Suchajee

Suchajee or Suchaji is a poetry which is part of raag bani . Suchajee means a noble & Graceful bride. Here the guru treats lord as husband and human as his bride who is not ungraceful(i.e Kuchajee). This bani shows the attitude of Noble & Graceful 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, started from line 14th with two stanzas. THe Bani is here under: SUCHAJl (SUCHAJJI), literally, a 'Bride' (male or female) of good manners and accomplishment, is the title of one of GURU NANAK`s compositions, in measure Suhi, in the Guru GRANTH Sahib.

Antithetically, it follows another of his compositions called Kuchaji (literally, an awkward, illmannered 'Bride' (male or female)). Suchaji (`sn`, meaning good or appropriate; `chaf meaning manner or style, with i being the suffix of feminine singular) is the term figuratively used to typify the qualities of a GURMUKH (egoless person turned towards lord). According to JANAM SAKHI tradition, Guru Nanak uttered these verses in conversation with Shaikh Brahm (Ibrahim), a distant spiritual successor of Shaikh Farid of Pakpattan, whom he met in the course of one of his journeys through western Punjab. Shaikh Brahm had said that they who truly loved the Infinite Being were the true ones. Guru Nanak elaborates and says that true love of God consists in living in accordance with His Will. The true devotee, siichajji, remains constant in his love. However variable material circumstances may be, he/she abides by the will of the Almighty.

Why would the Guru refer to himself as a Bride?

Why would Guru Nanak use the word bride (with the female (i) ending? This is easy to figure out as before Guru Nanak the Bride of any wedding, Hindu or Muslim came to the wedding as an unequal partner. She was expected to do his every wish and treat him as if he was God.

• In the Hindu wedding if her husband died it was her fault (something she had done in a past life). She could not remarry, have fun or wear color. Every nasty task was assigned to her--she was inferior and treated as a slave. For many the tradition of Sutee with a little bhang or Afim probably seemed the preferrable choice.

• In the Muslim wedding she was treated even worse if her husband chose to do so. She had to be Burka Posh was never allowed to be educated and could be divorced in minutes with just a few words. And then there were the other wives of her husband trying to make sure it was their son that inherited all.

So Guru Nanak considered himself the 'inferior partner' in his 'marriage with God', therefore he used the word bride which was, before his revolutionary teachings, (even now in many mens minds) the inferior partner in any marriage.

Metaphorically, the poem conveys Guru Nanak`s conception of a true devotee. Such a devotee surrenders himself completely to the will of God; his faith remains unshaken under all circumstances; whatever God ordains tastes sweet to him. A true man of God (suchay`J, in this context) is convinced that all that happens is by the command of the Lord; and that his duty is to accept His command cheerfully. He is humble and dutiful and his only desire is to attain proximity to the Lord.

The poem is marked by a deeply devotional tone, its picturesque symbolism and tilting music. 1. Sabdarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib. AMRITSAR, 1975 ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਸ੝ਚਜੀ ॥
सूही महला १ सढ़चजी ॥
Sūhī mehlĝ 1 sucẖjī.
Soohee, First Mehl, Suchajee ~ The Noble And Graceful Bride:

ਜਾ ਤੂ ਤਾ ਮੈ ਸਭ੝ ਕੋ ਤੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ੝ ਮੇਰੀ ਰਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
जा तू ता मै सभढ़ को तू साहिबढ़ मेरी रासि जीउ ॥
Jĝ ṯū ṯĝ mai sabẖ ko ṯū sĝhib mėrī rĝs jīo.
When I have You, then I have everything. O my Lord and Master, You are my wealth and capital.

ਤ੝ਧ੝ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਹਉ ਸ੝ਖਿ ਵਸਾ ਤੂੰ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਸਾਬਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
तढ़धढ़ अंतरि हउ सढ़खि वसा तूं अंतरि साबासि जीउ ॥
Ŧuḝẖ anṯar hao sukẖ vasĝ ṯūʼn anṯar sĝbĝs jīo.
Within You, I abide in peace; within You, I am congratulated.

ਭਾਣੈ ਤਖਤਿ ਵਡਾਈਆ ਭਾਣੈ ਭੀਖ ਉਦਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
भाणै तखति वडाईआ भाणै भीख उदासि जीउ ॥
Bẖĝṇai ṯakẖaṯ vadĝīĝ bẖĝṇai bẖīkẖ uḝĝs jīo.
By the Pleasure of Your Will, You bestow thrones and greatness. And by the Pleasure of Your Will, You make us beggars and wanderers.

ਭਾਣੈ ਥਲ ਸਿਰਿ ਸਰ੝ ਵਹੈ ਕਮਲ੝ ਫ੝ਲੈ ਆਕਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
भाणै थल सिरि सरढ़ वहै कमलढ़ फढ़लै आकासि जीउ ॥
Bẖĝṇai thal sir sar vahai kamal fulai ĝkĝs jīo.
By the Pleasure of Your Will, the ocean flows in the desert, and the lotus blossoms in the sky.

ਭਾਣੈ ਭਵਜਲ੝ ਲੰਘੀਝ ਭਾਣੈ ਮੰਝਿ ਭਰੀਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
भाणै भवजलढ़ लंघीझ भाणै मंझि भरीआसि जीउ ॥
Bẖĝṇai bẖavjal langẖīai bẖĝṇai manjẖ bẖarīĝs jīo.
By the Pleasure of Your Will, one crosses over the terrifying world-ocean; by the Pleasure of Your Will, he sinks down into it.

ਭਾਣੈ ਸੋ ਸਹ੝ ਰੰਗ੝ਲਾ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਰਤਾ ਗ੝ਣਤਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
भाणै सो सहढ़ रंगढ़ला सिफति रता गढ़णतासि जीउ ॥
Bẖĝṇai so saho rangulĝ sifaṯ raṯĝ guṇṯĝs jīo.
By the Pleasure of His Will, that Lord becomes my Husband, and I am imbued with the Praises of the Lord, the treasure of virtue.

ਭਾਣੈ ਸਹ੝ ਭੀਹਾਵਲਾ ਹਉ ਆਵਣਿ ਜਾਣਿ ਮ੝ਈਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
भाणै सहढ़ भीहावला हउ आवणि जाणि मढ़ईआसि जीउ ॥
Bẖĝṇai saho bẖīhĝvalĝ hao ĝvaṇ jĝṇ muīĝs jīo.
By the Pleasure of Your Will, O my Husband Lord, I am afraid of You, and I come and go, and die.

ਤੂ ਸਹ੝ ਅਗਮ੝ ਅਤੋਲਵਾ ਹਉ ਕਹਿ ਕਹਿ ਢਹਿ ਪਈਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
तू सहढ़ अगमढ़ अतोलवा हउ कहि कहि ढहि पईआसि जीउ ॥
Ŧū saho agam aṯolvĝ hao kahi kahi dẖeh paīĝs jīo.
You, O my Husband Lord, are inaccessible and immeasurable; talking and speaking of You, I have fallen at Your Feet.

ਕਿਆ ਮਾਗਉ ਕਿਆ ਕਹਿ ਸ੝ਣੀ ਮੈ ਦਰਸਨ ਭੂਖ ਪਿਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥
किआ मागउ किआ कहि सढ़णी मै दरसन भूख पिआसि जीउ ॥
Kiĝ mĝgao kiĝ kahi suṇī mai ḝarsan bẖūkẖ piĝs jīo.
What should I beg for? What should I say and hear? I am hungry and thirsty for the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan.

ਗ੝ਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਸਹ੝ ਪਾਇਆ ਸਚ੝ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੀ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥੨॥
गढ़र सबदी सहढ़ पाइआ सचढ़ नानक की अरदासि जीउ ॥२॥
Gur sabḝī saho pĝiĝ sacẖ Nĝnak kī arḝĝs jīo. ||2||
Through the Word of the Guru's Teachings, I have found my Husband Lord. This is Nanak's true prayer. ||2||

This all states : When I have Thee, then have I every-thing Thou O Lord, art capital. In Thee I abide in peace. Abiding in Thee I am congratulated. By Thy will, Thou bestowest throne and greatness and by Thy will beggary and despondency.By Thy will, the ocean flows ever the desert and the lotus bloom in the sky.In Thy will, the man crosses the dreadful world-ocean and in Thy will, he is filled with sins and is drowned in it. In His will, He becomes the blissful spouse of mine and I am imbued with the praise of the Treasure of virtues. In Thy will, O my Groom. Thou seemest dreadful and I am undone in coming and going. Thou O Groom, art Unapproachable and Unweighable. Uttering, uttering of Thee I have fallen at Thine feet. What should I ask and what should I say and hear? I hunger and thirst for Thine vision. Guru's Instruction, I have obtained my Lord, and Nanak's true prayer has been granted.