English Hukamnama Katha - Ang 718

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh !
Hukamnama today is by Bhagat Naamdev Ji, in Toodee Raag on Ang 718 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

todee banee bhagtaaN kee.||
Bhagat Naamdev Sahib Ji is speaking to us today. Bhagat Ji begins the Shabad in Toodee Raag. And because this is the first Shabad of Bhagat Banee in Toodee Raag, the title in Guru Granth Sahib Ji is given Toodee, that is the Raag. Banee, the words, the divine words, Bhagtaan Kee are coming of the Bhagats. And as this is the first Shabad in Bhagtaan Baanee, Sri Guruu Granth Sahib Ji after the title contains the manglacharan, the introductory callout to God which comes in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji again and again about 500 times. And that manglacharan is:

ik-oNkaar satgur parsaad.||
ik - there is one, onkaar - who lights the entire universe, Akaal Purakh, Waheguru, satgur parsaad - who is found through the grace of eternal Guru, satgur. Bhagat Naamdev Sahib Ji begins the Shabad and the story which traditionally linked with the Shabad is that Bhagat Naamdev Ji sitting and in the opposite direction walking towards them a two sets of religious scholars - Pandits. One set of scholars belongs to Vedant group and the other set of scholars belong to ni-aayaka group. They are coming along and having a heated discussion, debate, and is getting very fierce. They come upto Bhagat Naamdev Ji. Bhagat Ji asks them what they are arguing about so fiercely. The Vedant group says that we believe that God is close to you. And the ni-aayaka group says that we believe that God is far away from us. And that is what they were fighting about. Bhagat Naamdev Ji at that point is said to have sung this Shabad. The Shabad begins with:

ko-ee bolai nirvaa ko-ee bolai door.||
ko-ee - some people, bolai say that God is nirvaa - close. ko-ee bolai door And on the other hand,, some people say that that God is door - far away.

jal kee maachhulee charai khajoor. ||1||
Bhagat Naamdev Ji says jal kee maachhilee charai khajoor Now I want to give you the translation before we actually go into the deeper meaning. The simple translation is, jal means water, charai eans to climb, maachhilee means fish, charai means to climb, khajoor means a date, palm tree. That type of palm tree upon which dates grow. Literally it means how can a fish which lives in water climb up a tree, a date tree. Now what does that mean? Bhagat Naamdev Ji is saying to them, this discussion you are having is so pointless that it does not even take one minute to look at it. Bhagat Naamdev Ji says jal kee maachhilee charai khajoor Just like it is impossible for a fish to climb up on a date palm tree, in the same way the discussion you are having, the Vedanti on one side and ni-aayaka on other side. The ni-aayaka saying that God is far and the Vedanti saying God is close. Bhagat Ji says in fact you both are wrong. Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh Ji Bhindrawale in their Katha beautifully explains this point. They say if God is close then there is still a distance between you and Akal Purakh. And they give a beautiful example. They say if you were to put surma or an ointment into your eye, it would be close to you but you would not be able to see it. Ad on the other hand if you say God is far, that’s putting distance between you and God anyway. Bhagat Naamdev Ji in the way Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji explains is that both of these things doesn’t make any sense. It’s just like it doesn’t make sense for a fish to climb a date tree, in the same way to say that God is close is to say that God is separate from you. To claim that God is far is to say that God is separate from you. In the beginning of the Shabad, Bhagat Ji says the manglacharan; - there is one God and that One pervades through everything. God is not only close but God is within you, your true identity.

kaaN-ay ray bakbaad laa-i-o||
kaan-ay means why, ray - people, bakbaad this fierce argument, laa-i-o - why are you starting this fierce debate, this argument. You are passing away your life arguing away with each other.

jin har paa-i-o tineh chhapaa-i-o. ||1|| rahaa-o.||
Bhagat Naamdev Ji says, you people, all you are doing debates and having arguments, and he says what are you meant to be doing. jin har paa-i-o - those people who have realized God, those who have meditated upon God and found God, tineh chhapaa-i-o they don’t enter into arguments or debates like you, they don’t shout from rooftops, those people who have found God, have realized God, they chhapaa-i-o - they hide that they have found God inside . Its like when someone finds a great treasure, they don’t throw the treasure around, from door to door, they keep the treasure within. The same way people who find God, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj says hone najeek khuda-ay day rayn na kisai dayn those people who have found God they don’t get full of ego, they are full of humility, they full of love. They are full of Akaal Purakh. And hence they hide the fact that they have found the Akaal Purakh. This is the main crux of the Shabad. This is the rehaa-o tuk. Instead of entering into the arguments and debates about whether the God is far or near, it will be much more beneficial if we try with Guru’s Grace to merge into God, to experience God. Not to debate about God but to experience God. jin har paa-i-o tineh chhapaa-i-o Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji explains this an another way also. If you read tineh like ti and neh as two words – those people who have found God, even though they keep that beautiful light within them, they don’t make a show in the world, they aren’t pompous, they are not full of ego. But even though they hide this treasure within Guru Granth Sahib Ji says rattan lukaa-e-aa lukay nahee If someone has a diamond of God’s love within, it shines upon their face and that way tineh chhapaa-i-o - it cannot be hidden. So looking at the first way they hide that they are merged with the God, they don’t shout from the rooftops. Look at Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Sachay Paatshah, form of God, but Guru Ji saying nanak neech kahai vichaar - Nanak the lowly one. nanak daas ,jan Nanak - the servant. Even they are one with God. But Piaariyo, just like that diamond it shines from brightness and anyone can see it glow and warmth, in the same way those people who have found God you can feel the warmth and the glow from God’s love. rehaa-o this is the main part of the Shabad.

pandit ho-ay kai bayd bakhaanai||
You believe you are religious scholars, pandit, bayd bakhaanai - you discuss the bayd - the religious scriptures.

moorakh naamday-o raameh jaanai. ||2||1||
Bhagat Ji says I am not a scholar, I am a fool. Just like what they are saying in the first tuk, they are explaining in the end. jin har paa-i-o tineh chhapaa-i-o Those people who have found God they keep that love within them. You debate about God, even though I am a fool Bhagat Naamdev Ji says in humility, I know God and I experience God. So in this Shabad Bhagat Naamdev Ji is taking us away from the debates of whether God is near or far, all of these types of things. Instead of debating you should be experiencing.

pandit ho-ay kai bayd bakhaanai||
moorakh naamday-o raameh jaanai||

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa ! Waheguru ji ki Fateh !