In the previous section we tried to bring out the truth to the Sangat about what is a Shabad Guru (Knowledge Of God) and what is a Pargatyeo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani (Manifested Light Of God In a perfect God-conscious person) and the relationship with the two. In this section we are trying to explain another truth – who is greater, the Shabad Guru or the Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani, based on the divine knowledge of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Please look at these words with a fresh and open mind, we are hopeful that it will help you understand this absolute and pure truth and hopefully you will benefit from this.
The combination of a soul and Shabad Guru makes a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani, this means the combination of divine knowledge and a soul makes a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani. That is what our Ten Gurus did and that is what they became by combining their souls with Shabad Guru they became Pargateyo Jyot – Puran Brahmgiani. But this is a Gurparsadi Game, first of all Guru Nanak Patshah’s Guru was Akal Purakh Himself and he received His Gurparsadi Naam from Akal Purakh, then He became a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani Himself.
Then came Bhai Lehna Ji who was instituted by Guru Nanak Patshah with Gurparsadi Naam and subsequently blessed and elevated to the level of a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani Satguru, and like that Guru Ram Dass ji became a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani Satguru. It continued like that until the Tenth Guru. Let us think for a moment – who brought the Shabad Guru on this Earth? It was Guru Nanak Patshah who brought the Shabad Guru on this earth and He was a Puran Brahmgiani. This means that a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani Guru Nanak Patshah brought the Shabad Guru on this earth for us.
The entire Shabad Guru – Guru Granth Sahib was written by the Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani Satgurus. According to Gurbani a Pargateyo Jyot – Puran Brahmgiani is the Roop (physical form) of Akal Purakh. He is the custodian of Anmolak Rattan (Pricelss jewel)– Gurparsadi Naam. Then who is bigger Akal Purakh’s Pargateyo Jyot Roop (God’s Light manifested in a person) or His Gyan Saroop Shabad Guru (Knowledge of God)?
When a soul becomes a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani thereby becoming a Roop of Akal Purakh, then there remains no difference between Akal Purakh and the Pargateyo Jyot, then who is bigger the Shabad Guru or Akal Purakh Himself? When a Puran Brahmgiani is himself God –
The God-conscious being is himself the Formless Lord.
The glory of the God-conscious being belongs to the God-conscious being alone.
O Nanak, the God-conscious being is the Lord of all. ||8||8||
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Then who is bigger? God who is stting fully manifested in the God-conscious person is sending the divine knowledge. So who is bigger the Creator of the knowledge or His created knowledge? Kabir Ji asks the same question :
Are the Vedas (Scriptures) greater, or the One from which they came? ||2||
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And the answer is God is bigger than His scriptures:
He is beyond the world of the Vedas, the Koran and the Bible (i.e. all scriptures).
The Supreme King of Nanak is here right now and manifest. ||4||3||105||
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God is Infinite and NOT in the Scriptures or even in this world, but BEYOND THAT. Why are we foolishly limiting GOD to being in Holy Books. The only place God manifests inside His creation is in the heart of His saint. The Supreme King of Nanak was manifest right here right now in his heart. That is the meaning of living Guru.
Obviously if we look at the truth and accept the truth whole heartedly then we will realize that a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani being the Roop of Akal Purakh is a living God on this earth, is definitely greated than the Shabad Guru. The Creator of Shabad Guru is definitely bigger than the Shabad Guru. The Light of God inside the ten Gurus was greater than the Shabad Guru. So too is any other Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani Sada Suhagan Sant is bigger than Shabad Guru, because He is the custodian of Shabad Guru.
The Shabad Guru tells us who can give us Gurparsadi Naam but it itself can’t give us a Gurparsadi Naam. Only a Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani can give us Gurparsadi Naam and salvation. Only the one who has God’s light imanifested inside them can ignite another person via the Naam. Shabad Guru tells us where and how to get salvation, but can’t alone give us salvation. A Pargateyo Jyot Puran Brahmgiani has all the spiritual powers of Akal Purakh at His disposal and can help the Sangat achieve salvation. A Pargateyo Jyot Brahmgiani Himself is a Shabad Guru and Nirankar, so that is why a Pargateyo Jyot is bigger and more powerful than Shabad Guru alone.
Like a famous poet has said – “Child is the father of a man”, so has been described in Gurbani about the pious relationship between Akal Purakh and His Bhagat. Paar Braham Parmeshwar loves His Bhagats so much that he is their father, mother and son as well –
bhagath janaa(n) har maa(n) pio baettaa ||
For bhagats (saints,) God is their mother, father and son all in one.
Bhai Gurdaas Ji Vaar 10
That means that He gives the love of a father and mother to His Bhagat and asks for the love of a Bhagat as the son of the Bhagat. Almighty considers a Bhagat as His mother and father, and calls Himself as a son of the Bhagat. He loves His Bhagats so much that he bows before a Sant
ham sa(n)than kee raen piaarae ham sa(n)than kee saranaa ||
I am the dust of the feet of the Beloved Saints; I seek the Protection of their Sanctuary.
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Almighty loves His Bhagats so much that He gives more spiritual power to the Bhagat than He keeps Himself
God says (to Sant Naam Dayv): “my slave is devoted only to me; he is in my very image.
The sight of him, even for an instant, cures the three fevers;
his touch brings liberation from the deep dark pit of household affairs. ||1||Pause||
The devotee can release anyone from my bondage,
but I cannot release anyone from his.
If, at any time, he grabs and binds me, even then, I cannot protest. ||1||
I am bound by virtue; I am the Life of all. My slaves are my very life
O Naam Dayv, as is the quality of my slave’s soul, so is my love which illuminates him. ||2||3|”
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The Sant’s words have been given a higher authority over His own words. The Sant has been given the spiritual power to change Akal Purakh’s Hukam, but Akal Purakh Himself can’t change a Sant’s Hukam. The Sant is the one who ties both the ends – one that of the Dargah and the other that of this world, when He brings down the Gurparsadi Game to play among His Sangat
He Himself is the Master of both worlds.
He plays and He enjoys; He is the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts.
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God is overpowered by the Bhagat’s love for Him, and the Bhagat wins over everything God has and becomes more powerful than God Himself in this world, by becoming a living God in this world. The Bhagat gives everything He has to the Akal Purakh and in turn Akal Purakh gives Him back more than all He has. This what is a Gurparsadi Game and in this game of love, the Sant becomes greater than Akal Purakh in this world, but still remains a Dassan Das (Slave Of God’s Slaves)s –
The God-conscious being is the dust of all.
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The Sant yet remains the lowest of the lowest of the lowest of all creation and in all the ages.
Dassan Das (Slave Of God’s Slaves)