Kuchajee

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Kuchajee or Kuchaji is a part of raag bani. Kuchajee means a ignoble & ungraceful bride. Here the guru treats lord as husband and human as his bride who is not graceful(i.e Suchajee). This bani shows the attitude of igNoble & unGraceful women towards their husband i.e lord. It was written by Guru Nanak Dev Ji & it is written In raag Suhi. It is on page 762, starts from line 5th with one stanza.

Kuchaji, lit. an awkward, illmannered woman, is the title of one of GURU NANAK`s compositions, in measure Suhi in the Guru GRANTH Sahib. Antithetically it is followed by another of his compositions called Suchaji (lit. a woman of good manner and accomplishment). KuchaJi verses are said to have been addressed, by the Guru, to a sorceress named Nurshah, of Kamiup, who used to entice men by her magical powers. But the contents belie the conjecture. Whatever the occasion of this composition, it is a graceful poem expressing the emotions of a repentant person, who is figuratively called kuchajjihere (ku is a prefix meaning ill or contrary, chajj meaning manner or style, with 1 being the suffix of feminine singular). Speaking in the first person kuchajjl repents for being an undeserving bride of the Lord God. In SIKH hymnology, the devotee is often presented in the image of the bride, God in that of the bridegroom. The repentant devotee in Kuchaji regrets being unworthy of the Lord. She realizes that she is full of faults, unredeemed by any virtues. She has been lured all the time by material gifts, remaining completely oblivious of the Giver. What is worse, she comprehended not her shortcomings. Now recounting her faults and failures, she expresses the hope that, in spite of what she has been, the Lord God might still, in His mercy, admit her into His company. Kuchaji is the first of three compositions in a scries in measure Suhi in the Guru Granth Sahib. The other two arc Suchaji by Guru Nanak and Gunvanli by Guru ARJAN. All three are notable for their lyricism and music and for their devotional ardour.

The Bani is here under:

ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਕੁਚਜੀ
रागु सूही महला १ कुचजी
Rāg sūhī mehlā 1 kucẖjī
Raag Soohee, First Mehl, Kuchajee ~ The Ungraceful Bride:

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ੴ सतिगुर प्रसादि ॥
Ikoaʼnkār saṯgur parsāḏ.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

ਮੰਞੁ ਕੁਚਜੀ ਅੰਮਾਵਣਿ ਡੋਸੜੇ ਹਉ ਕਿਉ ਸਹੁ ਰਾਵਣਿ ਜਾਉ ਜੀਉ ॥
मंञु कुचजी अमावणि डोसड़े हउ किउ सहु रावणि जाउ जीउ ॥
Mañ kucẖjī ammāvaṇ dosṛė hao kio saho rāvaṇ jāo jīo.
I am ungraceful and ill-mannered, full of endless faults. How can I go to enjoy my Husband Lord?

ਇਕ ਦੂ ਇਕਿ ਚੜੰਦੀਆ ਕਉਣੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਨਾਉ ਜੀਉ ॥
इक दू इकि चड़ंदीआ कउणु जाणै मेरा नाउ जीउ ॥
Ik ḏū ik cẖaṛanḏīā kauṇ jāṇai mėrā nāo jīo.
Each of His soul-brides is better than the rest - who even knows my name?

ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਸਖੀ ਸਹੁ ਰਾਵਿਆ ਸੇ ਅੰਬੀ ਛਾਵੜੀਏਹਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
जिन्ही सखी सहु राविआ से अ्मबी छावड़ीएहि जीउ ॥
Jinĥī sakẖī saho rāviā sė ambī cẖẖāvṛīėhi jīo.
Those brides who enjoy their Husband Lord are very blessed, resting in the shade of the mango tree.

ਸੇ ਗੁਣ ਮੰਞੁ ਨ ਆਵਨੀ ਹਉ ਕੈ ਜੀ ਦੋਸ ਧਰੇਉ ਜੀਉ ॥
से गुण मंञु न आवनी हउ कै जी दोस धरेउ जीउ ॥
Sė guṇ mañ na āvnī hao kai jī ḏos ḏẖarėo jīo.
I do not have their virtue - who can I blame for this?

ਕਿਆ ਗੁਣ ਤੇਰੇ ਵਿਥਰਾ ਹਉ ਕਿਆ ਕਿਆ ਘਿਨਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਉ ਜੀਉ ॥
किआ गुण तेरे विथरा हउ किआ किआ घिना तेरा नाउ जीउ ॥
Kiā guṇ ṯėrė vithrā hao kiā kiā gẖinā ṯėrā nāo jīo.
Which of Your Virtues, O Lord, should I speak of? Which of Your Names should I chant?

ਇਕਤੁ ਟੋਲਿ ਨ ਅੰਬੜਾ ਹਉ ਸਦ ਕੁਰਬਾਣੈ ਤੇਰੈ ਜਾਉ ਜੀਉ ॥
इकतु टोलि न अ्मबड़ा हउ सद कुरबाणै तेरै जाउ जीउ ॥
Ikaṯ tol na ambṛā hao saḏ kurbāṇai ṯėrai jāo jīo.
I cannot even reach one of Your Virtues. I am forever a sacrifice to You.

ਸੁਇਨਾ ਰੁਪਾ ਰੰਗੁਲਾ ਮੋਤੀ ਤੈ ਮਾਣਿਕੁ ਜੀਉ ॥
सुइना रुपा रंगुला मोती तै माणिकु जीउ ॥
Suinā rupā rangulā moṯī ṯai māṇik jīo.
Gold, silver, pearls and rubies are pleasing.

ਸੇ ਵਸਤੂ ਸਹਿ ਦਿਤੀਆ ਮੈ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸਿਉ ਲਾਇਆ ਚਿਤੁ ਜੀਉ ॥
से वसतू सहि दितीआ मै तिन्ह सिउ लाइआ चितु जीउ ॥
Sė vasṯū seh ḏiṯīā mai ṯinĥ sio lāiā cẖiṯ jīo.
My Husband Lord has blessed me with these things, and I have focused my thoughts on them.

ਮੰਦਰ ਮਿਟੀ ਸੰਦੜੇ ਪਥਰ ਕੀਤੇ ਰਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
मंदर मिटी संदड़े पथर कीते रासि जीउ ॥
Manḏar mitī sanḏṛė pathar kīṯė rās jīo.
Palaces of brick and mud are built and decorated with stones;

ਹਉ ਏਨੀ ਟੋਲੀ ਭੁਲੀਅਸੁ ਤਿਸੁ ਕੰਤ ਨ ਬੈਠੀ ਪਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
हउ एनी टोली भुलीअसु तिसु कंत न बैठी पासि जीउ ॥
Hao ėnī tolī bẖulīas ṯis kanṯ na baiṯẖī pās jīo.
I have been fooled by these decorations, and I do not sit near my Husband Lord.

ਅੰਬਰਿ ਕੂੰਜਾ ਕੁਰਲੀਆ ਬਗ ਬਹਿਠੇ ਆਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
अ्मबरि कूंजा कुरलीआ बग बहिठे आइ जीउ ॥
Ambar kūnjā kurlīā bag bahiṯẖė āė jīo.
The cranes shriek overhead in the sky, and the herons have come to rest.

ਸਾ ਧਨ ਚਲੀ ਸਾਹੁਰੈ ਕਿਆ ਮੁਹੁ ਦੇਸੀ ਅਗੈ ਜਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
सा धन चली साहुरै किआ मुहु देसी अगै जाइ जीउ ॥
Sā ḏẖan cẖalī sāhurai kiā muhu ḏėsī agai jāė jīo.
The bride has gone to her father-in-law's house; in the world hereafter, what face will she show?

ਸੁਤੀ ਸੁਤੀ ਝਾਲੁ ਥੀਆ ਭੁਲੀ ਵਾਟੜੀਆਸੁ ਜੀਉ ॥
सुती सुती झालु थीआ भुली वाटड़ीआसु जीउ ॥
Suṯī suṯī jẖāl thīā bẖulī vātṛīās jīo.
She kept sleeping as the day dawned; she forgot all about her journey.

ਤੈ ਸਹ ਨਾਲਹੁ ਮੁਤੀਅਸੁ ਦੁਖਾ ਕੂੰ ਧਰੀਆਸੁ ਜੀਉ ॥
तै सह नालहु मुतीअसु दुखा कूं धरीआसु जीउ ॥
Ŧai sah nālahu muṯīas ḏukẖā kūʼn ḏẖarīās jīo.
She separated herself from her Husband Lord, and now she suffers in pain.

ਤੁਧੁ ਗੁਣ ਮੈ ਸਭਿ ਅਵਗਣਾ ਇਕ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੀ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
तुधु गुण मै सभि अवगणा इक नानक की अरदासि जीउ ॥
Ŧuḏẖ guṇ mai sabẖ avgaṇā ik Nānak kī arḏās jīo.
Virtue is in You, O Lord; I am totally without virtue. This is Nanak's only prayer:

ਸਭਿ ਰਾਤੀ ਸੋਹਾਗਣੀ ਮੈ ਡੋਹਾਗਣਿ ਕਾਈ ਰਾਤਿ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥
सभि राती सोहागणी मै डोहागणि काई राति जीउ ॥१॥
Sabẖ rāṯī sohāgaṇī mai dohāgaṇ kāī rāṯ jīo. ||1||
You give all Your nights to the virtuous soul-brides. I know I am unworthy, but isn't there a night for me as well? ||1||

• Suchajee