Religions of India in Practice

The fifth guru of the Sikhs, Arjan (who occupied the position from 1581 until his death in 1606) was responsible for compiling the first sacred scripture of the Sikhs, the Ādi Granth. This is by far the most significant scripture that the Sikhs possess, and is universely known among them as the Guru Granth Sāhib, the “Revered Granth (or volume) which is Guru.” It is believed that the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, shortly before he died in 1708, announced that the line of personal gurus was at an end. Thereafter the Sikhs should look to the scripture (the Guru Granth) and the community (the Guru Panth) as the joint embodiment of the eternal Guru.

In the scripture that he compiled, Guru Arjan brought together the works of the first five gurus, together with those of a number of other hymn writers of like views. He was himself the largest contributor, and of his numerous hymns one stands out for the beauty of its expression and for the profoundity of its thought. This is the lengthy hymn called Sukhmanī, to which the respectful Sāhib is normally added.

The theme of Guru Arjan’s Sukhmanī is the grandeur of the divine Name. In lyrical poetry of sustained quality it extols the beauty of the Name, repeatedly declaring its crucial importance in a person’s quest for liberation. The title of the work incorporates a pun, in that manī can mean either “pearl” or “mind.” It can thus be translated either as “The Pearl of Peace” or as “Peace of Mind.”

The complete poem, which runs to almost 2,000 lines, is divided into twenty-four parts. Each part comprises an introductory couplet and a sequence of eight stanzas. The only variation to this pattern occurs in the first section, which is preceded by a four-line superscription in place of the usual couplet, and which includes an additional couplet between the first and second stanzas. This inserted couplet is regarded as an epitome of the entire poem:

According to tradition the poem was composed by Guru Arjan beside the sacred pool of Rāmsar in Amritsar. The date of its composition is not known, but it must have been before 1604 (the date when the compilation of the Ādi Granth was begun). A date shortly before 1604 seems likely, for Sukhmanī is obviously a work of great maturity. It is also a work that inevitably suffers serious injury in translation. No rendering in English can hope to capture the skill of Guru Arjan’s epigrammatic style or the beauty of his language.

Sukhmanī commands a notable popularity. Although it is not a part of the regular Nitnem (the “Daily Rule,” portions of scripture appointed for daily recitation), many Sikhs include it in their early-morning devotions. Many Punjabi Hindus also recite it regularly. Following an invocation to the eternal Guru, the poem states its theme in the opening stanza. The first octave proceeds to develop the theme of nām simaran or remembering the divine Name, listing the many blessings that accrue to those who devote themselves to regular remembrance of it. The second octave and its introductory couplet raise the problem of suffering and announces its remedy. The sure and certain panacea is the divine Name. Octave 3 contrasts the liberating power of the divine Name with the inadequacy of the ancient scriptures and the futility of conventional religious practices. Alms and oblations, sacrifice and renunciation, ritual bathing and austerities—all are useless. Only the Name can bring a person to deliverance.

In octaves 4-6 Guru Arjan contrasts God’s greatness with man’s infirmity. Apart from God and the guru’s guidance, man is a creature of vicious desires. To outward appearances he may appear to be a person of great piety. Inwardly, however, he nurtures falsehood, lust, greed, deceit, and a host of other sins. Seduced by the attractions of the ephemeral world, he ignores the divine Name, spurning thereby the peace and joy that God proffers to all. Let him turn again to God, for only thus can he achieve the bliss of deliverance.

This insistent claim raises the question of how one is to find God. The introduction to octave 7 acknowledges the problem and enunciates an essential part of the answer. All who seek deliverance must seek it in the company of others dedicated to the same objective. The concept is fundamental to the teaching of the gurus, and nowhere does it receive a more insistent emphasis than in the seventh octave of Sukhmanī. The terms normally used for this feature of the gurus’ teaching are saṅgat (assembly), satsaṅg (the assembly of those who have found the truth), and sādhsaṅg (the assembly of those who have brought their minds and instincts under control). All three, together with other variant forms, express the same basic features of the gurus’ message.

Subsequent stanzas expand this definition of the guru’s fellowship, stressing the qualities bestowed on all who join it. Octaves 8 and 9 shift the focus, directing attention instead to a definition of the braham-giānī. The braham-giānī is he who possesses an understanding of God’s wisdom, the person who has found enlightenment in the company of the devout. Such a person acquires thereby an impressive range of virtues, some involving his relationship with men and others his relationship with God. The former include such qualities as purity, humility, patience, kindness, and detachment. The latter preeminently requires remembrance of the divine Name. He who devotes himself to the discharge of these obligations attains deliverance for himself and the power to confer it on others by means of word and example. Men teach and observe various beliefs concerning the means of deliverance. All should realize that there is but one way. Evil is universally proscribed and the Name is accessible to all.

Octaves 10 and 11 bring us back to the infinite greatness of God and the absolute nature of his power. The infinity of the creation bears witness to its maker and over its boundless span countless creatures join to honor him in their various ways. He who brought this creation into being reigns supreme, determining by his unfettered will all that takes place. Man, in contrast, is powerless except for the strength conferred by grace. His birth and status, his understanding and actions, his hope of deliverance—all are dependent on the absolute will of God.

Foolish men fail to recognize God’s authority, and the next two octaves describe the fate that awaits them. The perverse will be punished, the proud brought low. They who put their trust in riches, worldly power, or outward piety will all be disappointed. He who denigrates the truly pious will suffer all manner of retribution and by his churlish behavior will bind himself more firmly to the round of transmigration. Octave 14 follows this catalogue of sinful deeds with an appeal to all who so foolishly commit them. All men should abandon worldly concerns and turn to God. Trust in him; remember the Name; walk in his way. Octaves 15-17 continue the theme of God’s greatness and of the rewards to be secured by those who put their trust in him.

The presence of God is signified by the divine Name and man’s duty is devout contemplation of the Name. There remains, however, the problem of how man can recognize the Name and follow the contemplative discipline which will enable him to appropriate its benefits. The answer is the guru, God’s mediator here on earth. The remaining octaves return again to the Name, the source of true bliss and the essential means of deliverance. Octave 24 summarizes the message of Sukhmanī.

Guru Arjan concludes the entire Ādi Granth with two more works of his own, Mundāvaṇī and Shalok. Like Sukhmanī Sāhib, these brief compositions testify both to the beauty of his expression and to the nature of his thought, at once simple and profound.

See Hew McLeod, Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990), from which much of this selection is drawn (pp. 110-14). Reprinted by permission.

Turn to the Lord in contemplation; in his remembrance find peace.

Thus is our inner turmoil stilled, all anguish driven away.

Behold the glory of the earth’s Sustainer, numberless those who repeat his Name.

The hallowed pages of sacred scripture are but a fragment of all it contains.

He who receives a glimpse of its meaning will earn a glory that none may describe.

With those who seek that glimpse, God, your servant Nānak finds release. (1.1)

Through remembrance of the Lord one is freed from rebirth.

Through remembrance of the Lord death’s messenger flees.

Through remembrance of the Lord death itself succumbs.

Through remembrance of the Lord all enemies are scattered.

Through remembrance of the Lord all barriers fall.

Through remembrance of the Lord one remains alert.

Through remembrance of the Lord our fears are dispelled.

Through remembrance of the Lord all pain is relieved.

Through remembrance of the Lord one is numbered with the devout.

Steeped in remembrance of God’s divine Name,
we gather all the treasures which His grace supplies. (2.1)

Solace of all in need or anguish, Help of the helpless, dwelling within.

Remain with me forever, O Lord, for I cast myself on your grace.

When the time comes to leave this life, bereft of parents, sons and friends,

The Name of God goes with us, our comfort and support.

When Death’s dread messengers hover near, seeking to capture and destroy,

The Name alone stays by our side, our only sure protection.

When grievous problems weigh us down, the Name of God brings instant help.

Futile our acts of expiation; only the Name can cancel sin.

Repeat the Name as the guru directs, for this is the means to abundant joy. (1.2)

So many scriptures, I have searched them all.

None can compare to the priceless Name of God.

Better by far than any other way¹ is the act of repeating the perfect Name of God.

Better by far than any other rite is the cleansing of one’s heart in the company of the devout.

Better by far than any other skill is endlessly to utter the wondrous Name of God.

Better by far than any sacred text is hearing and repeating the praises of the Lord.

Better by far than any other place is the heart wherein

God is infinite, beyond all comprehending,

Yet he who repeats the Name will find himself set free.

Hear me, my friend, for I long to hear

The tale which is told in the company of the free.

Faces shine in the company of the faithful;

There, in their midst, sin’s filth is washed away.

Pride is conquered in the company of the faithful;

There in their midst, God’s wisdom stands revealed.

God dwells near in the company of the faithful;

In the calmness of their presence all doubt is laid to rest.

There one obtains that precious jewel, the Name,

And striving by their aid one finds that blissful peace with God.

Who can hope to utter the wonder of their glory,

The glory of the pure and true in union with the Lord. (1.7)

Man has no power to work his will, for power resides in God alone.

Helpless he follows as God directs; what pleases God must come to pass.

At times exalted, at times abased; now plunged in sorrow, then raised to joy.

Sometimes led to slander and blame; lifted to heaven and then cast down.

Sometimes blessed with wisdom divine, man comes to God in God’s own time. (5.11)

By the guru’s grace he perceives his nature, and in that knowledge sheds all desire.

He praises God in the company of the faithful and sets himself free from the body’s ills.

Singing God’s praises by day and by night,

He keeps himself pure though he lives with his family.²

He who puts trust in God alone shall tear the net which death has laid;

And he who craves the presence of God shall find all suffering stilled. (4.14)

Tell of his glory day and night, for the power to praise is the gift of God.

They who love Him with ardent devotion dwell rapt in the mystic presence divine.

Putting behind them all that is past they strive in the present to honor his will.

Who can hope to recount his glory? The least of his wonders must shame our art!

Fulfilled are they who day and night eternally dwell in the presence of the Lord. (7.17)

The guru leads and instructs his disciple, freely bestowing his grace;

Cleansing his mind of the refuse of falsehood, teaching him how to repeat the Name.

By the guru’s grace his bonds are severed; set free he renounces all that defiles.

The wealth of the Name is the gift of the guru, and he who receives it is wondrously blessed.

Saved by the guru both here and hereafter, he dwells with his Guide and Protector forever. (1.18)

Give heed to the words of the perfect Guru; see God ever present and near at hand.

Repeat God’s Name with every breath, for thus shall your cares depart.

Turn from the world of transient desire, seek the blessing the faithful bestow.

Abandon pride, put your trust in God; find the peace which their company brings.

Gather the treasures which God bestows and honor the perfect Guru. (1.24)

He who nurtures the Name within will find the Lord ever present there.

Gone forever the pain of rebirth, his precious soul in an instant freed.

Noble his actions, gracious his speech; his spirit merged in the blessed Name.

All suffering ended, all doubts, all fears; renowned for his faith and his virtuous deeds.

Raised to honor, wondrous his fame! Priceless the pearl, God’s glorious Name! (8.24)

Mundāvaṇī

In this dish three things are mingled—truth, contentment, deep reflection.³

With them mixed the Master’s Name, its nectar sweet sustaining all.

He who eats with lingering joy shall know the truth, his soul set free;

He who tastes will make this food his constant fare for evermore.

Darkness reigns, yet they who trust the all-fulfilling grace of God

Find beyond this sunless world God’s all-pervading light.

Shalok

Blind am I to all your deeds, my worth sustained by grace alone.

Base am I, devoid of virtue; grant your pitying mercy, Lord.

Grace, O Lord, and tender mercy brought me to the guru’s feet.

Finding there the blessed Name, my spirit blooms in joyous bliss.

1. Way-dharam (dharma): religious obligation, pattern of religious observance determined by one’s caste.

2. Traditional Hindu piety assumes that purity requires the renunciation of family ties. The Sikh view is that purity can be attained within the context of the family.

3. The “dish” is variously interpreted as the heart of the believer and the sacred scripture.