Is there a single meaning of japji sahib?

[prsinghdua]

I have read Japji Sahib and even memorised it without understanding the real meaning. I often read the translation and I also find it different from my interpretation in punjabi. A lot of it doesn't even make sense to me. Recently, I read Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol and I started wondering if there is a single correct meaning to Japji Sahib or it has alternate meanings too. I hear many gyanis on TV giving their own interpretation. Is there a correct interpretation our Gurus wanted us to understand?

[Amrit.S]

Guru Granth Sahib ji sends one message for each and every line. There are not suppose to be different messages coming out of each line. Therefore, there should only be one interpretation, and I beleive that is what the Guru wanted.

Different interpretations have lead to many issues to arise within the Sikh community. For example, the creation of different sects and the issue of eating meat or not. I truly beleive these issues can be solved if we understand that there is only one message being sent by the Guru and we as Sikhs should find out what is the Guru truly saying.

[charandhoor]

sat sri akal ji

I would recommend reading prof sahib singh's steek in punjabi / english. It is a reference based interpretation of Gurbani rather than 'opinions'.

i have the japji sahib .pdf file if you are interested, but i am trying to find it on the net for you.

let me know.

[charandhoor]

ok...
i got all the files for Prof. Sahib Singh's steek in punjabi. These are pdf files.

if you are interested, please go to http://www.gurbanifiles.org/pocket_pc/index.htm

scroll down on the page and you will see 14 separate pdf files. download these and get enlightened and be ready to be 'dangerously' knowledgeable about Gurbani, with all the references at your desktop.

good luck !!

Charandhoor

[swarn bains]

a sikh asked siree guru hargobind jee to explain jaju jee saihb
he spent some time explaining japu jee with his divine power, which he ad but at the end he said, that guru Nanak only knows the final single meaning of it.
so the translation or explanation of japu jee goes with the intellect and devotion of the translator. he or she can explain it to the best of his ability but Nanak only knows the real meaning what he wrote.

[Amrit.S]

a sikh asked siree guru hargobind jee to explain jaju jee saihb
he spent some time explaining japu jee with his divine power, which he ad but at the end he said, that guru Nanak only knows the final single meaning of it.
so the translation or explanation of japu jee goes with the intellect and devotion of the translator. he or she can explain it to the best of his ability but Nanak only knows the real meaning what he wrote.

Your story does not really make sense. If Guru Nanak Dev ji is the only one who can comphrehend the "real meaning" of what he wrote, then really we have no purpose of reading and understanding Japji Sahib.

Clearly the Guru did not write Gurbani to only be truly comprehended by a single person.

If we do agree with your story, then Guru Hargobind Sahib ji must be able to find a "single meaning" or the "true meaning" because Guru Nanak Dev ji and Guru Hargobind Sahib ji shared the same light.

ਲਹਣੇ ਦੀ ਫੇਰਾਈਐ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਦੋਹੀ ਖਟੀਐ ॥
Lehanae Dhee Faeraaeeai Naanakaa Dhohee Khatteeai ||
Nanak proclaimed Lehna's succession - he earned it.

ਜੋਤਿ ਓਹਾ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਸਾਇ ਸਹਿ ਕਾਇਆ ਫੇਰਿ ਪਲਟੀਐ ॥
Joth Ouhaa Jugath Saae Sehi Kaaeiaa Faer Palatteeai ||
They shared the One Light and the same way; the King just changed His body. (SGGS, 966)

[Ishna]

Sat Sri Akal Ji

I too have struggled to really comprehend Japji Sahib. Part of the struggle is the tendency to attempt to comprehend poetry as if it were prose. Another part of the struggle is that it was likely to be one of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's later compositions, distilling the essence of all his writing and by extension the entire Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji into just 8 pages!! Perhaps if we understand the rest of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj first, Japji Sahib would be easy to understand. :)

Karminder Singh Dhillon PhD has written a series of articles called Understanding Japji. They are in English and available from www.sikhbulletin.com.

The first article appears in the November-December 2007 issue here: http://sikhbulletin.com/Bulletins/SikhB ... ec2007.pdf

Enjoy.