Japji Pauri 1

(1) One Single (oan-kaar) Entity, all encompassing in time and space (sat naam) known as Eternal, (karta) Creator, (purakh) all pervasive, (nir-bhau) without fear – does not favor any one for fear, (nir-vair) without enmity – holds nothing against any one, (akaal moorat) embodiment of timeless-ness and deathless-ness (ajooni) unborn and (sai-bhang) self existent – self created and self-sustaining, understood (gur prasaad-i) with the true Guru ‘s grace/guidance.

IT is Formless and Eternal.

Japji is titled Japu with a prologue of its own, 38 (Pauris) stanzas and a (Slok) epilogue.

॥ ਜਪੁ॥

The Baani or composition Japu.

ਆਦਿ ਸਚੁ ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਸਚੁ ॥ ਹੈ ਭੀ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੋਸੀ ਭੀ ਸਚੁ ॥੧॥

Ik Oankaar, (sach) the Eternal is (aad-i) the beginning of every thing i.e. has been present from time immemorial and (jugaad-i) is the beginning of time – has existed through the ages;
the Eternal (hai bhi) is present even now and (hosi bhi) shall also be ever present, says Nanak. 1.

In any composition the prologue is a preface or introduction to what follows. The first prologue – for the whole of SGGS – describes the virtues of the Eternal which the humans need to emulate. The rest of SGGS is an elaboration of this aspect and acts as a complete guide on all aspects of human life.

Before proceeding further it may be worthwhile to understand that the virtues described in the Mool Mantar cannot be of any one with physical form because all physical bodies are born and then perish. The Eternal thus does not have a physical form; IT is Formless.

The beauty of Japu is that every (Pauri) stanza or group of stanzas has a context which generally speaking is given in their last lines. If the context is known, understanding becomes easy. Let us take the first Pauri. Its context is:

ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ ॥
Kiv sacẖi▫ārā ho▫ī▫ai kiv kūrhai ṯutai pāl.

How can the wall of falsehood be broken so that one is (sachiaara) truthful i.e. presents the self as one really is. The message is that we would be judged not by pretense or rituals but the reality of one’s conduct.

Let us read the first Pauri in this context..

To be truthful one needs to be clean in thought, word and deed. But some people feel that one is cleansed by taking baths at pilgrim centers; the Guru says:

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥
Socẖai socẖ na hova▫ī je socẖī lakẖ vār.
The mind cannot (soch-i) be cleansed (sochai) by bathing the body even a (lakh) one hundred thousand (vaar) times.

We read in Sukhmani Sahib:
ਸੋਚ ਕਰੈ ਦਿਨਸੁ ਅਰੁ ਰਾਤਿ ॥ਮਨ ਕੀ ਮੈਲੁ ਨ ਤਨ ਤੇ ਜਾਤਿ ॥
Socẖ karai ḏinas ar rāṯ.Man kī mail na ṯan ṯe jāṯ. (page 265)
one may wash the body day and night, but the dirt on the mind cannot go by cleaning the body.

On to the second line:
It is also believed that peace of mind can be achieved by quietly sitting in meditation and reciting some mantra, but,

ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥
Cẖupai cẖup na hova▫ī je lā▫e rahā liv ṯār.

The mind (na hova-ee) cannot be (chup) quietened even (j-e) if I (laa-e rahaa) remain in (liv) concentration (taar) continuously – to show I am connected with the Eternal.

The fifth Guru tells us what things make the mind restless and need to be avoided:

ਪਰ ਧਨ ਪਰ ਤਨ ਪਰ ਤੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਅਖਾਧਿ ਖਾਹਿ ਹਰਕਾਇਆ ॥
Par ḏẖan par ṯan par ṯī ninḏā akẖāḏẖ kẖāhi harkā▫i▫ā.M: 5, p 402.

Viciously looking at others’ wealth and body/beauty, slander of others, and (eating the forbidden) taking undeserved benefits make one’s mind like a rabid dog – which runs all over.

These things need to avoided to be at peace.

To the third line:
Some people say that plenty of wealth gives peace of mind, but:

ਭੁਖਿਆ ਭੁਖ ਨ ਉਤਰੀ ਜੇ ਬੰਨਾ ਪੁਰੀਆ ਭਾਰ ॥
Bẖukẖi▫ā bẖukẖ na uṯrī je bannā purī▫ā bẖār.

(Bhukhia) those who crave, their (bhukh = appetite) desire for more is (na utri) not satiated even if they (banna = tie together) gather wealth equal to (bhaar) the weight of all (puria) the worlds.
The only way is to learn to be contented when one has enough to meet one’s needs, thus:

ਬਿਨਾ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਨਹੀ ਕੋਊ ਰਾਜੈ ॥
Binā sanṯokẖ nahī ko▫ū rājai. M: 5, p 279

No one is satiated without having the quality of contentment;

To the next line:
There are examples of people trying to impress others by their clever talk but,

ਸਹਸ ਸਿਆਣਪਾ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਤ ਇਕ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥
Sahas si▫āṇpā lakẖ hohi ṯa ik na cẖalai nāl.
One may (hohi) have (sahas) thousands nay (lakh) hundreds of thousands of (siaanpa = wisdoms) clever tricks, but even (ta) then not (ik) one (chalai naal-i) accompanies to the hereafter i.e. such a person does not impress the Eternal.

In fact any one who claims to be wise and clever is actually ignorant:

ਹਉ ਪੰਡਿਤੁ ਹਉ ਚਤੁਰੁ ਸਿਆਣਾ ॥ ਕਰਣੈਹਾਰੁ ਨ ਬੁਝੈ ਬਿਗਾਨਾ ॥੩॥

Ha▫o pandiṯ ha▫o cẖaṯur si▫āṇā.Karṇaihār na bujẖai bigānā. 3. M: 5, p 178.

One says” I am a scholar, clever and wise, never cares to find the Creator within and remains ignorant.

The next line asks: Then what is the solution?

ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ ॥
Kiv sacẖi▫ārā ho▫ī▫ai kiv kūrhai ṯutai pāl.

Question: How can the wall of falsehood be broken so that one is looked at as (sachiaara) truthful i.e. presenting the self as one really is.

The message is that we would be judged not by pretense or rituals but the reality of one’s conduct.

ਹੁਕਮਿ ਰਜਾਈ ਚਲਣਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੧॥
Hukam rajā▫ī cẖalṇā Nānak likẖi▫ā nāl. ||1||

Answer: One is seen as truthful if one (Chalna) conducts the self according to (likhia naal = given in writing on the consciousness) the preordained (hukam) Divine commands which are in the form of duties prescribed for the role/life form assigned and told to the soul. 1.

Note: The above commands form part of consciousness and known as conscience.