Pauri 10
Ay man chanchlaa chaturaa-ee kinai na paa-i-aa.
Chaturaa-ee na paa-i-aa kinai too sun man mayri-aa.
Ayh maa-i-aa mohnee jin ayt bharam bhulaa-i-aa.
Maa-i-aa ta mohnee tinai keetee jin thag-ulee paa-ee-aa.
Kurbaan keetaa tisai vitahu jin moh meethaa laa-i-aa.
Kahai naanak man chanchal chaturaa-ee kinai na paa-i-aa. ||10||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 918)
The human mind is very fickle. The human mind never stays quiet. The human mind constantly chatters. There is a never-ending stream of good and bad thoughts in the human mind. The human mind is very swift. The human mind races with great agility. The human mind can cruise to any place in the world, and come back, in a single moment. The fickleness of the human mind alone is the biggest problem of the human being. The fickleness of the human mind alone is the cause of all pain, strife and troubles of the human being. It is the fickleness of the human mind that incites the human being to commit Asat Karams (untruthful deeds; deeds against Sat). It is the fickleness of the human mind that leads the human being to commit Asat Karams. It is the fickleness of the human mind that causes the human being to deserve a place in hell. The fickleness of the human mind alone is the biggest enemy of the human being. The fickleness of the human mind alone is the biggest flaw of the human being. The human being with a less fickle mind is drawn more towards Sat Karams (the deeds of Sat; truthful deeds). The human being with a highly fickle mind stays more absorbed in Asat Karams. That is to say, the human being with a highly fickle mind possesses a Birti comprised more of the Rajo and Tamo aspects of Maya (Maya represents the worldly temptations; all physical perceptions are nothing but illusions created by Maya. Maya is said to comprise of three aspects: Sato – the goodness viz. charity, compassion, contentment; Rajo – the desires viz. hopes, expectations and yearnings; and Tamo – the vices viz. lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride). The human being with a less fickle mind possesses a Birti that leans more toward the Sato aspect. The mind of the human being with a largely Rajo-and-Tamo Birti is more absorbed in guile. The trickeries of the human mind alone are the biggest issue with the human being. A wily human being cannot attain Bandagi (submission before God). A human being mired in guile becomes prey to Manmat (one’s own wisdom), Sansarik Mat (worldly wisdom; materialism) and Durmat (evilness), and forsakes Gurmat (Godly wisdom; wisdom revealed in GurBani). Such a human being cannot apprehend Gurmat. Such a human being is incapable of embracing Gurmat. A wily mind is like a wild horse, impossible for a human being to tame. The Asat Karams of a human being always weigh him down. When a human being commits Asat Karams, he or she accumulates poison. A human being commits Asat Karams under the influence of the Chandaals (lowlifes; villains) of lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride in order to quench his Trishna (worldly desires). Therefore, whenever a human being commits Asat Karams, he or she ingests poison. The Rajo and Tamo Birtis are amongst the biggest vices of the human being. The fickleness of the human mind draws it towards the Rajo and Tamo Birtis. Therefore, the fickleness of the human mind, too, is one of the biggest vices of the human being. The fickleness of mind fills the human mind with wiliness. The wiliness of mind leads the human being away from Gurmat, and towards Manmat, Sansarik Mat and Durmat. Therefore, the wiliness of the human mind is one of the biggest vices of the human being. The wiliness of the human mind incites the human being to commit Asat Karams. Therefore, the wiliness of mind is a big vice of the human being. The human being’s vices make him commit Asat Karams. To commit Asat Karams is to collect poison in the vessel of the human body. Forsaking Sat Karams, and committing Asat Karams, is akin to forsaking nectar and gathering poison. SatGuru Sahib (the Truth Guru) reaffirms this Param Sat Tat (supreme and essential Truth) in this Salok (verse) of GurBani (God’s words; Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji):
Ham avgun bharay ayk gun naahee amrit chhaad bikhai bikh khaa-ee.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 1406)
The fickleness and the wiliness of mind act to poison the human life. The fickleness and the wiliness of mind are like a poisonous insect living within the human body. This insect of fickleness and wiliness acts to spew poison into the human life, as well as to gather more and more poison. A mind filled with fickleness and wiliness absorbs nothing but poison, and remains devoid of Amrit (our essence or the life-element; the divine energy; pure soul). The fickleness and wiliness of mind besiege the human being with Dubidha (double-mindedness; disbeliefs), and make him directionless. That is to say, the fickleness and wiliness make the human mind recklessly wander in the whole world. The fickleness and wiliness give birth to Bharams (misconceptions; incorrect religious notions and superstitions) in the human mind, and the Bharams lead the human being into Dubidha. A Dubidha-stricken human being can never accomplish one’s Bandagi. Bandagi is the single-mindedness, and the single-consciousness. Being in two-minds, or in several minds, one can never attain Puran Parkash (the perfect brightness of the supreme light; His aura around the enlightened beings) of SatNaam (Truth as a manifestation of the Name of God). The human mind and the human Hirda (Anhat Chakra located near the heart; one of the seven Sat Sarovars; more a part of our spiritual being than of our physical body) attain Puran Parkash of SatNaam only through ridding themselves of Bharams and Dubidha. The blessed SatGuru Sahiban reiterate and reaffirm Katha (discourse) of the gravely destructive forces of the fickleness and the wiliness of mind in GurBani:
Ih man chanchal vas na aavai.
Dubidhaa laagai dah dis dhaavai.
Bikh kaa keerhaa bikh meh raataa bikh hee maahi pachaavani-aa. ||4||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 127)
Saadho ih man gahi-o na jaa-ee.
Chanchal tarisnaa sang basat hai yaa tay thir na rahaa-ee. ||1||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 219)
Chanchal mat ti-aagai panch sanghaarai. ||3||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 226-227)
Man karhalaa toon chanchlaa chaturaa-ee chhad vikraal.
Har har naam samaal toon har mukat karay ant kaal. ||6||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 235)
Kaho kabeer chanchal mat ti-aagee.
Kayval raam bhagat nij bhaagee. ||3||1||19||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 327)
Man chanchal baho chotaa khaa-ay.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 362)
Chanchal man dah dis ka-o dhaavat achal jaahi thehraano.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 685)
Panch chor chanchal chit chaaleh.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 1021-1022)
Manmukh chanchal mat hai antar bahut chaturaa-ee.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 1414)
An ordinary human being cannot discipline his mind. The human mind cannot be restrained. Bandagi is nothing but to discipline the mind. The human being who disciplines one’s mind becomes a Sadhu (saint; one who has attained perfection in one’s Hirda). This mind, aflame in the blaze of Trishna, constantly gathers the poison of Asat Karams under the influence of the Tamo Birti of Maya (i.e. lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride). Trishna abides in every cell of the human body. Trishna assimilates in every breath of the human being. Trishna dominates the human brain. Trishna reigns over the human mind. The human being is slave to Trishna. Trishna takes the place of Guru (mentor) of the human being, and compels him to commit Asat Karams. Trishna gives rise to the fickleness of human mind. Trishna also gives birth to the wiliness of human mind. Every human being burns in the furnace of Trishna all his life until he dies, but even so his Trishna remains unsatisfied. The gravely destructive force of Trishna is at the root of his whole struggle. The utterly disastrous force of Trishna is the cause of all grief, strife and suffering of the human being. The entire humanity, in the whole world, is ablaze in the fire created by this utterly pernicious force of Trishna. This gravely deleterious force of Trishna has stung the peace of mind of the entire humanity with its venom. Because Trishna doesn’t get satisfied, the entire humanity continues to ingest poison in their mind. A fickle mind is directionless. A fickle mind engages itself in guile and in wiliness. A mind engrossed in guile and wiliness presents a ghastly (gravely dangerous and terrifying) look. A fickle mind belongs to a Manmukh (self-willed; self-centred person). A wily mind is the mind of a Manmukh. A Manmukh human being remains stuck in Manmat. A Manmukh doesn’t look up to SatGuru. That is, a Manmukh human being doesn’t seek shelter at the feet of SatGuru. A Manmukh doesn’t embrace Gurmat. He embraces his own Manmat, Sansarik Mat and Durmat. All the deeds committed by a Manmukh are Asat Karams. To be Manmukh is a great curse. A fickle and wily mind is a great curse for the human being. A fickle mind always suffers. That is to say, a Manmukh human being with a fickle and wily mind always collects poison in his life because of his Asat Karams committed in the slavery of the five Chandaals (lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride). Being Manmukh is the sole cause of all grief, strife and suffering of the human being.
The highly destructive five Chandaals (lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride) are at the root of the fickleness and the wiliness of human mind. Only by renouncing the fickleness and wiliness of mind, Trishna is quenched and it becomes possible to annihilate the five Chandaals (lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride). That is, only upon quenching of Trishna the five Chandaals (lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride) come to their end. Trishna alone is basis of the fickleness and wiliness of mind; therefore, only by quenching Trishna the fickleness and wiliness of the human mind are ended, and the five Chandaals are destroyed.
That human being alone, who disciplines his mind, quenches his Trishna. That human being alone, who disciplines his mind, brings the fickleness and wiliness of mind to end. That human being alone, who conquers his mind, quenches his Trishna. That human being alone – who forsakes Manmat, forsakes the fickleness and wiliness of mind, seeks shelter at the feet of SatGuru and acquires the GurParsaad (eternal bliss and eternal grace) of SatNaam, SatNaam Simran (meditation upon SatNaam), SatNaam Di Kamai (adherence to SatNaam in life), and Puran Bandagi (complete surrender before God) – quenches his Trishna and brings the five Chandaals under his hold. The mind cannot be disciplined without GurParsaad. The mind is brought under control only with GurKirpa (eternal grace) of SatGuru.
Puran Bandagi is nothing but to conquer the mind. Puran Bandagi is nothing but the end of Manmat. Puran Bandagi is nothing but the end of the mind. The end of mind itself signifies the manifestation of Param Jyot Puran Parkash (the perfect radiance of divine light; His aura; God Himself) in one’s Hirda. The end of mind itself represents victory over Maya. The end of Manmat itself denotes the enlightenment of Gurmat. It denotes the end of mind, and the enlightenment of Gur (Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar – Truth, the Transcendent Lord and Creator of the Universe). The five human action-organs have their basis in the five human sensory-organs. The five human sensory-organs find their basis in the human mind. The foundation of the human mind lies in the human Mat (intellect; wisdom). If the human Mat is Manmat, it means that the human being is slave to Maya. If the human Mat is Durmat, the human being abides in the slavery of Maya. If the human Mat is Sansarik Mat, even then the human being is slaving under Maya. The foundation of the human mind lies in the brain of the human being. And the human brain has its basis in Param Jyot Puran Parkash. When Manmat comes to an end, the mind too is eliminated. Manmat, Durmat and Sansarik Mat come to their end. The basis of Manmat, Durmat and Sansarik Mat lies in the physical world. The physical world is the game-plan of Maya. Therefore, to conquer mind is to conquer the world itself. As the mind ends, and Manmat, Durmat and Sansarik Mat are eradicated; all five human sensory-organs subjugate themselves under Gurmat. When this happens, all five human action-organs devote themselves in performing Sat Karams. The human brain becomes fully active, and Puran Braham Gyan (entire divine wisdom) and Puran Tat Gyan (the entire divine knowledge; understanding of the divine ways) manifest themselves within the human being. Param Jyot manifests itself, and the human being is heralded as Pargateyo Jyot (a manifested divine light; a soul that becomes the pure divine light of God Himself) and Puran Braham Gyani (in possession of Puran Braham Gyan). In this way, all five human sensory-organs and all five action-organs begin to abide under Puran Hukam (absolute divine will or command).
Maya is a sweet poison. As the flies attach themselves to the sweet molasses (lumped brown sugar), and buried in the molasses come to the end of their lives, in the same way the human being is trapped in the web of Maya and, caught in this web, wastes away one’s life. The worldly relationships, the worldly objects, the worldly estates, the worldly titles and affairs are like the sweet molasses. The worldly relationships, the worldly objects, the worldly estates, the worldly titles and affairs keep the human being trapped in their web of temptations, wherein caught the human being loses all cognizance of escape; or, even when cognizant, is so utterly caught-up in this disastrous game-plan of Maya that he becomes unable to escape and, staying stuck in this Bhavjal (sea of deceptions), meets the end of his life. The temptation for Maya is a sweet poison. The temptation denotes the attachments of Maya. The attachments of Maya represent the lust for worldly relationships, worldly objects, worldly estates, worldly titles and affairs etc. The attachments of Maya represent the fear and the worry of losing the worldly relationships, worldly objects, worldly estates, worldly titles and affairs etc. The human being, who is absorbed in the attachments of Maya, is ignorant of the gravely destructive nature of Maya. Maya keeps the entire world trapped in its web of attachments. Maya is the demon that possesses no teeth, but devours the entire world by keeping it bound in its web of attachments. It is as if the entire world is consumed in the stomach of the attachments of Maya. There are many human beings aware of the supreme fact that no material object will accompany them at the end of their life, but even then waste away their life chasing after these material objects and relationships. SatGuru Sahiban in GurBani have repeatedly reaffirmed the Param Sat Tat of this disastrous game-plan of Maya:
Gurh mithaa maa-i-aa pasri-aa manmukh lag maakhee pachai pachaa-ay. ||1||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 41)
Maa-i-aa mamtaa mohnee jin vin dantaa jag khaa-i-aa.
Manmukh khaadhay gurmukh ubray jinee sach naam chit laa-i-aa.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 643)
The Rajo and Tamo aspects of Maya represent its horrendous and demonic form. The demon of Maya traps Manmukhs in its web of attachments and devours them. Only Gurmukhs (the souls whose expressions are God’s expressions; the souls in Puran Bandagi; the souls in Sach Khand) achieve victory over Maya and rid themselves of the slavery of Maya. Many Jigyasoos – having acquired GurParsaad, and absorbed in SatNaam Simran Di Kamai – are able to glimpse this demonic form of Maya when they are in Samadhi (deep trance-like state, where there is no thought except pure consciousness) during practice of Simran. Many Jigyasoos are also able to glimpse the Panj Dhoots (the five thieves – lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride) in their Chandaal form. The Chandaals of lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride reside within the very body of the human being. The human beings who make Puran Samarpan at the feet of SatGuru are able to glimpse these destructive Dhoots of Maya. These five Chandaals keep the human being deluded and trapped in the gravely disastrous web of Maya, and are constantly in the act of supplying him the sweet poison of Maya. GurBani is Puran Braham Gyan. GurBani is Puran Sat. Therefore those human beings – who practise GurBani in life, practice SatNaam Simran in life, acquire GurParsaad and make Puran Samarpan at Sat Charans (feet where Sat abides) of their SatGuru, serve their SatGuru and practice Naam Dhyan (Simran of Naam with deep concentration and detachment from all-else) – are able to glimpse these five Chandaals as they flee their body. Many human beings, absorbed in their Bandagi and abiding in Samadhi and Sunn Samadhi (silent, deep meditation; a state free of thoughts, even free from the effects of time and space), are, by the grace of their SatGuru, able to clearly perceive their ongoing battle with Maya. Many souls, absorbed in their Bandagi, during their practice of Samadhi and Sunn Samadhi are presented by SatGuru Sahiban with divine weapons that aid them in defeating Maya and prove useful in dispelling Kur (falsehood) prevailing upon the earth.
Tarisnaa maa-i-aa mohnee sut bandhap ghar naar.
Dhan joban jag thagi-aa lab lobh ahankaar.
Moh thag-ulee ha-o mu-ee saa vartai sansaar. ||1||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 61-62)
Tarai gun bikhi-aa andh hai maa-i-aa moh gubaar.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 30)
Maa-i-aa jayvad dukh nahee sabh bhav thakay sansaar.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 39)
It is because of the attachments that the human being forms worldly relationships, and because of the attachments that the human being undergoes all sufferings in life. The attachments are the sweet poison. Because of ingesting the sweet poison of the attachments throughout his life, the human being remains in the delusion that all his worldly relationships are real. Because of the sweet poison of the attachments, the human being always occupies himself in savouring and grooming these worldly relationships. Because of the sweet poison of the attachments, the human being remains occupied all his life in tending to these worldly relationships. Because of the sweet poison of the attachments, the human being occupies himself all his life in building assets and estates in order to make these worldly relationships pleasurable for him. The wealth, youth, assets, speech (i.e., the power of oratory), touch, glamour, indulgence, consumption etc. are all different forms of the sweet poison of the attachments that destroy the human being by entangling him in the destructive web of vices. One must grasp the truth that the worldly ties that one has formed in this lifetime are not new relationships. Because of the bonds of his past deeds, a human being has several times already passed through these relationships. Your sons and daughters, father and mother, and all other affiliations of this lifetime are not formed for the first-time. Stuck in the bonds of life-and-death, and in accordance with your destiny, you have taken birth one more time to account for these relationships. A human being cannot break the shackles of these relationships. The number of times that a human being must be born in Kal Yuga (the epoch of darkness) is in excess of 200, 300 or even 400. In between these human births, how many times a human being of Kal Yuga must be born in Juni’s (low-life species) is incalculable. The human being, who has already taken 200 human births, and assuming an average age of 80 years in each lifetime, has already attained the human age of 16,000 years by these calculations. In the same way, the human being who has taken 400 human births has attained 32,000 years in human age. However, according to GurBani, a Maya-stuck human being’s account is described for 100,000 births. GurBani reaffirms this Param Sat Tat:
Jis parabh apnaa visrai so mar jammai lakh vaar jee-o. ||6||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 761)
If one also adds to this the lifetime spent wandering in Juni’s, this period becomes unimaginably long. That is to say, a human being in Kal Yuga has been wandering in human births and in Juni’s for an uncountable time. The root cause of all this wandering is the sweet poison of the attachments that the human being doesn’t tire of drinking, and therefore continues to wander in the human births and in Juni’s for an incalculable time. Just imagine, that if a human being has not satiated his Trishna after enjoying 16,000 or 32,000 years of human life, will he be able to quench it in this birth? Just think, that if a human being is not satiated of enjoying the material objects and the worldly ties and relationships in his 16,000 or 32,000 years of human lifetime, will he be satiated by enjoying these false objects and ties for a few more years of human life? The very nature of the sweet poison of the attachments is such that, howsoever much one drinks it, it doesn’t satisfy the human being’s thirst and hunger for the material objects and relationships. Since the human being’s Trishna doesn’t quench even after spending such a long time in the human births while in the slavery of Maya, Maya has therefore been termed as poison in GurBani. Since a human being is not satiated after enjoying the material objects and worldly ties and relationships for even such a long time in human births, the human being is thus not released from the bonds of Karma and is not delivered from the bonds of life-and-death. This is the reason Maya has been termed as ‘Bikhi-aa’. Under the slavery of Maya, and deceived by the sweet poison of Maya, the human being remains incognizant of Puran Sat and repeatedly takes birth and dies. Intoxicated by the sweet poison of Maya, the human being remains oblivious of Sat PaarBraham Parmeshar and continues to wander in the cycle of births-and-deaths for an immeasurable time.
It is immensely astonishing that the human being doesn’t satiate of the sweet poison of Maya even after having consumed the sweet poison of Maya for such a long period of human life; neither does he realize to abstain from drinking this sweet poison of Maya. Maya is so deceiving a demon, that let alone a common slave-to-Maya human being, even those who recite GurBani, perform daily Nitnem (ritual recitals and prayers) of reading the Panj Banis (the five selected religious texts of Sikhism), make readings of Sukhmani Sahib (the composition by SatGuru the Fifth Patshah Arjan Dev Ji, comprising of 24 Astpadis) and Jap Ji Bani (the composition by the blessed SatGuru incarnate Nanak Patshah Ji; appears at the very beginning of Sri Guru Granth Sahib) and even listen to Kirtans (chanting) of Bani (GurBani) several times a day are, surprisingly, unaware of this disastrous game-plan of Maya and do not realize to renounce Maya. The sole reason for this is that the human being remains constantly enmeshed in the wiliness of his mind. Self-absorbed in the wiliness of his own mind, the human being fails to take cognizance of the sweet poison of the thieving Maya, even having made recitals of GurBani-the-Gurmat.
Even Maya is a creation of Sat PaarBraham Parmeshar.
Aykaa maa-ee jugat vi-aa-ee tin chaylay parvaan.
Ik sansaaree ik bhandaaree ik laa-ay deebaan.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 7)
Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar was instated in Sunn Samadhi for 36 Yugas before origin of the Creation; and then from Sunn came the idea of becoming plural-from-singular. This idea alone became the genesis of Maya, and Maya came into existence. It is very important to understand this Param Sat Tat, that wherever in GurBani the word ‘Ik’ or ‘1’ appears, it represents nothing but the immense and eternal power of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar. And then with ‘Aykaa’, i.e. the union of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar and Maya, Maya got impregnated and gave birth to three forces. According to GurBani, these three forces came to be called Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
Sunnahu barahmaa bisan mahays upaa-ay.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 1037)
In this Salok, the blessed SatGuru incarnate Nanak Patshah Ji describes tale of the origin of three disciples from the union of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar and Maya. A son takes birth from the union of the father’s sperm and the mother’s blood. Thus, a son is born only by the physical alliance of the mother and father. But Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar has no physical attribute, as Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar has no shape, colour or figure. Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar is formless. Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar has no form except that of the immense supreme power. Similarly Maya too has no physical body, and Maya too has no form except that of a force. Therefore when from the union of these two powers – i.e. the Suksham (astral; non-physical) forms of Maya and Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar, whose union too is Suksham – Maya was impregnated, it resulted in the birth of the three forces. This is why these three forces came to be called the three disciples. Therefore it is an utterly true fact that with the union of father’s sperm and mother’s blood only the biological offspring takes birth; and the disciples are the ones born with the grace of Shabad (divine words; GurBani). From the union of the two Suksham elements, only disciples are born. From the union of Param Tat Sat Tat (element of supreme essence and Truth) of SatGuru and of Param Tat Sat Tat of the disciple, the bond of Guru-and-disciple is formed. Therefore, from the union forged by the divine element and Maya, the three forces were born that are addressed in GurBani as Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. The blessed SatGuru incarnate Nanak Patshah Ji describes these three forces – born of the union of the Suksham elements – as the three disciples.
These three forces, born of the supreme element of the supreme power through impregnation of Maya, were tasked by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar with three important functions: Brahma was endowed with the power to create everything in the Creation, and therefore Brahma is the creator of all in the Creation; Vishnu was entrusted to look after and run the entire Creation; and Mahesh, also called Shiva, was endowed with the power to destroy the Creation. The progenitor of these three forces is the boundless supreme power of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar Himself. These three forces operate only within the Vidhaans framed by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar. Thus these three forces are not boundless. These three forces carry out their affairs in accordance with the Hukam of the One, who is boundless and eternal. Since these three forces are born from the impregnation of Maya, therefore Maya is their birth-giver. This is why every physical entity in the whole Creation is nothing but Maya. This is why the world is called Bhavsagar. The blessed SatGuru incarnate Arjan Dev Ji describes the destructive form of Maya in this Salok:
Aasaa Mehlaa 5.
Maathai tarikutee darisat karoor.
Bolai ka-urhaa jihbaa kee foorh.
Sadaa bhookhee pir jaanai door. ||1||
Aisee istaree ik raam upaa-ee.
Un sabh jag khaa-i-aa ham gur raakhay mayray bhaa-ee. Rahaa-o.
Paa-ay thag-ulee sabh jag johi-aa.
Barahmaa bisan mahaaday-o mohi-aa.
Gurmukh naam lagay say sohi-aa. ||2||
Varat naym kar thaakay punharchanaa.
Tat tirath bhavay sabh dharnaa.
Say ubray je satgur kee sarnaa. ||3||
Maa-i-aa mohi sabho jag baadhaa.
Ha-umai pachai manmukh mooraakhaa.
Gur naanak baah pakar ham raakhaa. ||4||2||96||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 394)
Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar has created Maya in the form of a cruel woman, whose forehead is lined with rage-filled creases, and who, in her rage, has manifested herself enticingly before the entire world and has beguiled the entire world with her treachery. Maya is an intoxicating herb that renders the human being senseless, and in his state of senselessness the human being commits his entire life to the slavery of Maya. The human being is the highest creation of Akaal Purakh (the Immortal Being; God) that, once created, is left at the mercy of this enticing web of Maya. Only the human species is endowed with the ability to obtain Darshan (vision with the inner, spiritual eye) of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar and attain the blessing of Puran Braham Gyan. This is why the human birth is called a priceless gem. But the human being gets easily enmeshed in the Maya’s web, woven with lust, anger, greed, attachments and pride; and this is how Maya turns the human being into her servant and destroys him. Only a human being bestowed with the grace of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar is rescued and saved by Him from the slavery of Maya. It is the supreme power of the grace of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar alone that can save the human being from the treacherous manifestation of Maya. Even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahadev (Shiva) have been enticed and held captive by Maya in her web of slavery. That is to say, even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are but slaves to Maya. The human beings who seek shelter of SatGuru are bestowed by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar with His grace and, becoming Gurmukh – i.e. dedicating their body, mind and wealth at the feet of SatGuru and acquiring GurParsaad – are shielded from the clutches of Maya by the influence of this supreme power. The sixty-eight pilgrimages, fasts, recitals are all outwardly religious symbols, and are all outwardly observances. By adorning one with these outwardly symbols, no human being can escape the wrath of Maya. By these outwardly observances no human being can conquer and vanquish Maya. Only those human beings who become Gurmukh – i.e. who renounce Manmat, seek guidance of SatGuru and adopt Gurmat – are victorious over Maya. Such human beings, seeking shelter of SatGuru and receiving GurParsaad, are held by their arms by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar, extricated from this Bhavsagar of Maya and assimilated in Him; Manmukhs fritter away their lives in the slavery of Maya.
In this supremely powerful Salok of Puran Braham Gyan, the blessed SatGuru incarnate Arjan Dev Ji makes it clear that Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are subjugated by Maya. Salvation is available only to those who transcend beyond Trigun Maya (Maya of the three attributes – Rajo, Tamo and Sato), and it can only be achieved by seeking shelter at the feet of SatGuru. It is because SatGuru is indistinct from Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar, who lies beyond Trigun Maya. There is no distinction between SatGuru and Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar. This Param Sat Tat is established as Puran Braham Gyan and manifested in many Saloks of GurBani:
Barahmaa bisan mahaaday-o tarai gun rogee vich ha-umai kaar kamaa-ee.
Jin kee-ay tiseh na cheeteh bapurhay har gurmukh sojhee paa-ee. ||2||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 735)
Barahmaa bisan mahays tarai moorat tarigun bharam bhulaa-ee. ||16||
Bur parsaadee tarikutee chhootai cha-uthai pad liv laa-ee. ||17||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 909)
Here ‘tarai gun’ and ‘tarigun’ represent (Trigun) Maya; and when a human being’s ‘tarikutee’ (Trikuti – the inner eye providing the divine vision; also called the third eye or Gyan Netter) becomes illuminated by his having attained ‘cha-uthai pad’ (Chautha Pad – the fourth state beyond the Trigun Maya), then he acquires GurParsaad and his Surat unifies with Naam of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar. Trikuti is one of the centres of the Suksham supreme power, located at the middle of the human being’s forehead, and it is the place where the nerves of Ida, Pingla and Sushmana (the three energy-channels passing through the spinal column – Ida channels the negative charge, Pingla the positive charge and Sushmana the neutral charge) join together. Ida, Pingla and Sushmana begin at the human being’s Kundalini (the base of the spine; storehouse of the Kundalini Shakti or the divine energy that spreads into the entire body through the three energy-channels of Ida, Pingla and Sushmana amending and purifying the body), pass through the spine and arrive at the forehead. When Naam – after illuminating all Sat Sarovars (sources of Amrit or the spiritual energy; there are seven Sat Sarovars within the human body), and illuminating Ida, Pingla and Sushmana – arrives in Trikuti, the powers of Ida, Pingla and Sushmana get awakened, and as these three powers merge the human being’s Trikuti is opened up. Through opening up of Trikuti, the human being attains the state of ‘liv’ (Liv – state of absorption in divine thoughts; state where the human consciousness is absorbed in the divine), and Bandagi of the human being arrives at ‘Chautha Pad’. Thus, attainment of this particular state itself is defined as the acquiring of GurParsaad. It is only upon arriving at this state that the human being’s Bandagi commences, and becomes Puran (Puran Bandagi). It is upon arriving at this state that the human being’s account of Bandagi is opened in Dargah (the divine court), and his wealth of Naam begins to accumulate. Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh abide within Trigun Maya itself. They have not attained ‘Chautha Pad’. They only abide in the service of Maya. This Param Sat Tat is explicitly revealed in GurBani.
In GurBani, the Sant SatGuru Kabir Patshah Ji equates Maya to a serpent:
Aasaa Iktukay 4.
Sarpanee tay oopar nahee balee-aa.
Jin barahmaa bisan mahaaday-o chhalee-aa. ||1||
Maar maar sarpanee nirmal jal paithee.
Jin taribhavan dasee-alay gur parsaad deethee. ||1|| Rahaa-o.
Sarpanee sarpanee ki-aa kahhu bhaa-ee.
Jin saach pachhaani-aa tin sarpanee khaa-ee. ||2||
Sarpanee tay aan chhoochh nahee avraa.
Sarpanee jeetee kahaa karai jamraa. ||3||
Ih sarpanee taa kee keetee ho-ee.
Bal abal ki-aa is tay ho-ee. ||4||
Ih bastee taa basat sareeraa.
Gur parsaad sahj taray kabeeraa. ||5||6||19||
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 480)
Nothing is mightier in the world than the serpent-Maya. It is so powerful as to use its might to deceive even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahadev. This serpent-Maya has stung the whole world by enticing it into its web. That is to say, under Maya’s allure the whole world abides in its slavery. Maya makes the whole world chase it, and trapped in its web the human being constantly burns in the fire of discontent. Only Sat Sangat (gathering in the presence of Sat or among those who have attained Jeevan Mukti and are thus part of Sat) can save a human being from this disastrous fire and its destructive influences. Sat Sangat is the place where the supreme power prevails in the presence of SatGuru. Sat Sangat is the Sangat where Puran Sat manifests itself. Sat Sangat is the gathering under the auspices of a Puran Jyot Parkash-Pargateyo Jyot-Puran Braham Gyani. Thus, under these supremely powerful auspices, the destructive forces of Maya lose their steam, because Maya is slave to these great-beings and is at the command of these great-beings. In the Sangat of such great-beings, the supreme power of GurParsaad takes effect. Maya has but to bow before this supreme power of GurParsaad. Therefore, Maya becomes slave to those Sat Sangi’s (those who have found admission in Sat Sangat) who acquire GurParsaad and conquer Maya. Therefore, one needn’t fear the disastrous aspect of Maya. All you must do is seek Bandagi of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar, pray to receive GurParsaad and keep one’s mind focussed on performing deeds of Sat. This will deliver you from the slavery of Maya, and then Maya will turn into your slave. Then all the force and all the might of Maya can do you no harm. You will attain Jeevan Mukti (deliverance from the cycle of birth-and-death; salvation). You will attain Sehaj Samadhi (continual state of Samadhi – awake or asleep). All this becomes possible only by joining the Sangat of all-capable the-perfect SatGuru. The blessed SatGuru Sant Kabir Ji describes the GurParsaadi Katha (discourse graced by God and Guru) of his Bandagi in GurBani through this Salok of Puran Braham Gyan. One must consider and contemplate this Param Sat Tat that the serpent-Maya has even held Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh in its slavery through its might. Thus it is a Param Sat Tat that even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh – the three disciples – are subjugated by Maya. Therefore, the entire world is Maya; from Maya the world originates; by Maya the world is sustained; and through Maya the world is destroyed.
Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, the three disciples, follow the Hukam of Sat PaarBraham in order to carry out their affairs. The force of Brahma creates the world in accordance with the Hukam of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar. The force of Vishnu arranges to look after and nurture the world in accordance with the Vidhaan created by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar. The force of Mahesh runs its death-court in accordance with the Vidhaan created by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar, and destructs every creation in the universe at its pre-determined time. Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar has accorded only to Himself the supreme power to create the Vidhaans of Vidhi (the ultimate authority). This is why these three forces are called disciples, because they are not empowered to make the divine Vidhaans and they must follow the Vidhaans created by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar to carry out their functions. Thus the creation, the sustenance and the destruction of the entire Creation takes place only in accordance with the Vidhaans created by Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar. Throughout the entire universe, and over every creation, it is the Hukam of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar that prevails. The plural-from-singular Sat PaarBraham Himself abides within, and prevails over, His every creation.
Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar abides within every creation in His Nirgun Saroop (the infinite divine power that lies beyond the Trigun Maya). It is this force of Nirgun Saroop that dwells within every living being and operates every living being. But this force isn’t apparent to any living being. In the same way that this supreme power is also located in Sat Sarovars in the Suksham Dehi (astral body; Suksham is part of the human soul and source of all energy running the senses and the physical functions of the body; this spiritual energy comes from the Sat Sarovars) inside the human being. These Sat Sarovars, established within the human being’s Dehi and part of the supreme force, are all invisible. But when the Bajjar Kapaats (divine doors; once opened, these doors channel Amrit into the body and establish connection between human being and Akaal Purakh) of the human being are opened up and these Sat Sarovars get illuminated by GurParsaad of Naam, then the human being is able to hear the throbbing of Naam within his body. When Dassam Duaar (the tenth door; the Crown Chakra; once opened, it establishes link between the human being and Akaal Purakh) is opened up, the human being begins to hear the music of Anhad Naad (the un-struck divine music played on divine musical instruments). The eyes begin to perceive Parkash. The radiance of Parkash from within Dehi becomes apparent. The human being obtains Darshan of Nirgun Saroop of Akaal Purakh. The human being begins receiving Puran Braham Gyan. The human being begins receiving Darshans of SatGuru incarnates, of Sant-great-beings, of Braham Gyani-great-beings; and begins having many similar experiences. All these divine experiences are immensely amazing to the Jigyasoos. All these divine experiences provide clear evidence of the presence of the Nirgun force of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar within the human body, and clear evidence that that the human body is being operated by this Nirgun force. But the human eye doesn’t perceive any of it. All this is perceived only through Bandagi. Therefore, to those who do not have such explicit experiences, all this is an unimaginable tale.
To reveal and experience the secrets of this amazing and divine state, to achieve and enjoy all such divine experiences and to make a success of this life, the human being ought to perform Dandaut (prostration) at the feet of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar and thank Him – a thousand times in every moment, at every instance and with every breath. The supreme power of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar alone is flawless. The supreme power of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar alone is all-perfect. The supreme power of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar alone is boundless, and absolutely pure. The supreme power of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar alone is Sat from the very beginning, Sat throughout the ages, and Sat forever. By acknowledging this boundless supreme power of Sat PaarBraham Pita Parmeshar and by surrendering one’s entire self before this boundless supreme power with complete faith and devotion, the human being can attain an immensely high spiritual state.