Let us make a very humble and sincere effort to understand what a Brahmgiani (God-conscious being) is. Here it is extremely important to mention that if we the Sangat are able to understand and believe what Gurbani says about a Brahmgiani, then we are sure to benefit and advance in our spiritual journey to Sach Khand. The key is a full and complete understanding and belief, which will lead us to commitment and dedication, which are the mandatory elements of Puran Bhagtee (perfect loving devotion). The divine description of all the divine qualities of a Brahmgiani have been very nicely presented in the 8th Ashtpadi (Canto) of Sukhmani by Guru Arjun Dev ji the fifth Guru. Infact Brahmgiani is the highest spiritual condition – Atmik Awastha that a person can achieve. Such a high spiritual condition can only be achieved by the blessings of the Akal Purakh, and such blessings are bestowed by Him on very rare souls. Or in other words such souls are very rare who are blessed with such a high spiritual condition where there remains no difference between Almighty and such a soul. Such souls are full of divine qualities, which have been described in the 8th Ashtpadi of Sukhmani.
Shalok:
The True One is on his mind, and the True One is upon his lips.
He sees only the One.
O Nanak, these are the qualities of the Brahm Giani (God-conscious) being. ||1||
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The BrahmGiani is the person :
- whose soul and mind have become completely truthful,
- who is serving nothing but only truth, sees the truth, listens to the truth,
- whose every action and reaction is truthful,
- who is is serving the Akal Purakh Paar Braham Parmeshwar,
- who is all the time engaged in the praise and service of the Almighty,
- who has attained complete and full divine knowledge and divinity.
- who sees God is everywhere and in every one – that is what the real truth is, everything else is just perishable.
Ashtapadee:
The God-conscious being is always unattached,
as the lotus in the water remains detached.
The God-conscious being is always unstained,
like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all.
The God-conscious being looks upon all alike,
like the wind, which blows equally upon the king and the poor beggar.
The God-conscious being has a steady patience,
like the earth, which is dug up by one, and anointed with sandal paste by another.
This is the quality of the God-conscious being:
O Nanak, his inherent nature is like a warming fire. ||1||
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A Brahmgiani is always clean from inside out, just like a lotus flower, which grows in a dirty muddy water and still stays bright, shining and clean of the dirt around it. In the same way living in this dark age of Kalyug, with so much dirt hanging around in the entire word (promoted by the deep mental sicknesses created by Panj Doots (5 thieves – ego , anger, greed, lust, selfish attachments), Nindya (slander), Chugli (gossip), Bakhili(back-biting), Asa(hopes), Trishna(all-consuming desires) and Mansha(wishes), Raj(kingdom), Zoban (youth), Dhan(wealth), Maal, Roop (beauty), Ras (worldy pleasures) and Gandh(filth).
A Brahmgiani stays clean from inside out. His mind and soul is always stable and nothing can distract Him from serving the truth. He is like a sun, which absorbs all the darkness and lightens up the entire universe with its unlimited light. So does a Brahmgiani whose inside is enlightened with divine light, takes away all the darkness of the mind and soul, and all the sins are diminished with the Braham Parkash.
A Brahmgiani is like air (air is said to be one of the first and foremost creations of Akal Purakh and is termed as Pawan Guru in Gurbani, it is the most essential element of life on this earth, so its importance should be understood in the right perspective). The Brahmgiani like the air doesn’t discriminate anybody or anything whatsoever it may be, it reaches all of us equally.
He is a single vision, for Him all are equal, for Him a king or a beggar are same, there is no difference between sorrow and happiness for Him, there is no difference between gold and soil for Him, means He is always in complete stability, nothing can distract Him for moving on the path of truth.
He is always in a stage of full contentment, not shaken by any acts around Him, He is as unaffected by the worldly affairs as is the earth in this universe. This means his truthful hirda becomes so big and Dana Dina, he gets the power to remain silent under all circumstances.
Brahmgiani is like a fire which burns everything by its very nature, likewise all the sin thoughts, all the distractions, doubts, dubidha, bharams, all of the Panj Doots, and other such mental sicknesses disappear in the presence of such an enlightened soul.
The God-conscious being is the purest of the pure;
filth does not stick to water.
The God-conscious being’s mind is enlightened,
like the sky above the earth.
To the God-conscious being, friend and foe are the same.
The God-conscious being has no egotistical pride.
The God-conscious being is the highest of the high.
Within his own mind, he is the most humble of all.
They alone become God-conscious beings,
O Nanak, whom God Himself makes so. ||2||
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Brahmgiani is absolutely clean, pure and pious inside out. He is like water, which washes all the dirt of anything whatsoever it may be, eventually it evaporates to stay in its pure form, similarly a Brahmgiani washes all the dirt of our minds and soul, the dirt that has accumulated on our soul and mind from all previous lives, and still stays absolutely clean, pure and pious in its original form completely enlightened with Braham Gyan and Puran Parkash.
His spiritual heart (hirda) and soul always remain lighted by the Almighty like a sun keeps the entire universe lighted with its profound light. Infact a Puran Brahmgiani who resides in Paar Braham Khand will have His Hirda lighted with as much divine light – equivalent up to 21 suns. A Brahmgiani doesn’t have any enemies, for Him everybody is equal, He sees everyone with a single vision, He doesn’t consider anybody as His enemy.
The Brahmgiani is full of complete humbleness at all the times. His mind and soul are always deep down to earth. He considers Himself as the dust of the feet of the entire universe – Kot Brahamand, this quality of extreme humbleness makes Him spiritually very high in the Dargah of Paar Braham Parmeshwar. Only such a person can reach this level of spirituality and become a Brahmgiani who is blessed by Akal Purakh Himself. In other words Almighty Himself creates a Brahmgiani for the benefit of the Sangat.
The God-conscious being is the dust of all.
The God-conscious being knows the nature of the soul.
The God-conscious being shows kindness to all.
No evil comes from the God-conscious being.
The God-conscious being is always impartial.
Nectar rains down from the glance of the God-conscious being.
The God-conscious being is free from entanglements.
The lifestyle of the God-conscious being is spotlessly pure.
Spiritual wisdom is the food of the God-conscious being.
O Nanak, the God-conscious being is absorbed in God’s meditation. ||3||
The Brahmgiani always remain very humble, he is so humble that He remains the dust of the feet of all of the Sangat. Infact he remains as the dust of the feet of entire universe, for Him everybody else is higher than Him. This quality of extreme humbleness comes only when one’s ego – “Ahankaar” completely vanishes, and this is the key to the Braham Khand (purest part of the realm of Truth Sach Khand) – where a Puran Brahmgiani resides in the charans of Akal Purakh. That is why he recognizes Atam Rus – which is higher than the highest Amrit – Naam Amrit. The Atam Rus is the Param Jyot Puran Parkash – Nirgun Saroop of Akal Purakh and only a Brahmgiani can see and feel it. That is why Khalsa is a Puran Brahmgiani – because according to the tenth Guru Guru Gobind Singh Ji –
Atam Rus Jeh Janye So Hi Khalas Dev,Prabh Meh Moh Meh Taas Meh Ranchak Nahin Bhed.
The Brahmgiani showers every one with complete happiness. His face, mind and soul will always remain in complete happiness and He showers this happiness whosoever comes in contact with Him. He never thinks and does bad to anyone. His Hirda is full of divine love for everyone, and never sees anybody with hatred. There is no hatred in His Hirda at all, He loves everyone as much as He loves the Creator. He is always very kind to everybody – Dana Dina, due to His highest divine quality of single vision. This means he looks at the entire universe with a single vision, one pure and pious thought, one and only one true thought. And that is always with an objective of diminishing the suffering of the others, provide the Sangat with His blessings and help them move on the path to salvation.
His eyes are always full of Amrit – Puran Parkash and He showers this Amrit on whosoever comes to His Sangat. The Brahmgiani is free from all the ties that are created by the Maya. He is not effected by anything that happens around Him. He is above all the worldly ties – Bandhans, whether these are family ties, social ties, or other relations, cast and creed, dharm and karam, in a nutshell nothing can come in between Him and the Creator.
He always stays in complete stability of soul and mind and nothing can distract Him. All His actions and reactions, deeds, and His lifestyle is always pure and pious, all his deeds are truthful. He is always serving the truth. The food for his soul and mind is only the divine knowledge. He is always engaged in distributing this divine knowledge – Brahm Gian that keeps on continuously flowing in to Him from the Almighty.
Basically there is a direct connection of all His five senses at all the times with the Akal Purakh, and whatever he speaks is absolute truth, and are the words of Almighty Himself. By virtue of this divinely blessed quality, he is always one on one with Paar Braham Parmeshwar. His soul and mind are always connected to the Creator.
The God-conscious being centers his hopes on the One alone.
The God-conscious being shall never perish.
The God-conscious being is steeped in humility.
The God-conscious being delights in doing good to others.
The God-conscious being has no worldly entanglements.
The God-conscious being holds his wandering mind under control.
The God-conscious being acts in the common good.
The God-conscious being blossoms in fruitfulness.
In the Company of the God-conscious being, all are saved.
O Nanak, through the God-conscious being, the whole world meditates on God. ||4||
Brahmgiani is always one on one with the God, and God loves Him so much that He blesses Him with such blessings which will never destroy Him. The Brahmgiani has a completely humble hirda – his heart is always in a very deep down humility. Such divinely blessed qualities make him think and do only good to others and derive full enjoyment out of this act. His job is through his own bhagtee to bring the Sangat closer and closer to Akal Purakh, and move the Sangat on the path to salvation and to achieve the salvation. His life is to help the Sangat and bless them with salvation is the highest level of service to the God and mankind on this earth.
His mind and soul are always in control and in complete obedience to the Almighty – Puran Hukam. He gets the highest level of happiness by obeying His orders, nothing else can distract his mind. He is always of stable mind and soul. All the Panj Doots serve him and can’t distract him. They are under his control. Through his divine actions and deeds by doing good to the others he makes his life sublime. Anybody who comes in contact with a Brahmgiani and becomes a part of his sangat achieves salvation. Akal Purakh is addressing Nanak and telling Him that with the blessings of such a Brahmgiani the entire world unites with the Naam and meditation.
The God-conscious being loves the One Lord alone.
The God-conscious being dwells with God.
The God-conscious being takes the Naam as his Support.
The God-conscious being has the Naam as his Family.
The God-conscious being is awake and aware, forever and ever.
The God-conscious being renounces his proud ego.
In the mind of the God-conscious being, there is supreme bliss.
In the home of the God-conscious being, there is everlasting bliss.
The God-conscious being dwells in peaceful ease.
O Nanak, the God-conscious being shall never perish. ||5||
The Brahmgiani is always absorbed in the Almighty. This means his soul and mind is always saturated with Atam Rus, and that God is always within him. This means that the God Himself and a Brahmgiani are one and the same (this has been further clarified in he following verses of Sukhmani). Only Naam is everything for a Brahmgiani. That Naam is His foundation. All his personality and character is built on the Naam – Satnaam. And Naam means God Himself. All the Brahmgiani’s sangat is his naam family “Naam Parivaar”. This means those people who are united with Naam is his real family and his real congregation.
His soul and mind is always awake. This means he is always in Truth, and is always serving the Truth. All his actions and deeds are to serve the Truth. That means he is always engaged in the service of Satnaam – Paar Braham Parmeswar. Since he is always connected with the Creator there is nothing known as his own wisdom. All the wisdom that comes to him is divine wisdom – Braham Gyan. And all his deeds are based on this divine wisdom. This happens because he kills his ego, and always operates and stays in complete humbleness.
Due to such divine qualities the Brahmgiani is always in the highest state of enjoyment and happiness. Complete silence in his mind and soul. The Brahmgiani is always stable and nothing can distract him from serving the Truth. Nothing can distract his soul and mind. No evil thoughts can even come near him. There is nothing that can harm him or destroy him.
The God-conscious being knows God.
The God-conscious being is in love with the One alone.
The God-conscious being is carefree.
Pure are the Teachings of the God-conscious being.
The God-conscious being is made so by God Himself.
The God-conscious being is gloriously great.
The Darshan, the Blessed Vision of the God-conscious being, is obtained by great good fortune.
To the God-conscious being, I make my life a sacrifice.
The God-conscious being is sought by the great god Shiva.
O Nanak, the God-conscious being is Himself the Supreme Lord God. ||6||
The Brahmgiani knows the Almighty. This means he has discovered God. He has learned about Paar Braham Parmeshwar. By virtue of this and other spiritual and divine qualities and spiritual powers he has been blessed with by the Creator, he becomes a representative of God in the Creation. His unlimited love for God takes him to such a high spiritual condition. He is always care free. This means he doesn’t think about past or future, he lives in the present, acts in the present and always does so under Hukam of Akal Purakh. All his deeds in the present are truthful and for serving the truth.
All his words and advice is always very pious and pure and spiritually of a very high value. His words are Amrit Vachans (saturated with God’s amrit energy). He holds a very high position in the spiritual universe and Dargah (God’s court). Only such a soul becomes a Brahmgiani which has been blessed by Akal Purakh Himself. Those people are very fortunate who get to meet such a Brahmgiani. This means only very fortunate people get a chance to be blessed as the Sangat of such an enlightened soul who is a Brahmgiani. So they should always be very very thankful to the Almighty for getting such a golden opportunity. Even the demi-gods like Shiva Ji look for the Sangat of such a Brahmgiani.
The Almighty is telling Nanak that such an enlightened soul is a living God himself on the face of this Earth. This means that He has all the spiritual powers of Akal Purakh Himself.
The God-conscious being cannot be appraised.
The God-conscious being has all within his mind.
Who can know the mystery of the God-conscious being?
Forever bow to the God-conscious being.
The God-conscious being cannot be described in words.
The God-conscious being is the Lord and Master of all.
Who can describe the limits of the God-conscious being?
Only the God-conscious being can know the state of the God-conscious being.
The God-conscious being has no end or limitation.
O Nanak, to the God-conscious being, bow forever in reverence. ||7||
The Brahmgiani is blessed with all the divine qualities of Akal Purakh. Such as Akal Purakh has no boundaries and limits. His divine qualities can’t be evaluated or estimated by any person, therefore, it is of prime importance to understand that we should all bow before such an enlightened soul.
The Brahmgiani’s divine qualities are so many, like the Almighty Himself, that no matter what we say in his praise, we can’t describe his divine qualities, because like the Creator Himself, the Brahmgiani is also a God for all.
Nobody can estimate and describe the spiritual powers of a Brahmgiani, only a Brahmgiani can describe such attributes of another Brahmgiani. There is nothing that can describe his divine qualities and spiritual powers, therefore, we should always greet and lie flat (Namaskaar & Dandaut Bandhna) to such an enlightened soul who is one with God Himself.
The God-conscious being is the Creator of all the world.
The God-conscious being lives forever, and does not die.
The God-conscious being is the Giver of the way of liberation of the soul.
The God-conscious being is the Perfect Supreme Being, who orchestrates all.
The God-conscious being is the helper of the helpless.
The God-conscious being extends his hand to all.
The God-conscious being owns the entire creation.
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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The Brahmgiani himself is the creator of this universe and runs the universe. And who is the One that can run the universe? Akal Purakh. The Brahmgiani is above the cycle of life and death. He is always alive and existent. He is the Truth. He is the one who can show the path to salvation and giver of high spiritual condition. This means that such a person who is a Brahmgiani has the capability to institute a person in highest spiritual condition – Sach Khand. And only God can do so. That means that Brahmgiani is Himself the Almighty. The Brahmgiani is the father of all of the orphans (and we are all orphans, the persons who are not Suhagans (brides of God) are considered orphans). Everything that we see is owned and operated by the Brahmgiani, HE HIMSELF IS THE GOD.
Only a Brahmgiani can know a Brahmgiani’s divinity and spirituality, His actions, reactions and deeds, because he is the owner of the entire universe.
IN A NUTSHELL BRAHMGIANI IS THE RULER OF 14 REALMS OF CREATION (LOK PARLOK). HE OWNS AND RUNS THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. HE IS THE CREATOR. HE HAS ALL THE SPIRITUAL POWERS OF GOD. INFACT HE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN GOD HIMSELF BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN THE BRAHMGIANI THE POWER TO UNDO GOD’S HUKAM (whatever a brahmgiani says comes true and overrides what was written in the destiny of the person).
Dassan Das (Slave Of God’s Slaves)