were turned helpless.
Take an example of Nawaz Sharif. I am just amazed to see how truth is really stranger than fiction when I see his life. In the 1990s, he was the uncrowned king of Pakistan. His business was flourishing and he along with his brother had become the richest persons of Pakistan. To add to his fortune, he became the prime minister of Pakistan and his brother Shahbaz Sharif was the chief minister of the largest province of Pakistan – Punjab. They were at the top of the world. Then with one stroke, Musharaf took over the reins of Pakistan, overthrew Nawaz Sharif and arrested him. It took 6 months to break Nawaz Sharif. At first he stayed adamant when he was imprisoned but at the end of 5 months, he was going crazy staying in isolation. The king of Pakistan was confined to a small room in jail. He was reduced to a mere prisoner. He agreed to the terms of Musharaf and was exiled out of Pakistan. But look at the will of Vaheguru, he became a king coming from a humble background and then was reduced to a mere prisoner and exiled but recently has returned to Pakistan with much pomp and show. He returned and became responsible for overturning Musharaf. Today he is rising to the level of glory he had seen earlier. If you look at this, you realize how temporary and transient the worldly possessions are. You also realize how strong Vaheguru is. In a moment he can make a beggar a king and a king a beggar.
Take an example of Saddam Hussien. What a life he had. He rose from humble background and became an absolute monarch of Iraq. He was ruthless to Shias and Kurds and committed many atrocities. His sons, especially Udey was not only a spoiled kid but an atrocious criminal. It’s said that he assaulted numerous women when he could. Later he was confined to wheelchair as a result of an attempt to take his life. Saddam was overthrown by the Americans and when he was discovered hiding in a bunker, he was beyond recognition. No one could say that this was the royal Saddam the world had known. He was extremely untidy and had a very dishevelled look. But he kept his self respect and did not bow before his captives. Then we saw his proud end. The way he faced death would put many so called brave people to shame.
The thing I have been thinking is ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ. We should fear ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ. We should do such karma that we may never have to experience and face ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ. So long as Vaheguru jee keeps his gaze of grace on us, we don’t realize how fortunate we are. We only realize what we have lost when we have to face ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ. When this ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ occurs, then it’s very hard to turn this ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ into ਵਡ ਕਟਾਖ. So Bhai, one who forgets ਖੌਫੇ ਖੁਦਾ when in ਤੈਸ਼ and forgets ਯਾਦੇ ਖੁਦਾ when in ਐਸ਼, surely is inviting ਨਦਰਿ ਉਪਠੀ. Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee after the attack of Babur on India, wrote a very beautiful pankiti of Gurbani:
ਅਗੋ ਦੇ ਜੇ ਚੇਤੀਐ ਤਾਂ ਕਾਇਤੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਜਾਇ ॥
ਸਾਹਾਂ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਗਵਾਈਆ ਰੰਗਿ ਤਮਾਸੈ ਚਾਇ ॥
ਬਾਬਰਵਾਣੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਗਈ ਕੁਇਰੁ ਨ ਰੋਟੀ ਖਾਇ ॥5॥Please take note of the first pankiti. It states that if we remember Vaheguru in advance, then why would we suffer punishment in his hands. So taking lead from this pankiti, may we engage in ਯਾਦੇ ਖੁਦਾ and always keep ਖੌਫੇ ਖੁਦਾ and this way avoid ਸਜਾਇ (punishment)
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥