With gratitude to the All Mighty, to the Guru, and the power of the word, I’ve been inspired to research the term “Amrit”, which then lead me to also include the term “Ambrosial Nectar.”
The term Amrit is often associated with the Khalsa Amrit, the “khanda-de-Pahul”, when one is called to become an Amritdhari Sikh.
However, being always curious and wanting to go deeper into understanding certain terms and words, I decided to see what the Siri Guru Granth Sahib had to say about “Amrit.”
The most profound aspect about Amrit, is to realize that the Divine Word is the Amrit. Just as the Naam, the Guru, and Waheguru are the Amrit that we experience in the Sadh Sangat through listening, meditating, and chanting the Guru’s Shabad. The Shabad Guru is the Divine Word.
Let me first offer some dictionary definitions of Nectar:
In Greek & Roman Mythology it is the “Drink of the Gods.”
And also the nectar which is found in flowers. The bees create honey from that nectar.
Nectar offers the world and even to us humans something of value. So, of course the question would be: What does it offer us? I’ll get to that later.
Here’s the definition of the word Ambrosial:
exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant.
And also again, a reference to the Gods: it says, worthy of the gods; divine.
A few synonyms for the word ambrosial are: fragrant, sweet, pure, and heavenly.
Guru Nanak talks about tastes and flavors as ambrosial nectar:
ਸਭਿ ਰਸ ਮਿਠੇ ਮੰਨਿਐ ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਾਲੋਣੇ ॥
Believing, all tastes are sweet. Hearing, the salty flavors are tasted;
ਖਟ ਤੁਰਸੀ ਮੁਖਿ ਬੋਲਣਾ ਮਾਰਣ ਨਾਦ ਕੀਏ ॥
chanting with one's mouth, the spicy flavors are savored. All these spices have been made from the Sound-current of the Naad.
ਛਤੀਹ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਭਾਉ ਏਕੁ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥੧॥
The thirty-six flavors of ambrosial nectar are in the Love of the One Lord; they are tasted only by one who is blessed by His Glance of Grace. ||1||
With our tongue we enjoy the subtle juice in our mouth as we chant the Ambrosial Name. We taste and savor the Lord’s sublime essence through speaking and chanting the Guru’s words.
Through the Guru's Teachings, the Lord is always found, and the tongue is permeated with the Sublime Essence of the Lord.
We drink the Ambrosial Nectar in, we are imbued with it. And we are saturated with its frequency and vibration:
“With each and every breath, we dwell upon the Lord. The more the Lord and Master dwells within the mind, the more the Gurmukh drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar.”
It is in the Ambrosial Hours, the “Amrit Vela”, in the early morning hours that we can learn and experience the merging with God and the Guru’s Shabad.
However, we can experience that merging and union at any time of the day, and ideally, we would vibrate the Divine Cosmic frequency at all times.
The more we speak the Guru’s words and meditate with the words given to us through the divine connection that the Gurus and saints experienced, the more we can experience that merging and union.
As we keep reciting, speaking, or chanting the Shabad Guru, our experiences evolve through time as it subtly works on our psyche.
It is also through the healing arts that we can learn to connect to the Divine Wisdom. Through our soul, God allows us to connect to the Infinite Creation’s Wisdom.
After all, the Guru says, “All pleasures and supreme ecstasy, … come to those who sew the Jewel of the Lord into their minds. They do not forget, even for an instant, the Support of the breath of life. They live by constantly meditating on Him, O Nanak. || 3 ||”
“The Lord, the Slayer of demons, is my breath of life. His Ambrosial Amrit is so sweet to my mind and body. O Lord, (. . .) lead me to meet the Guru, the immaculate Primal Being. || 3 ||”
Earlier I spoke about the bees creating honey from the nectar of flowers. What does the nectar of the Shabad Guru offer? How do we reap the profits of the Naam?
The Guru says,
“The Shabad is Amrit; the Lord’s Bani is Amrit. Serving the True Guru, it permeates the heart. O Nanak, the Ambrosial Naam is forever the Giver of peace; drinking in this Amrit, all hunger is satisfied. || 8 || 15 || 16 ||”
From the Divine Infinite Spring, we drink in the Bani of the Word, which flows without reservation, ever giving us a taste of the Divine Creation.
We are told to cultivate our farm, and plant the Seed of the True Name, so that the seedlings can sprout luxuriantly, and thus, with intuitive ease, our mind is satisfied.
“The Word of the Guru’s Shabad is Ambrosial Nectar; drinking it in, thirst is quenched. This true mind is attuned to Truth, and it remains permeated with the True One.|| 2 ||”
Through the Guru’s Teachings, we obtained courage, faith and the Lord. The Guru keeps our mind focused continually on the Lord, and the Name of the Lord.
“The Words of the True Guru’s Teachings are Ambrosial Nectar; this Amrit trickles into the mouth of the one who chants them. || 2 ||”
Guru Nanak starts by saying Ek Ongkaar, Sat Naam, which means that there’s one Creator, One Creation, and the True Divine Frequency is found there. The Guru wants you to experience that Divine Frequency, that divine gift.
The Lord offers so many blessings, so many gifts that can manifest within us and through us. Receiving the Ambrosial Nectar of the True Word of His Bani, we are offered the ability to experience His Gifts and His Love, so that we may experience divine ecstasy and reap the profits that have sprouted within our being.
Through true devotion, the mind is dyed in the deep crimson color of the Lord’s Love. The mind is fascinated by the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, which cannot be described.
“The tongue imbued with the True Word of the Shabad drinks in the Amrit with delight, (. . .) The Gurmukh obtains this love, when the Lord, in His Will, grants His Grace. || 2 ||”
May we all bathe in the Pool of Ambrosial Nectar, so that the filth of many incarnations be washed away.
It is through the Divine Amrit, that we release what no longer serves us, so that we may bring in, or rather bring forth the gifts that lie dormant within us.
“The Lord Himself, is the Sublime Essence. The Lord Himself is the Essence. In His Kindness, He blesses the Gurmukh with it; the Ambrosial Nectar of this Amrit trickles down. Then, the body and mind totally blossom forth and flourish; (. . .) || 4 || 5 || 69 ||”
AMimRq bwxI hir hir qyrI ]
amrit banee har har tayree.
The Word of Your Bani, Lord, is Ambrosial Nectar.suix suix hovY prm giq myrI ]
sun sun hovai param gat mayree.
Hearing it again and again, I am elevated to the supreme heights.jlin buJI sIqlu hoie mnUAw siqgur kw drsnu pwey jIau ]1]
jalan bujhee seetal ho-ay manoo-aa satgur kaa darsan paa-ay jee-o. ||1||
The burning within me has been extinguished, and my mind has been cooled and soothed, by the Blessed Vision of the True Guru. ||1||
We continually listen to the Divine Shabad Guru and receive the Essence of Ambrosial Nectar that comes through the Ambrosial Words of the Perfect Guru.
As we continually meditate, speak, and contemplate the words of the Guru, we slowly understand and experience the Guru’s teachings in deeper ways.
And as the Guru says, “Those who continually chant the Ambrosial Words of Nectar, see and behold this Amrit everywhere with their eyes. They continually chant the Ambrosial Sermon, day and night; chanting it, they cause others to hear it. || 2 ||”
Not only do we perceive God in all things, but hopefully through our experience, we can offer the opportunity for others to experience the Amrit that is found in our world.
There is a divine essence and frequency that is in all things. As humans we have our own frequency that’s been given to us to equally vibrate to the Divine Frequency. When we focus our awareness on the Shabad, when we are attuned to God, the Guru says that Happiness wells up and peace is found.
By tasting the Amrit, the Ambrosial Nectar, and abiding in the Lord’s Name, we can recognize our own selves and remain lovingly attuned to the Lord. Thus, are we victorious on the battlefield of life, as we follow the Guru’s Teachings. And then pain runs away.
“Of all efforts, the supreme effort is the attainment of the Lord’s Name. Peace and tranquility come to dwell within the mind; meditating within the heart, there comes a lasting peace. The Ambrosial Amrit is his food, and the Ambrosial Amrit is his clothes; O Nanak, through the Naam, the Name of the Lord, greatness is obtained. || 1 ||”
Let’s just pause for a moment and contemplate on what we are told.
We get to taste the divine juice of Amrit. It is our food. We are nourished by it. We bathe in the Amrit of the Naam, and we are clothed in it. We get to blossom forth and flourish, and through all of it, our mind is soothed, and we experience peace.
What a blessing!
I’d like to talk now about Guru Gobind Singh’s Amrit, the “khanda-de-pahul”; the Amrit that was given to the Five Beloved Ones, the Panj Piare, on the day that Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, the baptized Sikhs.
First let me share what Kabir ji says about “Khalsa” in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib:
“Says Kabeer, those humble people become pure - they become Khalsa - who know the Lord's loving devotional worship. ||4||3||”
Bhai Gurdas Ji says that Guru Nanak “In His Tenth Form (which is Guru Gobind Singh), the Guru entreated the Shakti, the Integrity, by bequeathing the nectar through the double-edged sword.”
Bhai Gurdas Ji tells you to drink the Amrit nectar of the double-edged Khanda sword and accomplish the worth of your birth.
We may say that the worth of our birth is to live as pure human beings, with the highest values possible as we bathe in the Divine Amrit, in Union with the Lord; so that we may vibrate that Amrit with the people around us and spread God’s Divine Light and holy word in everyday life.
Bhai Nand Lal ji says about the Khalsa:
Khalsa is the one who annuls the five vices.
Khalsa is the one who burns the (effect of) the (previous) actions.
Khalsa is the one who relinquishes the ego.
Khalsa is the one who does not imitate the others' viewpoint.
Khalsa is the one who is infused with the divine name.
Khalsa is the one who puts his heart into Gurbani.
Khalsa is the one who looks after the poor.
Khalsa is the one who destroys the evildoers.
Khalsa is the one who destroys the bondage.
Khalsa is the one who is ever ready for righteous war.
As I have contemplated the meaning of Amrit and Ambrosial Nectar, I recall the day that I took the Khalsa Amrit.
During the Amrit Sanchar, the Sikh baptism ceremony, as the khanda mixes the sugar in the water whilst the Panj Piare recite the 5 banis that were given to us as a daily prayer, I now realize and understand even more deeply the profound experience that I had.
When taking Guru Gobind Singh’s Amrit, I felt the power of the khanda grinding the Shabad Guru’s Bani within my body.
Every cell, atom, bone, body, mind, and soul were being infused by the nectar of the Shabad Guru, by the Bani’s Amrit. It permeated every aspect of my being.
So, whether we choose to take Guru Gobind Singh’s Amrit or not, we are blessed with the Shabad Guru. And that Shabad Guru will be infused into our being the more we connect with the Guru’s Word and the more we connect with its Divine energy and frequency.
So, may we, all of us continue to be blessed to speak and chant the Shabad Guru, and go ever deeper into understanding it and bathing in it.
May we be blessed to receive God and Guru’s Divine Amrit!
This second article by Rishipal Singh follows the above one which can also be seen in the video.
Amrit – Rishipal Singh
Amrit is the method by which the soul not only connects with the Divine, but it is also the true gift of the Divine. Amrit is the nectar of immortality. To be drenched in Amrit is to also find a sweetness in death. The death of our ego and the life based on spiritual ignorance Amrit is our one-pointed connection with the Divine,
Simran spoke of the Amrit initiation ceremony. Whatever tradition we belong to, we must adopt it wholeheartedly. The initiation and to adopt a path are where we are planted with the seed of the Shabad. It is a great blessing. However, do not be mistaken, although it may have taken some of us many lifetimes just to get to that point, in terms of our spiritual connection, our initiation ceremony is only the beginning.
Simran introduced this point. As we start to meditate on the Divine and we develop a meditation practice. The mind will start to focus and become one with the Shabad. The way we know this is starting to happen is because a certain sweetness starts to be experienced initially on our tongue. This is referred to as Rus. The more we meditate this Rus or sweet taste is felt on our tongue. Many will also notice their saliva tasting sweeter.
ਪ੍ਰਭ ਜੀ ਬਸਹਿ ਸਾਧ ਕੀ ਰਸਨਾ ॥
prabh jee baseh saadh kee rasanaa ||
The Divine lives on the tongue and in the taste of the Saints.
However, the true taste of this Amrit, this nectar is something beyond words and description. Amrit is the very pure essence of the Divine. Amrit is our way of receiving and experiencing the loving embrace of the Divine.
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਬਾਣੀ ਤਤੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥
The Ambrosial Word of His Bani is the true essence. It comes to abide in the mind of the Gurmukh.
Its sweetness is beyond comprehension. Amrit is a spiritual vision or Drishti that is within us all. In order to have this internal vision, it is essential to turn our vision inwards. In order to see this vision our attention has to be on our soul and not on the external creation. The vision and communion we seek is one that occurs inside us. It is an expression beyond the 5 senses of the body.
Simran Kaur referenced what has been termed as 36 delicacies. 36 Prakar. The ancient texts identify particular food groups, sweet, sour, dry, wet that entice the senses and are seen as the most extravagant. However, the extravagance of this food cannot equate to even one drop of this Amrit.
The extravagance of Amrit is only experienced by coming into the shelter of the Shabad. Coming into the shelter of the Guru. Finding the support of the pre-ordained masters and focusing our scattered mind in seva, selfless service and in simran, devotion of the Divine.
What does this Amrit feel like?
This is something that can only be experienced and not told. Anything spoken about this experience will only be second hand. It is an experience beyond the limitations of the written word.
Even the saints are lost for words to describe this sweetness.
As the scriptures speak,
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੰਤਨ ਰਸੁ ਆਈ ਹੈ ਜਿਉ ਚਾਖਿ ਗੂੰਗਾ ਮੁਸਕਾਰੈ ॥੨॥੧॥੨੦॥
kahu naanak sa(n)tan ras aaiee hai jiau chaakh goo(n)gaa musakaarai ||2||1||20||
Says Nanak, the Saints savor this sublime essence, like the mute, who tastes the sweet candy, but only smiles. ||2||1||20||
Guru Sahib says, imagine the smile of a mute. Someone who is unable to speak. Now imagine their smile, their reaction when they taste something so sweet, but words cannot describe. A picture cannot capture what they are feeling. And that is the closest we will get to witnessing this as this is an experience beyond words. It is a taste experienced beyond the senses and the receptors of the mind and tongue.
I met a young child who was a mute once and i became fascinated to see if i could understand the meaning of these precious lines. As I gave him a sweet to eat, a beaming smile came on his face which was mezmerising to say the least, but despite this, the extent of his internal pleasure, I will never no.
This is the exact emotion of Amrit.
This juice, this rus is extracted by the Shabad. Our spiritual texts, our spiritual bodies are overflowing with this nectar, but we have to seek the awareness to know where to find this and how to extract it.
This essence of the Divine is within all of us but only experienced by a few. This is because our taste buds are attuned to food that harms. Which food is this? Our tongue is pleasured by slander and our ears support this corruption and the mind then stores these experiences. All sorts of vibrations are collected and stored through these experiences. We seek pleasures of the tongue, all sorts of perceived nectars and indulgences that are not permanent. In these indulgences, not only does our body weaken but so does our mind.
In order to enjoy the taste of any delicacy, it needs to be consumed slowly. Much enjoyment comes when we enjoy delicacies in a silent moment. The tongue enjoys the taste and the receptors of the brain store that experience and crave for this again. We then want that taste to continue, that period of enjoyment is fleeting but we wish for it to continue. The same is said for Amrit, if we do not fully absorb ourselves in a spiritual way of life, we will never truly know the taste of this Amrit.
The Guru describes this as the wooden spoon that prepares and stirs the food it cooks but is not able to hold on to it long enough, to retain its taste.
ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੫ ॥
salok mahalaa panjavaa ||
Shalok, Fifth Mehla:
ਕੜਛੀਆ ਫਿਰੰਨਿ੍ਹ ਸੁਆਉ ਨ ਜਾਣਨਿ੍ਹ ਸੁਞੀਆ ॥
The ladles cruise through the food, but they do not know the taste of it.
ਸੇਈ ਮੁਖ ਦਿਸੰਨਿ੍ਹ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਤੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਰਸਿ ॥੧॥
I long to see the faces of those, O Nanak, who are imbued with the essence of the Lord's Love. ||1||
But if a seeker is genuine about loving the Divine, then a power will come from within to overcome these illnesses of the mind. This power is awakened by our meditation. From there an instinct comes from which we start to understand that the world is not the source of our happiness.
As we change this perception and focus on the Shabad, as we focus the thought waves of our scattered mind into the presence of the shabad, this taste or rus will start to be experienced. Not just on your tongue but throughout your body.
Only when we purify our mind with the Shabad will we be able to truly drink this nectar. As we focus on the Shabad, an inner thirst will develop which the spiritualist will pine to be quenced. This is a thirst to experience the completeness and love of the Divine. Then as the Divine blesses, this experience of knowing the Divine comes to the seeker, who is now drenched in this Amrit. All other desires at this point other than Divine remain completely tasteless.
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