Ik Onkaar SatNaam SatGurParsaad.
We all have heard about the Shabad Guru. However, what does it really mean or it implies is poorly explained or understood. This word i.e. the Shabad has been used hundreds/thousands of times in the SGGS. So what or which is this Shabad that has been emphasized so much in the SGGS. Let us first look at the following:
ਅਖਰੀ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਖਰੀ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥
Akẖrī nām akẖrī sālāh.
ਅਖਰੀ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਗੀਤ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਹ ॥
Akẖrī gi▫ān gīṯ guṇ gāh. page 4
ਗੁਰਮਤੀ ਘਟਿ ਚਾਨਣਾ ਸਬਦਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਉ ॥੨॥
Gurmaṯī gẖat cẖānṇā sabaḏ milai har nā▫o. ||2|| Page 30
Through the Guru’s Teachings one finds the light of wisdom and Through the Shabad, the Name of the Lord is received. ||2||
ਸਬਦੇ ਹੀ ਨਾਉ ਊਪਜੈ ਸਬਦੇ ਮੇਲਿ ਮਿਲਾਇਆ ॥
Sabḏe hī nā▫o ūpjai sabḏe mel milā▫i▫ā.
Through the Shabad, the Naam takes birth and one finds Lord’s Union.
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਏਕੋ ਸਬਦੁ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੨॥
Amriṯ eko sabaḏ hai Nānak gurmukẖ pā▫i▫ā. ||2|| page 644
The Ambrosial Nectar is in One Shabad and ; O Nanak, only a Gurmukhs obtains it.
It really says that the Naam of the Lord will be recieved in the form of a Word/Shabad comprised of the letters from the alphabet and the praise of Lord, acquiring the wisdom, and the singing of holy hymns/songs are all carried out using the letters/words. However, only one Shabad is the source of Amrit and the one who has surrendered to the Gur i.e. gurmukh drinks it or obtains it. By meditating With “The Shabad” one will get united with the Lord.
ਪਵਨ ਅਰੰਭੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮਤਿ ਵੇਲਾ॥ page 943
ਸਬਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਧੁਨਿ ਚੇਲਾ ॥
ਸਾਚੇ ਤੇ ਪਵਨਾ ਭਇਆ ਪਵਨੈ ਤੇ ਜਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
Sācẖe ṯe pavnā bẖa▫i▫ā pavnai ṯe jal ho▫e. page 19
ਆਪੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੈ ਆਪੁ ਸਾਜਿਓ ਆਪੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੈ ਰਚਿਓ ਨਾਉ ॥
page 463
The True Being/Creator created itself and its Naam.
At the beginning, in the conscious of Sat Gur/Purakh/Lord the vibrations of sound were at play, then the Shabad was spoken and air/breath was created. The resulting enchanting melody in the air created the mist and the basis of life i.e. the father of all life Water. Guru is what makes one realize or make it happen, like bringing out the hidden God from inside the human body. That is why the Shabad and air are called the Guru in the SGGS because they were at the base of creation. Lord created the creation and embedded itself/Naam in the creation. To look for this Shabad we do not have to go to far. The One Creator “Satnaam”, the self-exist ant Primal being who is fearless, without enmity, beyond the cycle of life & death and does all sorts of things. This Satnaam shabad was given to Guru Nanak ji by the Gur. Babba ji was also recieved the Hukam to recite or meditate the same Shabad i.e. SATNAAM. Do not forget everything weather visible or not visible, the shabad, the air, the water all is SAT Purakh( True Being)/Lord because it came into existence out of nothing i.e. Sun Samadh.
ਸਬਦੈ ਸਾਦੁ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਨਾਮਿ ਨ ਲਗੋ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
Sabḏai sāḏ na ā▫i▫o nām na lago pi▫ār. page 594
O my friend you could not develop a taste for the Shabad and that’s why you were not able to find the Naam lovely.
ਸੁਣਿ ਸਿਖਿਐ ਸਾਦੁ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਜਿਚਰੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਨ ਲਾਗੈ ॥
Suṇ sikẖi▫ai sāḏ na ā▫i▫o jicẖar gurmukẖ sabaḏ na lāgai.
Hearing the teachings one would not develop the taste as long as he has not become a Gurmukh and is not meditating the Shabad.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਸੇਵਿਐ ਨਾਮੁ ਮਨਿ ਵਸੈ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਭਉ ਭਾਗੈ ॥
Saṯgur sevi▫ai nām man vasai vicẖahu bẖaram bẖa▫o bẖāgai. page 590
By serving the True Guru, the Naam comes to reside in the mind and the illusions/doubts/fear vanish.
ਤੇਰਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਤੂੰਹੈ ਹਹਿ ਆਪੇ ਭਰਮੁ ਕਹਾਹੀ ॥
Ŧerā sabaḏ ṯūʼnhai hėh āpe bẖaram kahāhī. page 162
Your Shabad/Naam are Yourself, Where is any doubt?
ਏਕੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਕਥਾ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
Ėk sabaḏ jiṯ kathā vīcẖārī.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਅਗਨਿ ਨਿਵਾਰੀ ॥੪੪॥
Gurmukẖ ha▫umai agan nivārī. ||44|| page 943
The Gurmukh who recites the One Shabad will be able to put out the fire of egotism. ||44||
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਦਾਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਉ ॥
Gur kā sabaḏ ḏārū har nā▫o. page 1189
Gur Shabad, Lord’s Naam are the medicine.
ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਧੁਨਿ ਆਪੇ ॥
Har āpe sabaḏ suraṯ ḏẖun āpe. page 165
The Lord Himself is the Shabad, the awareness and the sound.
ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮਿ ਮਨੁ ਬੇਧਿਆ ਅਵਰੁ ਕਿ ਕਰੀ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
Rām nām man beḏẖi▫ā avar kė karī vīcẖār.
ਸਬਦ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਰਾਤਉ ਸੁਖ ਸਾਰੁ ॥
sabaḏ suraṯ sukẖ ūpjai parabẖ rāṯa▫o sukẖ sār. page 62
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵੇ ਸੋ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਏ ਜਿਨ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਮਾਰੀ ॥
Saṯgur seve so sukẖ pā▫e jin ha▫umai vicẖahu mārī.
One who serves the True Guru and eradicates egotism from within, finds peace.
ਨਾਨਕ ਪੜਣਾ ਗੁਨਣਾ ਇਕੁ ਨਾਉ ਹੈ ਬੂਝੈ ਕੋ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥੧॥
Nānak paṛ▫ṇā gunṇā ik nā▫o hai būjẖai ko bīcẖārī. ||1|| page 1246
Nanak ji says for reading/praising the Lord there is only Naam however one get the awareness by understanding.
ਨਾਉ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਧਿਆਈਐ ਛੋਡਹੁ ਦੁਨੀ ਪਰੀਤਾ ॥
Nā▫o parbẖāṯai sabaḏ ḏẖi▫ā▫ī▫ai cẖẖodahu ḏunī parīṯā. page 1330
One should Meditate on the Naam Shabad every morning before dawn and leave the worldly entanglements behind.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਨਾਦੁ ਸਬਦ ਧੁਨਿ ਸਚੁ ਰਾਮੈ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇਦਾ ॥
Nānak nirmal nāḏ sabaḏ ḏẖun sacẖ rāmai nām samā▫iḏā. ||17||5||17|| page 1038
Nanak ji says with the immaculate sound/Music and reciting of the Shabad, one gets into the True Naam.
ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਸਚੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਚਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੧॥
Pūre gur ṯe nām pā▫i▫ā jā▫e,Sacẖai sabaḏ sacẖ samā▫e. ||1|| page 560
One obtains the Naam from a perfect Guru and by reciting the True Shabad, one merges in the True Lord. ||1||
ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਧਿਆਇ ਤੂ ਸਚਿ ਲਗੀ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥੧॥
Gur kai sabaḏ ḏẖi▫ā▫e ṯū sacẖ lagī pi▫ār. ||1|| rahā▫o. page 994
Meditate on the Guru’s Shabad, only then you will love the True Being. ||1||Pause||
ਗੁਰੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਦਿੜਾਵੈ ਰੰਗ ਸਿਉ ਬਿਨੁ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਲਇਆ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
Gur sabaḏ ḏiṛāvai rang si▫o bin kirpā la▫i▫ā na jā▫e. page 65
Without His Grace, one cannot obtain and recite the Gur Shabad with love.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਲਾਹਿ ਸਦਾ ਤੂ ਸਚੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਮਾਹਿ ॥੪॥
Nānak nām salāhi saḏā ṯū sacẖai sabaḏ samāhi. ||4||4||page 1334
Nanak ji says, sing the Naam of the Lord forever and you will merge in the Truth with The Shabad. ||4||4||
ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨਾ ਸਭੁ ਝੂਠੁ ਪਰਾਨੀ ॥Nām binā sabẖ jẖūṯẖ parānī. page 890
Without Naam everything is false
ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨਾ ਸਭ ਝੂਠੁ ॥Har ke nām binā sabẖ jẖūṯẖ. page 1151
Without Lords name everytning is false
ਨਾਨਕ ਗਲਾ ਝੂਠੀਆ ਸਚਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥੧॥Nānak galā jẖūṯẖī▫ā sacẖā nām samāl. ||1|| page 1089
All the talk is false, hold onto the True Name
God is truth, Truth is God and true is Lords Name/Naam. Page after page the SGGS tells us that everything else is illusion/false/short lived or will vanish. Only the True Being and his Naam was there from the begining, has been through the ages and will be there forever. To merge with the embodiment of truth, one has to do, live, practice, think the truth. For that one need to meditate the Naam Shabad. However, it can only be obtained by the grace/blessing. Only a few has recieved it directly through the Concious, for others SGGS says can be obtained through the blessings of a Saint/Sant, Jan( the one who always, wake or sleep or working is tuned to Naam), Satguru.
In essence Naam is True Shabad and Guru.
Only those who will meditate on The Shabad, Gur Shabad, True Shabad which is Naam will be able to get the awareness/understanding in the concious, win over the mind, obtain the divine wisdom and merge with the Truth/True Being. Only the ones with the pure mind will be able to find the Lord in “The Shabad”.
This writing was possible only with the blessings of Guru Gur. This I/Me can do nothing. We wrote as it came into the concious. We write/dance/listen as You wish. Nothing is mine, i am nothing.
Rajinder Chahal