Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
ੴ
Gurbani.org
ਖਜ
Advanced
Reflections On Gurbani
Home | About | Articles | Gurbani Blog | Visuals | Hukamnama | Calendar | · )
FISH CLIMBS A DATE TREE
ਕਈ ਬਲ ਿਨਰਵਾ ਕਈ ਬਲ ਦਿਰ ਜਲ ਕੀ ਮਾਛਲੀ ਚਰ ਖਜਿਰ ॥੧॥ (sggs 718).
<><><><>
It is just impossible for the fish to climb a Khajoor (date tree, palmyra palm). Here the GurShabad mentions not any tree but
a date tree, which is relatively a difficult climb even for humans, let alone the fish!
Bhagat Naam Dev in the foregoing Shabad says that to debate whether our Mool (Source, Origin, Jot, ਾਤਮਾ,ਅਤਰਆਤਮਾ..) is
near or far away is nothing but a "nonsense" speech. Because, such talk amounts to same as a fish climbing a date tree!
Which, of course, is impossible. Yet many of us waste our energy and time by engaging in such "nonsense" discussions and
debates.
As a result, our Surti (consciousness, memory, recollection...) gets linked to the tripplequality Maya, instead of linking with
our Mool within. Bhagat Naam Dev is also indicating that it is also a "nonsense" talk to say that one who has found the Lord,
keeps quiet about it ("ਕ ਇ ਰ ਬਕਬਾਦ ਲਾਇਓ ਿਜਿਨ ਹਿਰ ਪਾਇਓ ਿਤਨਿਹ ਛਪਾਇਓ"). Because in this (ਮਰਖ ਨਾਮਦਉ ਰਾਮਿਹ ਜਾਨ) verse, Bhagat
Naam Dev himself declares that he knows the Inner Raam (ਅਦਰ ਰਮ ਹਏ ਰਾਮ ਜਾਣਦਾ ਹ ). Not only that, Bhagat Naam Dev
further says that, those who realized the Truth, instead of hiding it, they write the Veda (Granth of Divine Knowledge).
The connection of the Supreme Essence with His creation revolves round the axis of the two following divine traits (among the
countless). The first is His Transcendence which makes Him the omnipotent Lord of the creation, the Absolute Reality. The
second is His easy accessibility because of which human beings adorn Him in infinite ways and are able to realize Him.
Only that which is finite and bound in time and space can be caught in the near / far physicality. Since the One, Absolute
Reality is not so bound in time and space, the Gurbani indicates This Reality to be Infinite, Fathomless, Limitless, Formless,
Allpervading, ever Present, etc. Simply put, it was, It is, and It will be Eternal, omnipresence, omnipotence and
omniscience. The entire creation is pervaded with This Boundless Grace.
ਪਰਨ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਿਨਰਾਧਾਰ ਹ ਨ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰ ਪਾਈਐ ਨ ਪਾਰ ਪ ਅਪਾਰ ਕ ਬਖਾਨੀਐ : Pooran avataar niraadhaar hai na paaraavaar paaeeai an
paar pai apaar kai bakhaaneeai: Thou art an Absolute Avataar who needs no support; Thy near and far side limits are
not known; Thy far side limit cannot be found, therefore Thou art called fathomless (Guru Gobind Singh Jee, Dasam
Granth 86).
ਆਪ ਨੜ ਦਿਰ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਆਪ ਮਿਝ ਿਮਆਨੁ : Aape nerrai door aape hee aape manjh miaanuo: (the LordHimself is near, and (He)
Himself is far away; (He) Himself is inbetween (sggs 25).
ਸਭ ਹ ਦਿਰ ਸਭ ਹ ਤ ਨਰ ਅਗਮ ਅਗਮ ਘਟ ਵਾਸਾ 1 ਰਹਾਉ : Sabh hoo door sabh hoo te nerai agam agam ghat vaasaa ||1||
rahaaou || (the Lord) is far from all, and yet near to all. (He is) Inaccessible and Unfathomable, and yet (He) dwells in
the heart ||1||Pause|| (sggs 1211).
ਭ ਨੜ ਹਿਰ ਦਿਰ ਨ ਜਾਣਹ ਏਕ ਿ ਸਿਟ ਸਬਾਈ : Prabh nerrai har door na jaanahu eko srisat sabaaee: God is near at hand; do not
think that God is far away. The One Lord permeates the entire universe (sggs 930).
ਿਨਤ ਸਾਿਰ ਸਮ੍ਹਾਲ ਸਭ ਜੀਅ ਜਤ ਹਿਰ ਵਸ ਿਨਕਿਟ ਸਭ ਜਉਲਾ : Nit saar samaalhe sabh jeea jant har vasai nikat sabh joulaa: The Lord
always looks after and cares for all His beings and creatures; He is with all, near and far (sggs 1315).
ਦਿਰ ਨ ਨਰ ਸਭ ਕ ਸਗਾ : Door na nerai sabh kai sangaa: (the Lord) is not far away; He is near at hand, with all (sdds 236).
Near and far is the notion of duality bodily or physical proximity. If one says Reality to be near, than the question arises:
how near? On the other hand, if one says Reality to be far, than the question arises: how far? Or is It some super mundane
remote Reality? Is It separate from us? Does It remain on a fixed abode or a plane? Absolutely not, declares the SGGS. In
fact, the Gurbani tells us that the "Gur Sabhaa" ( ਗਰ ਸਭਾ: ਸਗ or Association of the Gur Giaan...) cannot be "obtained like
this, by trying to be near or far away".
ਗਰ ਸਭਾ ਏਵ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ਨਾ ਨੜ ਨਾ ਦਿਰ : Gur sabhaa ev na paaeeai naa nerrai naa door: The Gur Sabhaa (ਸਗ , Association...) is
not obtained like this (physical proximity), by (physically) trying to be near or far away (sggs 84).
http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart317.htm 1/3
16/02/2018 ਮਾਛਲੀ ਚਰ ਖਜਿਰ - FISH CLIMBS A DATE TREE
The one indivisible Divine Factor is the Allembracing Reality, the everpresent Cosmic Energy that pervades the ever dwells
within the hearts of all beings. The SGGS declares that this Infinite Reality is "here and now" — "Haajraa Hajoor"! There is no
other time, other place or there yonder . There is no yesterday, today, or tomorrow. Neither this Reality is after death
somewhere. Because Reality is not a postmortem state! The Reality is closer to us than our very breath! We are That at this
very moment!
Baabaa Nanak enlightens us with fantastic examples of the "fragrance which remains in the flower", and the "reflection in the
mirror". He says "the Lord dwells deep within; search for Him within your own heart".
Since Truth is 'here and now' Haajraa Hajoor the Gurbani urges us to stay where we are. Which simply means there is
nowhere to go to discover Reality. It is our very True Nature (JotiSvaroopa, Mool... ). Wherever we go, we will find the same
Mool everywhere. Wisdom is the comprehension of this Truth at this very moment. But, as repeatedly indicated by the
Gurbani, this will not happen until we gain insights into the disorder our conditioned mind (Haume) has created.
ਹਉਮ ਮਰਾ ਭਰਮ ਸਸਾਰ : Haumai meraa bharmai sansaar: The world wanders in ego and selfhood (sggs 841).
ਞਞਾ ਿਨਕਿਟ ਜ ਘਟ ਰਿਹਓ ਦਿਰ ਕਹਾ ਤਿਜ ਜਾਇ : Njannjaa nikat ju ghat rahiou door kahaa taj jaai: NYANYA: He dwells near you,
deep, within your heart; why do you leave Him and go far away? (sggs 341).
ਸਚਾ ਸਾਿਹਬ ਮਿਨ ਵਸ ਵਿਸਆ ਮਿਨ ਸਈ : Sachaa saahib mani vasai vasiaa mani soi: The True Saahib (the Lord) dwells within the
mind; the mind that realizes this blends into Him (sggs 420).
This leads to the following question: if Reality is here and now, then what makes us miss It? It is the confusion resulting from
our psychological conditionings (false egosense or Haume) that makes us go far away from Truth. Everything is only
subsequent to this modification of the Consciousness. Before that, there is only Pure Awareness. But with the rise of confusion
comes agitation in the lifeforces. On account of this confusion, one is unable to perceive Reality clearly. Living in the external
area of the mind, thoughts (notions, concepts, systems and customs) always keep changing. When we see the outer things
(physical proximity), we do not see our Inner True Nature (JotiSvaroopa, Mool... ) one's own Reality. For it is impossible for
the same person to be engaged in dualistic notion and to have the Vision of Truth as well.
ਮਨਮਖ ਮਗਧ ਬਝ ਨਾਹੀ ਬਾਹਿਰ ਭਾਲਿਣ ਜਾਈ : Manmukh mugadh boojhai naahee baahar bhaalan jaaee: The foolish Manmukh
(material being) does not understand; he goes out searching for the Divine externally (sggs 754).
ਸਰੀਰਹ ਭਾਲਿਣ ਕ ਬਾਹਿਰ ਜਾਏ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਲਹ ਬਹਤ ਵਗਾਿਰ ਦਖ ਪਾਏ : Sareerahu bhaalan ko baahar jaaye. Naam na lahai bahut vegaar
dukh paaye: Those who search for the Divine outside the body will not receive the Naam; consequently, they will suffer
the terrible pains of senseslavery (sggs 124).
ਢਢਾ ਢਢਤ ਕਹ ਿਫਰਹ ਢਢਨ ਇਆ ਮਨ ਮਾਿਹ : Dhadhaa dhoodhat kah firahu dhoodhan iaa mann maahi: Dhadhaa: Where are you
going, wandering and searching? Search instead within your own mind (sggs 256).
Bhai Gurdaas Jee further helps us understand Truth with an example of a river and its two banks. He says: " From the two
banks of a river its True extent cannot be understood simply by saying that the one is far and the other near bank." Similarly,
being Infinite, Reality's "shores near and far cannot be known". According to Bhai Gurdaas Jee, we attain clear understand
when, as the Gurmukh (spiritual being), we attain the ShabadGiaan.
ਨਦੀ ਿਕਨਾਰ ਆਖੀਅਿਨ ਪਛ ਪਾਰਵਾਰ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ : Nadee kinaare aakheean pushhe paaravaar na paaiaa: From the two banks of a
river its True extent cannot be understood simply by saying that the one is far and the other near bank (Vaar Bhai
Gurdaas Jee).
ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰ ਨ ਰਾਹ ਿਬਅਤ ਸਹਾਣੀਐ : Paaraavaar na raahu biant suhaaneeai: His shores near and far cannot be known and He is
adorned in infinite ways (Vaar Bhai Gurdaas Jee).
ਗਰਮਿਖ ਸਬਦ ਿਗਆਨ ਨੜ ਨ ਦਰ ਹ : Gurmukh sabad giaan nerr na door hai: Due to the knowledge of the Shabad (Gur
Shabad Giaan), the Gurmukh (perceives) the Lord always near and not far off (Vaar Bhai Gurdaas Jee).
A question such as this may arise in one's mind: "if Reality is evenly present within and without, everywhere, then why to
some He appears far away, while others perceive Him near at hand?" In other words, why do some realize Him within, here
and now, while others don't? The GurShabad indicates that, according to the Budhi (intellect...) we have cultivated for
http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart317.htm 2/3
16/02/2018 ਮਾਛਲੀ ਚਰ ਖਜਿਰ - FISH CLIMBS A DATE TREE
ourselves, some have realized Him and thereby perceive Him here and now and others who have not realized Him perceive
Him to be far away.
ਿਕਸ ਦਿਰ ਜਨਾਵਤ ਿਕਸ ਬਝਾਵਤ ਨਰਾ : Kisai door janaavat kisai bujhaavat neraa: To some, He appears far away, while others
perceive Him near at hand (sggs 269).
ਸਭ ਤ ਨਰ ਸਭਹ ਤ ਦਿਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਆਿਪ ਅਿਲਪਤ ਰਿਹਆ ਭਰਪਿਰ : Sabh te nerai sabhahoo te door. Nanak aap alipat rahiaa bharapoor:
(He) is near to all, and yet far from all; O Nanak, He Himself remains distinct, while yet pervading all (sggs 276).
ਕਰਮੀ ਆਪ ਆਪਣੀ ਕ ਨੜ ਕ ਦਿਰ : Karmee aapo aapanee ke nerrai ke doori: According to their own actions, some are near
(Akaal Purukh or God), and some are far away (sggs 8).
"JotiSvaroopa, Mool... " which was present before the birth of the body and which will be there after the body is gone is
also present her and now. In fact the Gurbani time and again reminds us that the One Factor is everything.
But the majority of us neither know it nor understand it. Our bodyconsciousness (Mayaic Budhi, animal nature) is the cause
of this forgetfulness. According to the Gurbani, the difference between our animal nature and our True Nature (Pure
Consciousness, JotiSvaroopa, Mool...) is as between darkness and light, between ignorance and knowledge, between
bondage and liberation, between death and life, between impurity and purity, between falsehood and truth. That is to say,
when we think we are the body, then we are not linked to our "JotiSvaroopa, Mool... ", and vice versa. Thus, based on the
mentality we have cultivated for ourselves, some are closer to our "JotiSvaroopa, Mool... " in this life, and some are yet far
away or even drifting farther apart.
T. Singh
www.gurbani.org
Unicode Gurmukhi | Support This Site | Sitemap | Links | Contact
© 1993 2018 · gurbani.org Reflections On Gurbani | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Privacy Policy |
f t G+
http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart317.htm 3/3