Gurbani about the Universe and the Lord: Difference between revisions
Hari singh (talk | contribs) (Created page with "Gurbani and the Guru Granth Sahib has a lot to say about the Lord of the Universe and His (or Her) creation. '''God''' in Sikhism is a term used to denote any o...") |
Hari singh (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 69: | Line 69: | ||
===Surprisingly, God acts according to the will of His servants === | ===Surprisingly, God acts according to the will of His servants === | ||
{{tuk| | {{tuk|42|1724|ਜੋ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਕਰੇ ਦਰਿ ਫੇਰ ਨ ਪਾਵੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਤਾ ਰੰਗਿ ਹਰਿ ਸਭ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣ ਹੋਇ ॥੪॥੧॥੭੧॥ | ||
Jo har jan bẖĝvai so kare ḝar fer na pĝvai ko▫e. Nĝnak raṯĝ rang har sabẖ jag mėh cẖĝnaṇ ho▫e. (4)(1)(71) | |Jo har jan bẖĝvai so kare ḝar fer na pĝvai ko▫e. Nĝnak raṯĝ rang har sabẖ jag mėh cẖĝnaṇ ho▫e. (4)(1)(71) | ||
As the servant of the Lord wills, so does the Lord act. At the Lord's Door, none of his requests are denied. | |As the servant of the Lord wills, so does the Lord act. At the Lord's Door, none of his requests are denied. | ||
Nanak is attuned to the Love of the Lord, whose Light pervades the entire Universe. (4)(1)(71) | Nanak is attuned to the Love of the Lord, whose Light pervades the entire Universe. (4)(1)(71)}} | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 17:13, 17 September 2010
Gurbani and the Guru Granth Sahib has a lot to say about the Lord of the Universe and His (or Her) creation.
God in Sikhism is a term used to denote any object of worship or evocation and signifies the belief of most modern religions in the existence of a "Supreme Being" or "Supreme Spirit" who is the source and support of the spatio-temporal material world.
Theologians remember Him by the name of God. The fundamental belief of Sikhism, too, is that God exists, not merely as an idea or concept, but as a "Real Being", indescribable yet not unknowable. The Sikh Masters, however, never theorized about proofs of the existence of God.
For them He is too real and obvious to need any logical proof. Guru Arjan, Nanak V, says, "God is beyond colour and form, yet His presence is clearly visible" (GG, 74), and again, "Nanak's Lord transcends the world as well as the scriptures of the east and the west, and yet he is clearly manifest" (GG, 397).
In any case, knowledge of the ultimate Reality is not a matter for reason; it comes by revelation of Himself through nadar or grace and by anubhava or mystical experience. Says Guru Nanak, budhi pathi na paiai bahu chaturaiai bhai milai mani bhane (He is not accessible through intellect, or through mere scholarship or cleverness at argument; He is met, when He pleases, through devotion) " (GG, 436).
What Gurbani says about God and the Universe
His limit cannot be found
In the most famous composition, Japji sahib found in the Guru Granth Sahib, the founder Sikh Guru explains,
| ਅੰਤ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ਕੀਤਾ ਆਕਾਰ ॥ ਅੰਤ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰ ॥ ਅੰਤ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਕੇਤੇ ਬਿਲਲਾਹਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੇ ਅੰਤ ਨ ਪਾਝ ਜਾਹਿ ॥ ਝਹ ਅੰਤ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਬਹਤਾ ਕਹੀਝ ਬਹਤਾ ਹੋਇ ॥ |
| Anṯ na jĝpai kīṯĝ ĝkĝr. Anṯ na jĝpai pĝrĝvĝr. Anṯ kĝraṇ keṯe billĝhi. Ŧĝ ke anṯ na pĝ▫e jĝhi. Ėhu anṯ na jĝṇai ko▫e. Bahuṯĝ kahī▫ai bahuṯĝ ho▫e. |
| The limits of the created universe cannot be perceived. Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. Many struggle to know His limits, but His limits cannot be found. |
- the limit of the Universe cannot be perceived; it is beyond the capability of measurement or of real comprehension by the human mind. Further, the Guru tells us that the limits of the Creator and His creation cannot be found.
The Universe will depart but...
| ਹੈ ਭੀ ਹੋਸੀ ਜਾਇ ਨ ਜਾਸੀ ਰਚਨਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਰਚਾਈ ॥ ਰੰਗੀ ਰੰਗੀ ਭਾਤੀ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਜਿਨਸੀ ਮਾਇਆ ਜਿਨਿ ਉਪਾਈ ॥ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਵੇਖੈ ਕੀਤਾ ਆਪਣਾ ਜਿਵ ਤਿਸ ਦੀ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥ ਜੋ ਤਿਸ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋਈ ਕਰਸੀ ਹਕਮ ਨ ਕਰਣਾ ਜਾਈ ॥ |
| Hai bẖī hosī jĝ▫e na jĝsī racẖnĝ jin racẖĝ▫ī. Rangī rangī bẖĝṯī kar kar jinsī mĝ▫i▫ĝ jin upĝ▫ī. Kar kar vekẖai kīṯĝ ĝpṇĝ jiv ṯis ḝī vadi▫ĝ▫ī. Jo ṯis bẖĝvai so▫ī karsī hukam na karṇĝ jĝ▫ī. |
| He is, and shall always be. He shall not depart, even when this Universe which He has created departs. He created the world, with its various colors, species of beings, and the variety of Maya. |
| ਤਧ ਆਪੇ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋਈ ਵਰਤੈ ਜੀ ਤੂੰ ਆਪੇ ਕਰਹਿ ਸ ਹੋਈ ॥ ਤਧ ਆਪੇ ਸਰਿਸਟਿ ਸਭ ਉਪਾਈ ਜੀ ਤਧ ਆਪੇ ਸਿਰਜਿ ਸਭ ਗੋਈ ॥ |
| Ŧuḝẖ ĝpe bẖĝvai so▫ī varṯai jī ṯūʼn ĝpe karahi so ho▫ī. Ŧuḝẖ ĝpe sarisat sabẖ upĝ▫ī jī ṯuḝẖ ĝpe siraj sabẖ go▫ī. |
| Everything happens according to Your Will. You Yourself accomplish all that occurs.
You Yourself created the entire universe, and having fashioned it, You Yourself shall destroy it all. |
He sustains the Universe
| ਸੋਈ ਮਉਲਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਜਗ ਮਉਲਿਆ ਹਰਿਆ ਕੀਆ ਸੰਸਾਰੋ ॥ ਆਬ ਖਾਕ ਜਿਨਿ ਬੰਧਿ ਰਹਾਈ ਧੰਨ ਸਿਰਜਣਹਾਰੋ ॥੧॥ |
| So▫ī ma▫ulĝ jin jag ma▫oli▫ĝ hari▫ĝ kī▫ĝ sansĝro. Āb kẖĝk jin banḝẖ rahĝ▫ī ḝẖan sirjaṇhĝro. (1) |
| He is the Master who has made the world bloom; He makes the Universe blossom forth, fresh and green.
He holds the water and the land in bondage. Hail to the Creator Lord! (1) |
His Glory never diminishes
| ਖੰਡਿ ਵਰਭੰਡਿ ਹਰਿ ਸੋਭਾ ਹੋਈ ਇਹ ਦਾਨ ਨ ਰਲੈ ਰਲਾਇਆ ॥ |
| Kẖand varbẖand har sobẖĝ ho▫ī ih ḝĝn na ralai ralĝ▫i▫ĝ. |
| Across the continents, and throughout the Universe, the Lord's Glory is pervading. This gift is not diminished by being diffused among all. |
How do you attain Him?
| ਗੋਵਿਦ ਗਣੀ ਨਿਧਾਨ ਹੈ ਅੰਤ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਕਥਨੀ ਬਦਨੀ ਨ ਪਾਈਝ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਹ ਜਾਇ ॥ |
| Goviḝ guṇī niḝẖĝn hai anṯ na pĝ▫i▫ĝ jĝ▫e. Kathnī baḝnī na pĝ▫ī▫ai ha▫umai vicẖahu jĝ▫e. |
| The Lord of the Universe is the Treasure of Excellence; His limits cannot be found.
He is not obtained by mouthing mere words, but by rooting out ego from within. |
Surprisingly, God acts according to the will of His servants
| ਜੋ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਕਰੇ ਦਰਿ ਫੇਰ ਨ ਪਾਵੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਤਾ ਰੰਗਿ ਹਰਿ ਸਭ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣ ਹੋਇ ॥੪॥੧॥੭੧॥ |
| Jo har jan bẖĝvai so kare ḝar fer na pĝvai ko▫e. Nĝnak raṯĝ rang har sabẖ jag mėh cẖĝnaṇ ho▫e. (4)(1)(71) |
| As the servant of the Lord wills, so does the Lord act. At the Lord's Door, none of his requests are denied.
Nanak is attuned to the Love of the Lord, whose Light pervades the entire Universe. (4)(1)(71) |
See also
- An oasis in a barren universe
- Guru Granth Sahib on the Universe
- Guru Granth Sahib
- Guru Nanak
- Gurbani
