Walking with Nanak - जपजी साहिब !! इक ओंकार सतनाम !!

I am a student, a sikh in that term. Aspiring to walk with Nanak and hear through his words that reverberation of Onkar. Below is my journey to understand what Guru said as his first message - जपजी साहिब !! Please feel free to leave your comments/suggestions and help me in this journey of learning.

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हुकमी होवन आकार।। हुकमी न कहिया जाय।।

हुकमी होवन जीअ ।। हुकमी मिलै बड़िआई।।

हुकमी उत्तम नीचु।। हुकमी लिखि दुख सुख पाईअहि।।

 इकना हुकमी बख्शीस।।  इकि हुकमी सदा भवाईअहि।। 

हुकमी अंदर सभु को।।  बाहर हुकुम न कोय।। 

'नानक' हुकमी जे बुझे।। त ह्ऊ मैं कहे न कोय ।।२।।

Whatever is worthwhile in your life, you will find that words fall short of describing it. Then what to say about Hukum (the divine command, the cosmic law). It is best known to the silence. From it, has arisen the form as well as formless. It only grants you praise or name in this world. Under it's order, you get your share of happiness or sadness. And it keeps you ever entwined in the circles of life and death. No one is an exception for it. However, those who have unveiled it and known it, they have dropped the "I" and become one with it.

गावै को ताणु होवै किसै ताणु ॥ गावै को दाति जाणै नीसाणु ॥ 

गावै को गुण वडिआईआ चार ॥ गावै को विदिआ विखमु वीचारु ॥ 

गावै को साजि करे तनु खेह ॥ गावै को जीअ लै फिरि देह ॥

 गावै को जापै दिसै दूरि ॥ गावै को वेखै हादरा हदूरि ॥ 

कथना कथी न आवै तोटि ॥ कथि कथि कथी कोटी कोटि कोटि ॥ 

देदा दे लैदे थकि पाहि ॥ जुगा जुगंतरि खाही खाहि ॥

 हुकमी हुकमु चलाए राहु ॥ नानक विगसै वेपरवाहु ॥३॥

Some sing of his power, some of his gifts. Some sing praises of his glorious virtues and some talk about him with deep philosophical studies. Some sing that He fashions the body and then again reduces it to dust. Some sing that He is very far away and some say that He watches over us, face-to-face, ever present. There is no shortage of those who preach and teach. Millions upon millions offer millions of sermons and stories but who can, ever, complete His song that is like an endless ocean?  No words ever describe him, no songs ever sing all his songs.

He keeps on giving endlessly . Since ages we have been consuming. We may grow tired consuming but he is ever fresh and keeps giving more and more. His orders are always guiding our conscience. Even if we do not hear his guiding voice, he keeps on giving his orders and is not affected by us. He never loses his love and trust in us even if betray Him all the time. He blossoms forth, carefree and untroubled.

हुकमी हुकमु चलाए राहु। नानक विगसै बेपरवाहु।।

He is always showing us the way through his Hukum, which is our inner voice that keeps guiding us although we may keep ignoring it. We learn the books and forget to read this inner voice. We have lost connection with it. 

But He does not feel offended. He is ever happy, ever loving and is unaffected by our behaviour. He keeps on giving and never loses faith in us. Nanak says that He cares for us but is carefree too as He is not troubled by our response. Most of the times, we do not realize that he has blessed us with abundance, we go on asking and He keeps on giving it with both hands. He is happiness itself. 

We need to learn to hear that inner voice again and walk the path that he shows through those orders. He is always blossoming forth, giving us his unconditional love, carefree and untroubled.

साचा साहिबु साचा नाई। भाखिया भाउ अपारू ।।

आखहि मंगहि देहि देहि । दाति करे दातारू ।।

फेरि कि अगै रखीऐ । जितु दिसै दरबारू ।।

मुहौ कि बोलणु बोलीऐ । जितु सुणि धरे पिआरू ।।

अमृत वेला सचु नाउ । वडिआई वीचारू ।।

करमी आवे कपड़ा । नदरी माखु दुआरु ।।

'नानक' एवै जाणिए । सभु आपे सचिआरू ।।४।।

We have given different names to our connection with Him. In few faiths, we know Him as our father while in few, He becomes our beloved. Nanak has known him as Master and thus the seeker knows him as someone who gives, distributes his largesse ever while we keep on asking for more and more. It is a relation of love and surrender. Nanak says that each thing around - be it a sun, stars, trees, flowers, mountains or rivers,  birds, animals or any other being - is forever doing its duty towards him and is filled with gratitude towards the master. Then, what do we go and offer to him at his temple. Everything is already lying offered at his feet .Why to pluck a flower and offer when it is already offered?  What words should we speak that may bring us closer to him. Every word is already at His service.

Nanak says that in the moments of transition, feel his presence. That moment becomes full of nectar. These are the times when we transition from wakefulness to sleep and vice versa. We get our body because of our own doings but the doors to heaven will open only when His benevolent eyes will fall on us. Thus know Him as the only truth and live each moment as He wishes for you. Keep His thought alive in your hearts all the time, do not forget Him.

थापिया न जाइ कीता न होई।। आपे आप निरंजन सोइ।। 

जीनि सेविया तीनि पाइआ मानु।।  'नानक' गावीऐ गुणीनिधानु ।।

 गावीऐ सुणिऐ मनि राखिये भाउ।। दुख परहरि सुखु घर लै जाऊ ।।

गुरमुखि नादं गुरुमुखि वेदं।। गुरमुखि रहिआ समाई।। 

गुरु ईसरु गोरखु बरमा। गुरु पारबती माई।। 

जे हठ जाणा आखा नाहीं। कहणा कथनु न जाई।। 

गुरा एका देहि बुझाई -- सभना जीआ का इकु दाता। 

सो मैं विसरि न जाई।।५।।

We cannot establish him in temples, we can not build him in statues. He is immaculate, spotless and beyond our comprehension. Those who have served Him with their love and devotion have found Him. Sing him, hear him and remember him in each thing and in each moment. That will take you towards joy and bliss. Guru is who can take you to Him and He meets you through the eyes and voice of a Guru. Guru's word is the most sacred scripture. But even those who have known Him, cannot explain Him. He is beyond description. Nanak says there is one tip, one key to open the lock and that is - in each moment, with each breath, remember that He is the only truth and he pervades everything. Know him and see him in everyone and everything around you and do not forget Him at any moment.

तीरथि नावा जे तिसु पावा, विणु भाणे कि नाई करी।।

 जेति सिरठि उपाई वेखा, विणु करमा कि मिलै लई।। 

मति बिच रतन जवाहर माणिक, जे इक गुरु की सिख सुणी।।

 गुरा एका देहि बुझाई -- सभना जीआ का इकु दाता।। 

सो मैं विसरि न जाई।।६।।

If I become endeared to Him, then that's my pilgrimage. If I am not dear to him, what's the use of any ritual cleansing. It may only increase my pride in my works. Look around the entire creation, it requires one to act, to work for getting something. But He is beyond any of your actions or works. You cannot become his endeared so easily. If you can imbibe the teaching of Guru, then your mind will shine like various gems and you will see the path. Guru has shown the path by giving one key to His door and that is - "Know him and see him in everyone and everything around you and do not forget Him at any moment". Remember him with each breath, sing him with each word, see him in everything with your eyes and do not let him go away from your thoughts for any moment.

जे जुग चारे आरजा।। होर दसूणी होई।।

नवा खंडा विचि जाणीऐ।। नालि चलै सभु कोई।।

चंगा नाउ रखाइके।। जसु कीरति जगि लेइ ।।

जे तिसु नदर न आवई।। ते बात न पुछै केइ।।

कीटा अंदर कीटु करि।। दोसी दोसु धरे।।

'नानक' निरगुणि गुणु करे।। गुणुवंतिआ गुणु दे।।

तेहा कोई न सुझई।। जि तिसु गुणु कोई करे।।७।।

Even if you could live throughout the four ages,  or even ten times more, 

Even if you were known throughout the nine continents and followed by all, with a good name and reputation, with praise and fame throughout the world

Still, if He does not bless you with His Glance of Grace, then who cares? What is the use?

One, who is devoid of him, gets held in contempt even by the sinners and gets treatment of a lowly worm amongst the worms. 

If you feel Him with every breath, if you become endeared to Him, with one glance of His, your vices fall away and your trove gets filled with numerous virtues. There is no one like him who can transform your being in just one moment..

Know him and see him in everyone and everything around you and do not forget Him at any moment. Pray for His one glance on you.

पाताला पाताल लख आगासा आगास ।

ओड़क ओड़क भालि थके वेद कहनि इक बात ।।

सहस अठारह कहनि कतेबा असुलु इकु धातु ।

लेखा होइ त लिखिए लेखै होइ विनसु ।।

नानक बड़ा आखीऐ आपे जाणै आप ।।२२।।

There are countless skies and unfathomable number of lower worlds. Many yearned to find the end of this creation but couldn't. 

it is an endless creation but there is only One that joins it all. That One is invisible but he pervades in everything. 

Nothing can be written about him as all writings are ephemeral. You will not be able to know him from outside. 

You have to do this apparent endless journey of search and exhaustion, prayer and love, devotion and patience - and yearn to be one with Him to know him.