SGGS pp 348-349 Aasa M: 1 Shabads 1-2.

Page 349

ਵਡੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਾ ਗਹਿਰ ਗੰਭੀਰਾ ਗੁਣੀ ਗਹੀਰਾ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਤੇਰਾ ਕੇਤਾ ਕੇਵਡੁ ਚੀਰਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
vade mere sāhibā gahir gambẖīrā guṇī gahīrā. Ko▫ī na jāṇai ṯerā keṯā kevad cẖīrā. ||1|| rahā▫o.

(M-er-e) my (vad-e) great Master, You are (gahar gambhir) profound and your (guni) virtues (gahira = deep) unfathomable;
(koi na) no one (jaanai) knows (k-eta) how (k-e-vad = how big) big Your (cheera) expanse is i.e. Your powers are beyond measure. 1.
(Rahaau) dwell on this and contemplate.

ਸਭਿ ਸੁਰਤੀ ਮਿਲਿ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਕਮਾਈ ॥ ਸਭ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਧਿਆਨੀ ਗੁਰ ਗੁਰ ਹਾਈ ॥ ਕਹਣੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਤੇਰੀ ਤਿਲੁ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥੨॥

Sabẖ surṯī mil suraṯ kamā▫ī. Sabẖ kīmaṯ mil kīmaṯ pā▫ī. Gi▫ānī ḏẖi▫ānī gur gur hā▫ī. Kahaṇ na jā▫ī ṯerī ṯil vadi▫ā▫ī. ||2||


Even if (sabhi) all (surtee) who hear of Your virtues get (mili) together and (surti kamaai) carry out intellectual exercise;
even if (sabh) all (keemat = appraiser) astrologers (mili) get together (keemat paai) to appraise You/estimate Your powers,
(giaani) those claiming to be knowledgeable, (dhiaani) those who contemplate, the gurus and (gur-haai) the great gurus may try;
but they will (na jaai) not be able to (kahn = say) describe even (til = equal to sesame seed) a bit of (t-eri) Your (vadiaai) greatness. 2.

Note: The Guru now describes the methods employed by the seekers to know about God but says this is possible only through Divine grace.

ਸਭਿ ਸਤ ਸਭਿ ਤਪ ਸਭਿ ਚੰਗਿਆਈਆ ॥ ਸਿਧਾ ਪੁਰਖਾ ਕੀਆ ਵਡਿਆਈਆਂ ॥ ਤੁਧੁ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਿਧੀ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਪਾਈਆ ॥ ਕਰਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਠਾਕਿ ਰਹਾਈਆ ॥੩॥

Sabẖ saṯ sabẖ ṯap sabẖ cẖang▫ā▫ī▫ā. Siḏẖā purkẖā kī▫ā vadi▫ā▫ī▫āʼn. Ŧuḏẖ viṇ siḏẖī kinai na pā▫ī▫ā. Karam milai nāhī ṯẖāk rahā▫ī▫ā. ||3||

People may engage in (sabh) all acts of (sat = charities) philanthropy, (tap) austerities, and (changiaaia = good acts) superstitious good deeds;
(sidha purkha) those having occult powers may (vadiaaeea) earn fame;
but (sidhi) success in finding You is not (paaeea) achieved (vin) without (tudh = you) Your grace.
If (karam) grace (milai) is received, no (tthaaki) obstacle (rahaaia) can stop from reaching You. 3.

The idea continues:

ਆਖਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਕਿਆ ਬੇਚਾਰਾ ॥ ਸਿਫਤੀ ਭਰੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਭੰਡਾਰਾ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਤੂੰ ਦੇਹਿ ਤਿਸੈ ਕਿਆ ਚਾਰਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਚੁ ਸਵਾਰਣਹਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੧॥

Ākẖaṇ vālā ki▫ā becẖārā. Sifṯī bẖare ṯere bẖandārā. Jis ṯūʼn ḏėh ṯisai ki▫ā cẖārā. Nānak sacẖ savāraṇhārā. ||4||1||

(T-er-e) Your (bhandaara) storehouses (bhar-e) are full of (sifti) virtues i.e. You have unlimited virtues;
(kia) who is (b-echaara) the poor mortal (aakhan-vaala) to describe them? i.e. no one do justice to description of Your virtues;
only (jis) one to whom (toon) You (dehi) give the understanding can know; (kia) how can (tisai) s/he (chaara = own way) know on his/her own i.e. the mortal knows as enabled by You;
You, (sach) the eternal Master (savaaran-haara) transform i.e. give capability to the ignorant mortal to praise You, says Nanak. 4. 2.

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ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Āsā mėhlā 1.

Bani of the first Guru in Raag Aasa.

ਆਖਾ ਜੀਵਾ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਉ ॥ ਆਖਣਿ ਅਉਖਾ ਸਾਚਾ ਨਾਉ ॥ ਸਾਚੇ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਲਾਗੈ ਭੂਖ ॥ ਤਿਤੁ ਭੂਖੈ ਖਾਇ ਚਲੀਅਹਿ ਦੂਖ ॥੧॥
Ākẖā jīvā visrai mar jā▫o. Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o. Sācẖe nām kī lāgai bẖūkẖ. Ŧiṯ bẖūkẖai kẖā▫e cẖalī▫ahi ḏūkẖ. ||1||

When I (aakhaa = say) remember – Divine virtues and emulate them – I (jeeva) live, but (mar jaau) die when I (visrai) forget them i.e. when one has Divine virtues and commands in mind, evil cannot prevail but when they are forgotten one falls prey to vices.
but knowing and (aakhan = saying) describing (saacha) the eternal (naau) Divine virtues and commands is (aukha) hard;
I (laagai bhookh) hunger for (saach-e) the eternal (naam) Divine virtues because
(dookh) the pain of (tit) that (bhookh) hunger (chali-eh = goes) leaves only (khaa-e = eating) by receiving Divine virtues – from the guru – and living by them.

ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਮੇਰੀ ਮਾਇ ॥ ਸਾਚਾ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸਾਚੈ ਨਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
So ki▫o visrai merī mā▫e. Sācẖā sāhib sācẖai nā▫e. ||1|| rahā▫o.

O (m-eri) my mother, – an expression of emotion – (kio) how is it that I forget (so = that) the Master,
(saacha) the eternal (sahib) Master is known by IT’s (saachai) eternal (naa-e) virtues i.e. please bless me so that I receive Divine virtues, my mother.
Pause and contemplate on this.

ਸਾਚੇ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਤਿਲੁ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥ ਆਖਿ ਥਕੇ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਜੇ ਸਭਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੈ ਆਖਣ ਪਾਹਿ ॥ ਵਡਾ ਨ ਹੋਵੈ ਘਾਟਿ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥
Sācẖe nām kī ṯil vadi▫ā▫ī. Ākẖ thake kīmaṯ nahī pā▫ī. Je sabẖ mil kai ākẖaṇ pāhi. vadā na hovai gẖāt na jā▫e. ||2||

People can (thak-e) get tired (aakhi = saying) trying to recount, but (nahi paai) do not get (keemat = value) the understanding of even (til = equal to sesame seed) a bit of (vadiaai) the greatness of (saach-e) eternal (naam) Divine virtues of the Almighty;
they are so great that even (j-e) if (sabh) every one (mili kai) gets together (paahi) to engage (aakhan = saying) in praising Divine virtues, IT (na hovai) does not become (vadaa) greater i.e. will not add to their understanding;
on the other hand IT’s greatness (na jaa-e) does not (ghaat) reduce – if no one praises IT i.e. the Creator does not need endorsement. 2.

ਨਾ ਓਹੁ ਮਰੈ ਨ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੋਗੁ ॥ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਰਹੈ ਨ ਚੂਕੈ ਭੋਗੁ ॥ ਗੁਣੁ ਏਹੋ ਹੋਰੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਨਾ ਕੋ ਹੋਆ ਨਾ ਕੋ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥
Nā oh marai na hovai sog. Ḏeʼnḏā rahai na cẖūkai bẖog. Guṇ eho hor nāhī ko▫e. Nā ko ho▫ā nā ko ho▫e. ||3||

IT does not (marai) die that there (hovai) be (so-g) sorrow/grief – that the provider has died;
IT (d-enda rahai) keeps giving and (bhog) the needs of the people (chookai) are not denied;
and (eh-o) this is (gun = virtue) the greatness of the Master; there is none (hor) other like IT;
there has (hoaa) been (na ko) none and (ho-e) shall be none. 3.

ਜੇਵਡੁ ਆਪਿ ਤੇਵਡ ਤੇਰੀ ਦਾਤਿ ॥ ਜਿਨਿ ਦਿਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਕੈ ਕੀਤੀ ਰਾਤਿ ॥ ਖਸਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਹਿ ਤੇ ਕਮਜਾਤਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਵੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਸਨਾਤਿ ॥੪॥੨॥
Jevad āp ṯevad ṯerī ḏāṯ. Jin ḏin kar kai kīṯī rāṯ. Kẖasam visārėh ṯe kamjāṯ. Nānak nāvai bājẖ sanāṯ. ||4||2||

O Almighty, (t-eri) Your (daat) benedictions are (t-e-vad) that great (j-e-vad) as great You are (aapi) Your-self,
(jini) who (kari kai) creates (din) day and then (raat) night i.e. who regulates life between work and rest;
any one who (visaareh) forgets such a Master is (kam-jaat) of a low class i.e. this is unbecoming of the humans;
any one who (baajh = without) forgets (khasam) the Master is like one in a (sanaat) lower life-form i.e. not human. 4. 2.

Note:The last statement above may be understood thus: Human birth is an opportunity for the soul to merge with the Creator. This is possible by living by Divine commands (called Hukam) and hence the need to remember them. If the humans do not do that they are like animals or other lower life forms. All creatures except the deserving humans suffer reincarnations which is called hell in Gurbani and involves being roughed up. Bhagat Kabir describes this figuratively elsewhere:

ਚਾਰਿ ਪਾਵ ਦੁਇ ਸਿੰਗ ਗੁੰਗ ਮੁਖ ਤਬ ਕੈਸੇ ਗੁਨ ਗਈਹੈ ॥

ਊਠਤ ਬੈਠਤ ਠੇਗਾ ਪਰਿਹੈ ਤਬ ਕਤ ਮੂਡ ਲੁਕਈਹੈ ॥੧॥ ਕ ੫੨੪

An animal with four legs and two horns is dumb; how can it sing Divine virtues?

It is often hit and cannot hide itself (Kabir, p 524).