Pauris 1 and 2 of Japji describe the need to obey Hukam, the Divine commands which manifest as the laws of nature. Hukam can be obeyed if we know what it is. It is not easy for an ordinary mortal to know this and he (or she) has to seek the guidance of the guru. Seeking this awakening is also the purpose of religious practices, some times called prayer.

A prayer is a supplication made to a higher authority, the highest being God. It is human nature to link all prayer with personal ‘demands’. In other words religious practices are thought to be for seeking benedictions from God. People keep asking and the beneficent Master keeps giving until the recipients can take no more. But this is not what religion is about. Religion is a way of life; it should teach a way such as to deserve love of the Divine. This is the subject of Pauris 3 and 4 and involves two stages. They are remembrance of God’s virtues for starters (Pauri 3) and contemplation looking for experience (Pauri 4). Pauri 4 also says that salvation is received through grace. Grace can be deserved through one’s deeds.

Pauri 3 says that initially people think of God according to the perception of each. This is how:

ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਤਾਣੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਕਿਸੈ ਤਾਣੁ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਦਾਤਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਨੀਸਾਣੁ ॥

Some praise God’s powers or when they want a blessing;

Some praise taking the blessings received as signs of God’s powers.

ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਗੁਣ ਵਡਿਆਈਆ ਚਾਰ ॥

Some praise marveling at the beauteous virtues of God.

ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਵਿਦਿਆ ਵਿਖਮੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥

Some praise through difficult- to- acquire knowledge about the Divine.

ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਸਾਜਿ ਕਰੇ ਤਨੁ ਖੇਹ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਜੀਅ ਲੈ ਫਿਰਿ ਦੇਹ ॥

Some praise God as one who creates bodies and then destroys them;

Some praise seeing God’s powers to take life and then restore it.

ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਜਾਪੈ ਦਿਸੈ ਦੂਰਿ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਵੇਖੈ ਹਾਦਰਾ ਹਦੂਰਿ ॥

Some (caught in attachments to wealth and family) perceive God far away, beyond reach and not watching;

Others praise perceiving God present right before them.

ਕਥਨਾ ਕਥੀ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਤੋਟਿ ॥ ਕਥਿ ਕਥਿ ਕਥੀ ਕੋਟੀ ਕੋਟਿ ਕੋਟਿ ॥

In short there is no dearth of perceptions about God;

Countless people describe them countless times in countless ways.

If benedictions are what they have in mind:

ਦੇਦਾ ਦੇ ਲੈਦੇ ਥਕਿ ਪਾਹਿ ॥ ਜੁਗਾ ਜੁਗੰਤਰਿ ਖਾਹੀ ਖਾਹਿ ॥

God keeps giving even though the recipients get tired of receiving;

They benefit from the benedictions all the time.

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਚਲਾਏ ਰਾਹੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਵਿਗਸੈ ਵੇਪਰਵਾਹੁ ॥੩॥

Going beyond that:

The Master lays down the path for every one;

But then remains happily carefree (leaving them their deeds. 3.

This is fascinating; the Creator makes each soul know that it is to obey Hukam but does not get involved in their execution. Indeed no one is able to fully describe how God does things.

The practice of Gaavai i.e. praising God has been elaborated in Pauri 27. It describes praising of God as carrying out the roles for which different creatures or things have been created. For example:

ਗਾਵਹਿ ਤੁਹਨੋ ਪਉਣੁ ਪਾਣੀ ਬੈਸੰਤਰੁ ਗਾਵੈ ਰਾਜਾ ਧਰਮੁ ਦੁਆਰੇ ॥

The air, water, fire and Dharam Rai all praise You.

(Dharam Rai is the metaphorical presenter who reports the deeds of every one before God).

This means doing one’s duties, or performing one’s role as expected, is the real remembrance of God. This emphasizes the age- old adage of “Work is worship” but there is a rider; the work must be to obey Hukam, not based on extraneous considerations. Accordingly like the third Pauri the 27^th Pauri also ends with emphasizing living by Hukam, thus:

ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋਈ ਕਰਸੀ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਕਰਣਾ ਜਾਈ ॥

ਸੋ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੁ ਸਾਹਾ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਹਣੁ ਰਜਾਈ ॥੨੭॥

The Master does as It wills and does not receive orders from any where else;

It is the King of Kings; Its writ runs all over;

Man must live according to Its will, the laws of nature. 27.

This theme of knowing God through obedience to Hukam continues throughout SGGS. For example he fifth Guru says:

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿਨਿ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਤਾ ॥

ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕਾ ਤਿਨਿ ਭੇਦੁ ਜਾਤਾ ॥੫॥੯॥ 885

One, who understands Hukam, knows about the Master (M: 5, p 885).

The real understanding about God comes through living by Hukam, the laws of nature i.e. living naturally. Just reciting some mantras or resorting to performance of rituals like making offerings is only following the crowd. In order that Hukam can be followed one must understand it. This comes through contemplation on Naam i.e. the Divine virtues and laws of nature. It helps demolish the wall of transitory pleasures and enables the soul to be like God again. This way the soul lovingly remembers God and is in turn blessed with Divine love to ultimately unite with God. This is the context of Pauri 4:

ਸਾਚਾ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸਾਚੁ ਨਾਇ ਭਾਖਿਆ ਭਾਉ ਅਪਾਰੁ ॥

The eternal Master is characterized by eternal virtues; they are described by those who have unqualified love for the Master.

ਆਖਹਿ ਮੰਗਹਿ ਦੇਹਿ ਦੇਹਿ ਦਾਤਿ ਕਰੇ ਦਾਤਾਰੁ ॥

If benedictions is all man wants the beneficent One gives in plenty.

Question:

ਫੇਰਿ ਕਿ ਅਗੈ ਰਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਦਿਸੈ ਦਰਬਾਰੁ ॥

ਮੁਹੌ ਕਿ ਬੋਲਣੁ ਬੋਲੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਸੁਣਿ ਧਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥

Do we need to make an offering to have a vision of God?

What prayer should we say hearing which we receive Divine love?

Answer:

ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵੇਲਾ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਉ ਵਡਿਆਈ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥

Contemplate on Divine virtues in the ambrosial hours of the morning.

The interesting transition from praising in words in the third Pauri to contemplation in the fourth would be noticed. Contemplation enables understanding. Once we praise virtues we start loving the One being praised and are motivated to emulate those virtues. We then become God- like and can hope to receive Divine love.

Now what does becoming God like mean if God does not have any physical existence? It indicates that when man follows the laws of nature he starts acting naturally and carries out his role without any reservations. His mind then becomes like the Spirit which is the source of all laws of nature. This is the high state of receiving grace. With this grace the soul merges in God. It no longer incarnates and becoming free from the cycles of birth and death. This freedom is called Mokh or Mukti both meaning freedom from the cycles of reincarnation, or salvation.

Continuing with the fourth Pauri:

ਕਰਮੀ ਆਵੈ ਕਪੜਾ ਨਦਰੀ ਮੋਖੁ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥

Man receives human birth because of past deeds but salvation is obtained by grace.

When one owns up the laws of nature, he finds them applicable every where which indicates that the Spirit is all pervasive. This how we perceive to be all pervasive:

ਨਾਨਕ ਏਵੈ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਸਭੁ ਆਪੇ ਸਚਿਆਰੁ ॥੪॥

This is how one perceives the eternal Master present every where. 4.

This is the experience that enables man to act in God- consciousness wherever he may be. The soul becomes God-like again.