Shivpreet Singh

Chief Seattle (c. 1786 – June 7, 1866) was a Suquamish and Duwamish chief. A leading figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with "Doc" Maynard. The city of Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington, was named after him.

The following widely publicized speech arguing in favor of ecological responsibility and respect of Native Americans' land rights had been attributed to him. The speech was believed to have been given in December, 1854. There are several versions of this letter. Presumably, the generally accepted version of the above speech was published in the The Irish Times on June 4th, 1976. However, many people now believe that the speech was actually written by a Hollywood screen writer in the 1970's for the movie Home - Four Wagons West. It is thought that the script was based on the original statement by Chief Seattle in 1854.

Chief Seattle's Letter

"The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.

We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.

The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.

If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.

Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.

This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.

Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?

We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us.

As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.

One thing we know - there is only one God. No man, be he Red man or White man, can be apart. We ARE all brothers after all."

Those who find love in nature discover a deep and lasting freedom—and in turn, inspire others to seek that same liberation. Poetry, I believe, is one of the most powerful tools for self-expression. It helps ease despair by giving us a way to process and understand difficult emotions. Even simply reading poetry can offer a sense of connection with others who have felt the same grief, and can become a source of hope. That peace leads to freedom.

This Earth Day, I’m reminded of two poems that guide us from grief to peace, and finally to freedom and lasting solace: one by Wendell Berry, and one by Guru Nanak.

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry does not argue with despair—he admits it plainly: when despair for the world grows in me. There is no attempt to deny fear, or to outthink it. Instead, he changes his location. He goes and lies down.

That gesture matters. He does not go to fix the world. He does not even go to understand it. He goes to place his body among other bodies—the wood drake resting, the heron feeding, the water holding them both. These are not symbols at first; they are simply beings continuing their lives without the burden of imagining everything that might go wrong.

“Who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.”

This line feels almost like a diagnosis of the human condition. We suffer not only from what is, but from what may be. The mind rehearses loss before it arrives, and in doing so, lives it many times over. The wild things do not do this. They are not careless; they are complete in the moment given to them.

And something subtle happens: Berry does not become them, but he comes into their peace. The stillness of the water, the quiet continuity of their lives, begins to enter him. The stars above—“day-blind,” waiting without urgency—extend that same patience across the sky. Nothing is in a hurry to resolve itself.

“For a time / I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

That for a time is honest and important. This is not a permanent escape from despair. It is a return, a remembering. Freedom here is not control over circumstances—it is the temporary release from the mind’s insistence on carrying everything at once. And even that brief rest is enough to restore something essential.

I am also reminded of Guru Nanak's Pavan Guru Paani Pita:

Pavan Guru Paani Pita

Pavaṇ gurū pāṇī piṯā māṯā ḏẖaraṯ mahaṯ.
Ḏivas rāṯ ḏue ḏāī ḏāiā kẖelai sagal jagaṯ.

Cẖangāīā buriāīā vācẖai ḏẖaram haḏūr.
Karmī āpo āpṇī ke neṛai ke ḏūr.

Jinī nām ḏẖiāiā gae maskaṯ gẖāl.
Nānak ṯe mukẖ ujle keṯī cẖẖutī nāl. ||1||

Translation

Wind is Guru, Water is Father,
and Earth, the Great Mother.
Day and night are the two caretakers
In whose lap all the world is at play.

Good deeds and bad deeds
are spoken in presence of Dharma
Through one’s action,
one can be near or far

Those who remember Satnaam
through their hard work
They have radiant faces
And spread freedom to others

In Guru Nanak’s Pavan Guru Paani Pita, the movement is both similar and deeper. Where Berry goes to nature, Guru Nanak dissolves the distance altogether.

Air is the Guru. Not like a Guru—is. The very breath we take becomes instruction. Every inhale and exhale is already a teaching, if we are attentive to it. Water is Father—not an object to be used, but a source, a giver, something we depend on in a way that is intimate and immediate. Earth is the Great Mother—not metaphorically alone, but literally the ground that holds, feeds, and receives us.

This is not poetry about nature—it is a reordering of relationship.

Day and night are described as caretakers, nurses who hold the world in their rhythm. And within that vast, continuous care, “the whole world plays.” The word play matters. Life is not framed as a burden first, but as a movement within a larger holding.

Then the gaze turns inward:

Good and bad, closeness and distance—these are not imposed from outside. They arise through our own actions, our own alignment or misalignment with this living truth. We are not separate from the order of the world; we participate in it.

And then, the line that opens into freedom:

Those who remember—who live in awareness of this presence, through effort, through living—their faces become radiant, and many are freed with them.

Freedom here is not solitary. It is not a private achievement. When one person lives in this remembrance—breathing with awareness, acting with alignment, seeing the sacred in what sustains them—their very presence begins to affect others. Freedom becomes contagious.

Where Berry rests for a time in the grace of the world, Guru Nanak points toward a life lived within that grace—moment after moment, breath after breath. One is a return. The other, a recognition. And perhaps both are needed. Perhaps more are needed. In that same spirit of finding the sacred in the everyday world, I turn to two other poets who understood nature as a doorway to inner freedom.

FROM "SONG OF MYSELF"

by Walt Whitman

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d,

I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition,

They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,

They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,

Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,

Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,

Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

Whitman, like Berry, admires how creatures live without anxiety or false duty. To rest in that observation is to taste freedom.

"NATURE" – POEM 668

by Emily Dickinson

“Nature” is what we see—

The Hill—the Afternoon—

Squirrel—Eclipse—the Bumble bee—

Nay—Nature is Heaven—

Nature is what we hear—

The Bobolink—the Sea—

Thunder—the Cricket—

Nay—Nature is Harmony—

Nature is what we know—

Yet have no art to say—

So impotent Our Wisdom is

To her Simplicity.

Dickinson reminds us that nature is not just seen or heard, but known—beyond words, beyond wisdom. And in that knowing, we find a harmony that sets the spirit free.

So on this Earth Day, may you find your own peace of wild things. May you rest in the grace of the world, breathe with the wind as your teacher, walk upon the earth as your mother, and carry that freedom into every life you touch.

And don't forget. Continue to sing! The purpose of life is to sing!

-Shiv

"Pavan Guru" literally means "Wind Guru" or "Wind is the supreme guide." Pavan Guru is a collaboration with the amazing singer songwriter Alexis Harte. According to Kurrent Music, "Alexis Harte is a rare multi-dimensional talent that succeeds in many diverse musical challenges and environments." I can attest that he really puts his soul into his music. You can learn more about him on his website: http://www.alexisharte.com/. His colleague Stephen Spies helped out and played the violin on this track and I am much grateful for his contribution as well.

Pavan Guru Pani Pita - Lyrics And Translation

Transliteration

Pavaṇ gurū pāṇī piṯā māṯā ḏẖaraṯ mahaṯ.
Ḏivas rāṯ ḏue ḏāī ḏāiā kẖelai sagal jagaṯ.

Cẖangāīā buriāīā vācẖai ḏẖaram haḏūr.
Karmī āpo āpṇī ke neṛai ke ḏūr.

Jinī nām ḏẖiāiā gae maskaṯ gẖāl.
Nānak ṯe mukẖ ujle keṯī cẖẖutī nāl. ||1||

Translation

Wind is Guru, Water is Father,

and Earth, the Great Mother.
Day and night are the two caretakers

In whose lap all the world is at play.

Good deeds and bad deeds

are spoken in presence of Dharma
Through one’s action,

one can be near or far

Those who remember Satnaam

through their hard work
They have radiant faces

And spread their radiance to others

Gurbani

ਪਵਣੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਪਾਣੀ ਪਿਤਾ ਮਾਤਾ ਧਰਤਿ ਮਹਤੁ ॥
ਦਿਵਸੁ ਰਾਤਿ ਦੁਇ ਦਾਈ ਦਾਇਆ ਖੇਲੈ ਸਗਲ ਜਗਤੁ ॥

ਚੰਗਿਆਈਆ ਬੁਰਿਆਈਆ ਵਾਚੈ ਧਰਮੁ ਹਦੂਰਿ ॥
ਕਰਮੀ ਆਪੋ ਆਪਣੀ ਕੇ ਨੇੜੈ ਕੇ ਦੂਰਿ ॥

ਜਿਨੀ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਗਏ ਮਸਕਤਿ ਘਾਲਿ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਤੇ ਮੁਖ ਉਜਲੇ ਕੇਤੀ ਛੁਟੀ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੧॥

Hindi

पवण गुरू पाणी पिता माता धरत महत ॥
दिवस राति दुइ दाई दाइआ खेलै सगल जगत ॥
चंगिआईआ बुरिआईआ वाचै धरम हदूर ॥
करमी आपो आपणी के नेड़ै के दूर ॥
जिनी नाम धिआइआ गए मशक़्क़त घाल ॥
नानक ते मुख उजले केती छुटी नाल ॥१॥

Reflection - The song of the wind is my caretaker

These are not merely words. These are the words of my master. The words of my love. The words fly without wings because the wind carries them. They are the songs of the wind. At the same time as these songs pacify deep within, they also reignite candle.

Just like water initiates my life as my father. Just like this earth nourishes my life as my mother. This is the song of the wind that enlightens my life as my Guru.

This song of the wind is my caretaker. One of its verse enlivens my day of life. The other verse cradles my night of life.

This is the song of the wind that provides direction. I can choose to hear this song, and let it penetrate with love. And then I am near love and I am near life. And if I choose to ignore, I am farther from love, and farther from life.

This song of the wind provide me guidance. When I am wrong it blows me towards the light of truth. When I am right, it fills me with joy. Anyone else who can hear this song of the wind, is in similar rapture as me. Pavan Guru.

There are crazy people who think this wind is invisible and these songs cannot be heard. And the crazy people think I am crazy.

Interpretation by Bhai Gurdas

In the following 5th pauri of his 6th vaar, Bhai Gurdas expands on Guru Nanak's shloka, Pavan Guru Pani Pita:

ਪਉਣ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੁ ਹੈ ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ।

The Guru's word is the air, the Guru and wondrous lord has recited Word the Guru.

ਪਾਣੀ ਪਿਤਾ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ੍ਰ ਕਰਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪੰਥ ਨਿਵਾਣਿ ਚਲਾਇਆ।

The father of man is water which by flowing downwards teaches humility.

ਧਰਤੀ ਮਾਤ ਮਹਤ ਕਰਿ ਓਤਿਪੋਤਿ ਸੰਜੋਗੁ ਬਣਾਇਆ।

The earth being tolerant like mother is the mother and is the further base of all the creatures.

ਦਾਈ ਦਾਇਆ ਰਾਤਿ ਦਿਹੁ ਬਾਲ ਸੁਭਾਇ ਜਗਤ੍ਰ੍ਰ ਖਿਲਾਇਆ।

The day and night are the nurses who keep the people of child-wisdom busy in the plays of the world.

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਨਮ ਸਕਾਰਥਾ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਵਸਿ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ।

The life of Gurmukh is meaningful because he in the holy congregation has lost his egotism.

ਜੰਮਣ ਮਰਣਹੁ ਬਾਹਰੇ ਜੀਵਨ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਵਰਤਾਇਆ।

He becoming liberated in life behaves in the 'world with the skill to come out of the cycle of transrnigration.

ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਮਾਤਾ ਮਤਿ ਹੈ ਪਿਤਾ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਮੋਖ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਇਆ।

The mother of the gurmukhs is the wisdom of the Guru and father, the contentment through whom they attain deliverance.

ਧੀਰਜ ਧਰਮੁ ਭਿਰਾਵ ਦੁਇ ਜਪੁ ਤਪੁ ਜਤੁ ਸਤੁ ਪੁਤ ਜਣਾਇਆ।

Forbearance and the sense of duty are their brothers, and meditation, austerities, continence the sons.

ਗੁਰ ਚੇਲਾ ਚੇਲਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਪੁਰਖਹੁ ਪੁਰਖ ਚਲਤੁ ਵਰਤਾਇਆ।

The Guru and the disciple are diffused into one another in equanimity and they both are the extension of the perfect supreme Lord.

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖ ਫਲੁ ਅਲਖੁ ਲਖਾਇਆ ॥੫॥

Raving realized the supreme pleasure they have made others also realize the same.

Who Has Seen the Wind - Poem by Christina Rossetti

On its invisibility Christina Rossetti writes in her poem:

Who Has Seen the Wind

- Christina Rossetti

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you.

But when the leaves hang trembling,

The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I.

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

Notes on Saas Saas Simro Gobind - How to realize Pavan Guru (Guru Arjan)

Lock and Key are in the breath - Bhagat Kabir

Pavan Guru Pani Pita - Lyrics & Translation

Breath Ripens The Unripe Grapes Within

Pavan Guru - Song of the Wind

Pavan Guru - An opportunity to sing supremely sweet

Breath Ripens The Unripe Grapes Within

Guru Nanak first used the phrase "Aape Aap Vartadaa" Or "He himself permeates" in a couple of shabads, one in Raag Malhar

Tu Aape Aap Vartada, Aap Banat Banaii

Tudh Bin Dooja Ko Nahin, Tu Raheya Samaii

and another in Raag Gauri:

Sabh Aape Aap Vartada Aape Bharmaaya

Gur Kirpa Te Boojhiyeh Sabh Brahm Samaayaa

Guru Amardas uses this in his Shabad Aape Pritpaala:

At the time of Guru Arjan Dev, Bhai Gurdas explained in detail what this really meant using many different examples in his second Vaar. This vaar has 20 pauris or poems that each end with the phrase "Aape Aap Vartada". This must have been an important topic of discussions. Perhaps a lot of questions were asked about God permeating everything. That's why Bhai Gurdaas has given this concept so much importance.

The following is Bhai Gurdas' complete Vaar 2 with translation:

ਆਪਨੜੈ ਹਥਿ ਆਰਸੀ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਦੇਖੈ।

Aapanarhai Hathhi Aarasee Aapay Hee Daykhai |

The mirror (in the form of world) is in the hand (of the Lord) and man sees of himself in it.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧ ਪੰ. ੧

ਆਪੇ ਦੇਖਿ ਦਿਖਾਇਦਾ ਛਿਅ ਦਰਸਨਿ ਭੇਖੈ।

Aapay Daykhi Dikhaaidaa Chhia Darasani Bhaykhai |

God visualises and makes men see the guises and philosophies of six Schools (in this mirror).

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧ ਪੰ. ੨

ਜੇਹਾ ਮੂੰਹ ਕਰਿ ਭਾਲਿਦਾ ਤੇਵੇਹੈ ਲੇਖੈ।

Jayhaa Moohu Kari Bhaalidaa Tayvayhai Laykhai |

Man is reflected (in the mirror) in exactly the same way as is his propensity.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧ ਪੰ. ੩

ਹਸਦੇ ਹਸਦਾ ਦੇਖੀਐ ਸੋ ਰੂਪ ਸਰੇਖੈ।

Hasaday Hasadaa Daykheeai So Roop Saraykhai |

The laughing person finds a laughing form in it.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧ ਪੰ. ੪

ਰੋਦੇ ਦਿਸੈ ਰੋਵਦਾ ਹੋਇ ਨਿਮਖ ਨਿਮੇਖੈ।

Rodai Disai Rovadaa Hoay Nimakh Nimaykhai |

Whereas the wailing person finds himself (as well as everybody) there in the weeping posture. Same is the case of a clever person.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਸਤਿਸੰਗਿ ਵਿਸੇਖੈ ॥੧॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Satisangi Visaykhai ||1 ||

The Lord Himself is prevading this world-mirror but He is specifically preceivable in and through the holy congregation.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧ ਪੰ. ੬

ਜਿਉ ਜੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਹਥਿ ਜੰਤ੍ਰ ਲੈ ਸਭਿ ਰਾਗ ਵਜਾਏ।

Jiu Jantree Hathhi Jantr Lai Sabhi Raag Vajaaay |

The Lord resembles to an instrumentalist who holding the instrument in his hand plays all the different measures on it.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨ ਪੰ. ੧

ਆਪੇ ਸੁਣਿ ਸੁਣਿ ਮਗਨੁ ਹੋਇ ਆਪੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਏ।

Aapay Suni Suni Maganu Hoi Aapay Gun Gaaay |

Listening to the tunes played he remain immersed in them and eulogises the Supreme.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨ ਪੰ. ੨

ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਲਿਵਲੀਣੁ ਹੋਇ ਆਪਿ ਰੀਝਿ ਰੀਝਾਏ।

Sabadi Suratiliv |eenu Hoi Aapi Reejhi Reejhaaay |

Merging his consciousness in the Word he becomes elated and makes others also delighted.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨ ਪੰ. ੩

ਕਥਤਾ ਬਕਤਾ ਆਪਿ ਹੈ ਸੁਰਤਾ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਏ।

Kathhataa Bakataa Aapi Hai Surataaliv Laaay |

Lord is the speaker as well as the listener immersed in super consciousness.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨ ਪੰ. ੪

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਹੋਇ ਸਰਬੰਗਿ ਸਮਾਏ।

Aapay Hee Visamaadu Hoi Sarabangi Samaaay |

Himself all bliss He premeates one and all.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਤੀਆਏ ॥੨॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Pateeaaay ||2 ||

This mystery that the Lord is omnipresent, is only understood by a gurmukh, the Guru oriented one.

ਆਪੇ ਭੁਖਾ ਹੋਇਕੈ ਆਪਿ ਜਾਇ ਰਸੋਈ।

Aapay Bhukhaa Hoi Kai Aapi Jaai Rasoee |

He (the Lord) Himself posing to be hungry goes into the kitchen and cooks the food kneading in it all sorts of delights.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੩ ਪੰ. ੧

ਭੋਜਨ ਆਪਿ ਬਣਾਇਦਾ ਰਸ ਵਿਚਿ ਰਸ ਗੋਈ।

Bhojanu Aapi Banaaidaa Ras Vichi Ras Goee |

Himself eating and getting satiated He showers praises on the dainty dishes.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੩ ਪੰ. ੨

ਆਪੇ ਖਾਇ ਸਲਾਹਿਕੈ ਹੋਇ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਿ ਸਮੋਈ।

Aapay Khaai Salaahi Kai Hoi Tripati Samoee |

He Himself is the delight as well as the delighted.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੩ ਪੰ. ੩

ਆਪੇ ਰਸੀਆ, ਆਪਿ ਰਸ, ਰਸੁ ਰਸਨਾ ਭੋਈ।

Aapay Raseeaa Aapi Rasu Rasu Rasanaa Bhoee |

He is the juice as well as the tongue which relishes its taste.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੩ ਪੰ. ੪

ਦਾਤਾ ਭੁਗਤਾ ਆਪਿ ਹੈ, ਸਰਬੰਗ ਸਮੋਈ।

Daata Bhugataa Aapi Hai Sarabangu Samoee |

He permeating through all, Himself is the giver as well as receiver.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੩ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਈ ॥੩॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Sukhu Hoee ||3 ||

Knowing the fact that He permeates among all, the Gurmukh feels immense pleasure.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੩ ਪੰ. ੬

ਆਪੇ ਪਲੰਘੁ ਵਿਛਾਇਕੈ ਆਪਿ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਉਂਦਾ।

Aapay Palaghu Vichhaai Kai Aapi Andari Saundaa |

He Himself spreads the bedstead and Himself reclines on it.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੪ ਪੰ. ੧

ਸੁਹਣੇ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਜਾਇਕੈ ਦੇਸੰਤਰ ਭਉਂਦਾ।

Suhanay Andari Jaai Kai Daysantari Bhaundaa |

Entering into the dreams He wanders through far off regions.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੪ ਪੰ. ੨

ਰੰਕੁ ਰਾਉ ਰਾਉ ਰੰਕੁ ਹੋਇ ਦੁਖ ਸੁਖ ਵਿਚਿ ਪਉਂਦਾ।

Ranku Raau Raau Ranku Hoi Dukh Sukh Vichi Paundaa |

Making the poor a king and the king a poor person He puts them in pain and pleasure.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੪ ਪੰ. ੩

ਤਤਾ ਸੀਅਰਾ ਹੋਇ ਜਲੁ ਆਵਟਣੁ ਖਉਂਦਾ।

Tataa Seearaa Hoi Jalu Aavatanu Khaundaa |

In the form of water He Himself gets hot and cold.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੪ ਪੰ. ੪

ਹਰਖ ਸੋਗ ਵਿਚਿ ਧਾਵਦਾ ਚਾਵਾਏ ਚਉਂਦਾ।

Harakh Sog Vichi Dhaanvadaa Chaavaaay Chaundaa |

Amidst sorrows and delights He moves around and responds to the call when called.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੪ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਰਉਂਦਾ ॥੪॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Sukhu Raundaa ||4 ||

The gurmukh, realising His nature of premeating through all, attains happiness.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੪ ਪੰ. ੬

ਸਮਸਰਿ ਵਰਸੈ ਸ੍ਵਾਂਤ ਬੂੰਦ ਜਿਉ ਸਭਨੀ ਥਾਈ।

Samasari Varasai Saant Boond Jiu Sabhanee Daaee |

As the drops of rain in the svati nakstr (fifteenth star formation among the) twenty seven star formations known in india) fall equally at all places,

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੫ ਪੰ. ੧

ਜਲ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਜਲੁ ਹੋਇ ਮਿਲੈ ਧਰਤੀ ਬਹੁ ਭਾਈ।

Jal Andari Jalu Hoi Milai Dharatee Bahu Bhaaee |

And falling into water they merge in water and on earth they become earth;

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੫ ਪੰ. ੨

ਕਿਰਖ ਬਿਰਖ ਰਸ ਕਸ ਘਣੇ, ਫਲੁ ਫਲੁ ਸੁਹਾਈ।

Kirakh Birakh Ras Kas Ghanay Fal Dhulu Suhaaee |

At places it transforms into plants and vegetation, sweet and bitter; at some places they are well adorned with myriad flowers and fruits.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੫ ਪੰ. ੩

ਕੇਲੇ ਵਿਚਿ ਕਪੂਰੁ ਹੋਇ, ਸੀਤਲੁ ਸੁਖਦਾਈ।

Kaylay Vichi Kapooru Hoi Seetalu Sukhudaaee |

Falling on the banana leaves they transform into cooling camphor.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੫ ਪੰ. ੪

ਮੋਤੀ ਹੋਵੈ ਸਿਪ ਮੁਹਿ, ਬਹੁ ਮੋਲ ਮੁਲਾਈ।

Motee Hovai Sip Muhi Bahu Mol Mulaaee |

The same when they fall into a sea-shell become pearls.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੫ ਪੰ. ੫

ਬਿਸੀਅਰ ਦੇ ਮੁਹਿ ਕਾਲਕੂਟ, ਚਿਤਵੈ ਬੁਰਿਆਈ।

Biseear Day Muhi Kaalakoot Chitavay Buriaaee |

Gone into the mouth of a snake they turn into deadly poison and always think evil.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੫ ਪੰ. ੬

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ, ਸਤਿਸੰਗਿ ਸੁਭਾਈ ॥੫॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Satisangi Subhaaee ||5 ||

The Lord prevades all places and sits in state in the holy congregation.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੫ ਪੰ. ੭

ਸੋਈ ਤਾਂਬਾ ਰੰਗ ਸੰਗਿ ਜਿਉ ਕੈਹਾ ਹੋਈ।

Soee Taanbaa Rang Sangi Jiu Kaihaan Hoee |

Mixing with tin, the copper transforms into bronze.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੬ ਪੰ. ੧

ਸੋਈ ਤਾਂਬਾ ਜਿਸਤ ਮਿਲਿ ਪਿਤਲ ਅਵਲੋਈ।

Soee Taanbaa Jisat Mili Pital Avaloee |

The same copper mixed with zinc appears in the form of brass.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੬ ਪੰ. ੨

ਸੋਈ ਸੀਸੇ ਸੰਗਤੀ ਭੰਗਾਰ ਭਲੋਈ।

Soee Seesay Sangatee Bhangaar Bhuloee |

Copper mixed with lead changes pewter, a brittle metal called bharath in the Punjab.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੬ ਪੰ. ੩

ਤਾਂਬਾ ਪਾਰਸਿ ਪਰਸਿਆ ਹੋਇ ਕੰਚਨ ਸੋਈ।

Taanbaa Paarasi Prasiaa Hoi Kanchan Soee |

With the touch of the philosopher’s stone, the same copper becomes gold.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੬ ਪੰ. ੪

ਸੋਈ ਤਾਂਬਾ ਭਸਮ ਹੋਇ ਅਉਖਧ ਕਰਿ ਭੋਈ।

Soee Taanbaa Bhasam Hoi Aukhadh Kari Bhoee |

When transformed into ashes copper becomes a medicine.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੬ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਗੁਣ ਗੋਈ ॥੬॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Sangati Gun Goee ||6 ||

Likewise, though the Lord is omnipresent, yet the effects of the company of man are different over men. Knowing this much, the Lord is eulogised in the holy congregation.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੬ ਪੰ. ੬

ਪਾਣੀ ਕਾਲੇ ਰੰਗ ਵਿਚ ਜਿਉ ਕਾਲਾ ਦਿਸੈ।

Paanee Kaalay Rangi Vichi Jiu Kaalaa Disai |

As water mixed with black dye looks black

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੭ ਪੰ. ੧

ਰਤਾ ਰਤੇ ਰੰਗ ਵਿਚਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਮੇਲਿ ਸਲਿਸੈ।

Rataa Ratay Rangi Vichi Mili Mayli Salisai |

And mixed with red water becomes red;

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੭ ਪੰ. ੨

ਪੀਲੈ ਪੀਲਾ ਹੋਇ ਮਿਲੈ ਹਿਤੁ ਜੇਹੀ ਵਿਸੈ।

Peelai Peelaa Hoi Milai Hitu Jayhee Visai |

It turns out to be yellow adding yellow dye;

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੭ ਪੰ. ੩

ਸਾਵਾ ਸਾਵੇ ਰੰਗ ਮਿਲਿ ਸਭਿ ਰੰਗ ਸਰਿਸੈ।

Saavaa Saavay Rangi Mili Sabhi Rang Sarisai |

And with the green becomes pleasure-giving green.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੭ ਪੰ. ੪

ਤਤਾ ਠੰਢਾ ਹੋਇਕੈ ਹਿਤ ਜਿਸੈ ਤਿਸੈ।

Tataa Thhaddhaa Hoi Kai Hit Jisai Tisai |

According to the seasons it becomes hot or cold.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੭ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖ ਜਿਸੈ ॥੭॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Sukhu Jisai ||7 ||

Likewise, the Lord God operates to the needs(of creatures). The Guru-oriented (gurmukh) who is full of joy understands this mystery.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੭ ਪੰ. ੬

ਦੀਵਾ ਬਲੈ ਬੈਸੰਤਰਹੁ ਚਾਨਣ ਆਨ੍ਹੇਰੇ।

Deevaa Balai Baisantarahu Chaananu Anhayray |

Fire lits the lamp and light scatters in the darkness.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੮ ਪੰ. ੧

ਦੀਪਕ ਵਿਚਹੁਂ ਮਸੁ ਹੋਇ ਕੰਮ ਆਇ ਲਿਖੇਰੇ।

Deepak Vichahun Masu Hoi Kanm Aai |ikhayray |

The ink obtained from the lamp is used by the writer.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੮ ਪੰ. ੨

ਕਜਲੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਕਾਮਣੀ ਸੰਗਿ ਭਲੇ ਭਲੇਰੇ।

Kajalu Hovai Kaamanee Sangi Bhalay Bhalayray |

From that lamp women get collyrium.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੮ ਪੰ. ੩

ਮਸਵਾਣੀ ਹਰਿ ਜਸੁ ਲਿਖੈ ਦਫਤਰ ਅਗਲੇਰੇ।

Masavaanee Hari Jasu |ikhai Dadhtar Agalayray |

With the same ink are written eulogies of the Lord and the clerk writes accounts in his office.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੮ ਪੰ. ੪

ਬਿਰਖੋਂ ਬਿਰਖ ਉਪਾਇਂਦਾ ਫਲ ਫੁਲ ਘਨੇਰੇ।

Birakhon Birakh Upaainthaa Fal Dhul Ghanayray ||

Therefore by living in the company of good persons one engages himself in good deeds.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੮ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਚਉਫੇਰੇ ॥੮॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Chaudhayray ||8 ||

Only gurmukh realises this fact, that the Lord pervades all around.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੮ ਪੰ. ੬

ਬਿਰਖੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਬੀਉ ਬੀਜੀਐ ਕਰਦਾ ਪਾਸਾਰਾ।

Birakhu Hovai Beeu Beejeeai Karadaa Paasaaraa |

From seed comes up the tree and then it spreads further.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੯ ਪੰ. ੧

ਜੜ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਪੇਡ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਬਹੁ ਡਾਲ ਬਿਸਥਾਰਾ।

Jarh Andari Payd Baaharaa Bahu Daal Bisathhaaraa |

Root extends in earth, the stem outside and the branches extend all around.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੯ ਪੰ. ੨

ਪਤ ਫੁਲ ਫਲੀ ਦਾ ਰਸ ਰੰਗ ਸਵਾਰਾ।

Pat Dhul Fal Faleedaa Ras Rang Savaaraa |

It becomes full of flowers, fruits, and means of many colours and delightful essences.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੯ ਪੰ. ੩

ਵਾਸੁ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ਉਲਾਸੁ ਕਰਿ ਹੋਇ ਵਡ ਪਰਵਾਰਾ।

Vaasu Nivaasu Ulaasu Kari Hoi Vad Pravaaraa |

In its flowers and fruits dwell fragrance and joy and now this seed becomes a large family.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੯ ਪੰ. ੪

ਫਲ ਵਿਚਿ ਬੀਉ ਸੰਜੀਉ ਹੋਇ ਫਲ ਫਲੋਂ ਹਜਾਰਾ।

Fal Vichi Beeu Sanjeeu Hoi Fal Falay Hajaaraa |

Again the fruit by producing seeds becomes the source of myriad flowers and fruits.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੯ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥੯॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Nisataaraa ||9 ||

Understanding of this very fact that the Lord alone is among all makes the gurmukh liberated.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੯ ਪੰ. ੬

ਹੋਵੇ ਸੂਤ ਕਪਾਹ ਦਾ ਕਰਿ ਤਾਣਾ ਵਾਣਾ।

Hovay Sootu Kapaah Daa Kari Taanaa Vaanaa |

From cotton the thread and then its warp and waft is prepared.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੦ ਪੰ. ੧

ਸੂਤਹੁ ਕਪੜੁ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਆਖਾਣ ਵਖਾਣਾ।

Sootahu Kaparhu Jaaneeai Aakhaan Vakhaanaa |

It is well known that from that very thread the cloth is made.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੦ ਪੰ. ੨

ਚਉਸੀ ਤੈ ਚਉਤਾਰ ਹੋਇ ਗੰਗਾ ਜਲੁ ਜਾਣਾ।

Chausee Tai Chautaar Hoi Gangaa Jalu Jaanaa |

Made of the four threads are what are known as chausi, gangajali etc.(in india).

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੦ ਪੰ. ੩

ਖਾਸਾ ਮਲਮਲ ਸਿਰੀਸਾਫੁ ਤਨਸੁਖ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਣਾ।

Khaasaa Malamal Sireesaadhu Tan Sukh Mani Bhaanaa |

The superior clothes (malmal, sirisaph) made out of it impart comfort and pleasure to the body.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੦ ਪੰ. ੪

ਪਾਗ ਦੁਪਟਾ ਚੋਲਣਾ ਪਟਕਾ ਪਰਵਾਣਾ।

Pag Dupataa Cholanaa Patukaa Pravaanaa |

By becoming turban, scarf, waist coat etc that thread from cotton becomes acceptable to one and all.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੦ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰੰਗ ਮਾਣਾ ॥੧੦॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Rang Maanaa ||10 ||

The Lord permeates among all and the gurmukhs enjoy His love.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੦ ਪੰ. ੬

ਸੁਨਿਆਰਾ ਸੁਇਨਾ ਘੜੈ ਗਹਣੇ ਸਾਵਾਰੇ।

Suniaaraa Suinaa Gharhai Gahanay Saavaaray |

The goldsmith creates beautiful ornaments out of gold.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੧ ਪੰ. ੧

ਪਿਪਲ ਵਤਰੇ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਤਾਨਉੜੇ ਤਾਰੇ।

Pipal Vataray Vaaleeaa Taanaurhay Taaray |

Among them many are like pipal leaf for adornment of ears and many are made of gold wire.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੧ ਪੰ. ੨

ਵੇਸਰ ਨਥਿ ਵਖਾਣੀਐ ਕੰਠ ਮਾਲਾ ਧਾਰੇ।

Vaysari Nathhi Vakhaaneeai Kanthh Maalaa Dhaaray |

From gold, nose-rings and necklaces are also worked into their shape.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੧ ਪੰ. ੩

ਟੀਕਤਿ ਮਣੀਆ ਮੋਤਿਸਰ ਗਜਰੇ ਪਾਸਾਰੇ।

Teekati Maneeaa Motisar Gajaray Paasaaray |

Ornament for the forehead (tikka), jewels studded necklace, pearl garlands are made.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੧ ਪੰ. ੪

ਦੁਰਾ ਬੁਹੱਟਾ ਗੋਲ ਛਾਪ ਕਰਿ ਬਹੁ ਪਰਕਾਰੇ।

Dur Bahutaa Gol Chhaap Kari Bahu Prakaaray |

Variegated wrist chains and round rings are prepared from gold.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੧ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੀਚਾਰੇ ॥੧੧॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Veechaaray ||11 ||

The gurmukh feels that like gold He is the basis of each and every thing.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੧ ਪੰ. ੬

ਗੰਨਾ ਕੋਲੂ ਪੀੜੀਐ ਰਸੁ ਦੇ ਦਰਹਾਲਾ।

Gannaa Koloo Peerheeai Rasu Day Darahaalaa |

Crushed by the crushing machine sugarcane gives juice instantly.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੨ ਪੰ. ੧

ਕੋਈ ਕਰੇ ਗੁੜੁ ਭੇਲੀਆਂ ਕੋ ਸਕਰ ਵਾਲਾ।

Koee Karay Gurhu Bhayleeaan Ko Sakar Vaalaa |

Some prepare lumps of jaggery and brown sugar out of it.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੨ ਪੰ. ੨

ਕੋਈ ਖੰਡ ਸਵਾਰਦਾ ਮਖਣ ਮਸਾਲਾ।

Koee Khand Savaarathhaa Makhan Masaalaa |

Some prepare refined sugar and some adding in it sweet drops make special jaggery.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੨ ਪੰ. ੩

ਹੋਵੈ ਮਿਸਰੀ ਕਲੀਕੰਦ ਮਿਠਿਆਈ ਢਾਲਾ।

Hovai Misaree Kaleekand Mithhiaaee Ddhaalaa |

It is moulded into lump sugar and variegated sweets.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੨ ਪੰ. ੪

ਖਾਵੈ ਰਾਜ ਰੰਕੁ ਕਰਿ ਰਸ ਭੋਗ ਸੁਖਾਲਾ।

Khaavai Raajaa Ranku Kari Ras Bhog Sukhaalaa |

The poor and the wealthy both eat it with pleasure.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੨ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖਾਲਾ ॥੧੨॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Sukhaalaa ||12 ||

God (similar to sugarcane juice) permeates through all; for gurmukhs He is the essence of all the pleasures.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੨ ਪੰ. ੬

ਗਾਈਂ ਰੰਗ ਬਿਰੰਗ ਬਹੁ ਦੁਧੁ ਉਜਲੁ ਵਰਣਾ।

Gaaee Rang Birang Bahu Dudhu Ujalu Varana |

Cows are of different hues but the milk of all is white.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੩ ਪੰ. ੧

ਦੁਧਹੁ ਦਹੀ ਜਮਾਈਐ ਕਰਿ ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਧਰਣਾ।

Dudhahu Dahee Jamaaeeai Kari Nihachalu Dharana |

For making curd Some rennet is added into it and then it is placed undistributed.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੩ ਪੰ. ੨

ਦਹੀ ਵਿਲੋਇ ਅਲੋਈਐ ਛਾਹਿ ਮਖਣ ਤਰਣਾ।

Dahee Viloi Aloeeai Chhaahi Makhan Tarana |

By churning curd one finds butter over the butter milk.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੩ ਪੰ. ੩

ਮਖਣੁ ਤਾਇ ਅਉਟਾਇਕੈ ਘਿਉ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਕਰਣਾ।

Makhanu Taai Autaai Kai Ghiu Niramal Karana |

The butter boiled properly is transformed into ghee – clarified butter.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੩ ਪੰ. ੪

ਹੋਮ ਜਗ ਨਈਵੇਦ ਕਰਿ ਸਭ ਕਾਰਜ ਸਰਣਾ।

Hom Jag Naeevayd Kari Sabh Kaaraj Sarana |

Then that ghee is used as burnt offering and him yajn(rituals) and other oblation are performed.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੩ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ਜਰਣਾ ॥੧੩॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Hoi Jarana ||13 ||

Gurmukh knows that the Lord is all pervading but to reach Him one has to have spiritual quest as well as the sense of contentment.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੩ ਪੰ. ੬

ਪਲ ਘੜੀਆ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਪਹਰ ਥਿਤ ਵਾਰ ਗਣਾਏ।

Pal Gharheeaa Moorati Pahari Dit Vaar Ganaaay |

From moments, the gharis (a unit of time equal to 22).

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੪ ਪੰ. ੧

ਦੁਇ ਪਖ ਬਾਰਹ ਮਾਹ ਕਰਿ ਸੰਜੋਗ ਬਣਾਏ।

Dui Pakh Baarah Maah Kari Sanjog Banaaay |

(5 minutes), muhurat (auspicious time), the quarters of day and night (pahar – three hourstime) dates and days have been counted. Then joining two fortnights (dark- light) and twelve months have been made.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੪ ਪੰ. ੨

ਛਿਅ ਰੁਤੀ ਵਰਤਾਈਆ, ਬਹੁ ਚਲਿਤ ਬਣਾਏ।

Chhia Rutee Varataaeeaan Bahu Chalit Banaaay |

Many inspiring visuals have been created through the six seasons.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੪ ਪੰ. ੩

ਸੂਰਜ ਇਕੁ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਲੋਕੁ ਵੇਦ ਅਲਾਏ।

Sooraju Iku Varatadaa |oku Vayd Alaaay |

But as say the knowledgeable persons the sun remains the same among these all.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੪ ਪੰ. ੪

ਚਾਰਿ ਵਰਨ ਛਿਅ ਦਰਸਨਾ ਬਹੁ ਪੰਥ ਚਲਾਏ।

Chaari Varan Chhia Darasanaan Bahu Padi Chalaaay |

Similiarly, four varans, six philosophies and many sects have been promulgated,

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੪ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਮਝਾਏ ॥੧੪॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Samajhaaay ||14 ||

But the gurmukh understands all (and hence there should be no in-fightings).

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੪ ਪੰ. ੬

ਇਕੁ ਪਾਣੀ ਇਕ ਧਰਤਿ ਹੈ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਰਖ ਉਪਾਏ।

Iku Paanee Ik Dharati Hai Bahu Birakh Upaaay |

The water is one and the earth is also one but the flora is of variegated qualities.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੫ ਪੰ. ੧

ਅਫਲ ਸਫਲ ਪਰਕਾਰ ਬਹੁ ਫਲ ਫੁਲ ਸੁਹਾਏ।

Adhl Safal Prakaar Bahu Fal Dhul Suhaaay |

Many are devoid of fruits and many are adorned with flowers and fruits.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੫ ਪੰ. ੨

ਬਹੁ ਰਸ ਰੰਗ ਸੁਵਾਸਨਾ ਪਰਕਿਰਤਿ ਸੁਭਾਏ।

Bahu Ras Rang Suvaasanaa Prakirati Subhaaay |

They have diverse kinds of fragrance and by their many kinds of extracts they enhance the grandeur of Nature.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੫ ਪੰ. ੩

ਬੈਸੰਤਰੁ ਇਕੁ ਵਰਨ ਹੋਇ ਸਭ ਤਰਵਰ ਛਾਏ।

Baisantaru Iku Varan Hoi Sabh Taravar Chhaaay |

The same fire is there in all trees.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੫ ਪੰ. ੪

ਗੁਪਤਹੁਂ ਪਰਗਟ ਹੋਇਕੈ ਭਸਮੰਤ ਕਰਾਏ।

Gupatahu Pragat Hoi Kai Bhasamant Karaaay |

that unmanifest fire becoming manifest reduces all to ashes.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੫ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਏ ॥੧੫॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Sukh Paaay ||15 ||

Likewise, that (unmanifest) Lord resides in all and this very fact makes Gurmukhs full of delight.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੫ ਪੰ. ੬

ਚੰਦਨ ਵਾਸ ਵਣਾਸਪਤਿ ਸਭ ਚੰਦਨ ਹੋਵੈ।

Chandan Vaas Vanaasapati Sabh Chandan Hovai |

The whole vegetation planted near sandal tree becomes fragrant like sandal.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੬ ਪੰ. ੧

ਅਸਟ ਧਾਤੁ ਇਕ ਧਾਤੁ ਹੋਇ ਸੰਗਿ ਪਾਰਸਿ ਢੋਵੈ।

Asat Dhaatu Ik Dhaatu Hoi Sangi Paarasi Ddhovai |

Being in touch with the philosophers’s stone and the alloy of light metals transforms into one metal (gold).

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੬ ਪੰ. ੨

ਨਦੀਆ ਨਾਲੇ ਵਾਹੜੈ ਮਿਲਿ ਗੰਗ ਗੰਗੋਵੈ।

Nadeeaa Naalay Vaaharhay Mili Gang Gangovai |

Rivers, streams and brooks after joining the Ganges are known by the name of Ganges.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੬ ਪੰ. ੩

ਪਤਿਤ ਉਧਾਰਣੁ ਸਾਧੁ ਸੰਗ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਮਲੁ ਧੋਵੈ।

Patit Udhaaranu Saadhsangu Paapaan Malu Dhovai |

The redeemer of the fallen ones is the holy congregation wherein the dirt of sins is cleansed.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੬ ਪੰ. ੪

ਨਰਕ ਨਿਵਾਰ ਅਸੰਖ ਹੋਇ ਲਖ ਪਤਿਤ ਸੰਗੋਵੈ।

Narak Nivaar Asankh Hoi Lakh Patit Sangovai |

Myriads of apostates and hells have obtained redemption through and in the holy congregation.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੬ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਅਲੋਵੈ ॥੧੬॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Alovai ||16 ||

The gurmukh beholds and understands that God pervades one and all.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੬ ਪੰ. ੬

ਦੀਪਕ ਹੇਤੁ ਪਤੰਗ ਦਾ ਜਲ ਮੀਨ ਤਰੰਦਾ।

Deepak Haytu Patang Daa Jal Meen Tarandaa |

Moth loves burning lamp and fish goes on swimming in water for love of It.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੭ ਪੰ. ੧

ਮਿਰਗੁ ਨਾਦ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਹੈ, ਭਵਰ ਕਵਲਿ ਵਸੰਦਾ।

Miragu Naathh Visamaadu Hai Bhavar Kavali Vasandaa |

For deer the musical sound is the source of delight, and the black bee being in love for lotus gets enveloped in it.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੭ ਪੰ. ੨

ਚੰਦ ਚਕੋਰ ਪਰੀਤਿ ਹੈ ਦੇਖਿ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਧਰੰਦਾ।

Chand Chakor Pareeti Hai Daykhi Dhiaanu Dharandaa |

The redlegged patridge (chakor) loves the moon and concentrates upon it.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੭ ਪੰ. ੩

ਚਕਵੀ ਸੂਰਜ ਹੇਤੁ ਹੈ, ਸੰਜੋਗੁ ਬਣੰਦਾ।

Chakavee Sooraj Haytu Hai Sanjogu Banandaa |

Female ruddy sheldrake (chakavi) loves the sun and only on sunrise it meets and mates with its patner.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੭ ਪੰ. ੪

ਨਾਰਿ ਭਤਾਰ ਪਿਆਰੁ ਹੈ, ਮਾਂ ਪੁਤੁ ਮਿਲੰਦਾ।

Naari Bhataar Piaaru Hai Maan Putu Miladaa |

Woman loves her husband and it is love that the mother brings forth the son.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੭ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਰਚੰਦਾ ॥੧੭॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Prachandaa ||17 ||

Beholding Him operative in all, the gurmukh feels contented.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੭ ਪੰ. ੬

ਅਖੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਦੇਖਦਾ ਸਭ ਚੋਜ ਵਿਡਾਣਾ।

Akhee Andari Daykhadaa Sabh Choj Vidaanaa |

Through the eyes (of the world) He beholds all the wondrous feats.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੮ ਪੰ. ੧

ਕੰਨੀ ਸੁਣਦਾ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਆਖਾਣਿ ਵਖਾਣਾ।

Kannee Sunadaa Surati Kari Aakhaani Vakhaanaa |

With full consciousness He listens to the stories narrated.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੮ ਪੰ. ੨

ਜੀਭੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਬੋਲਦਾ ਬਹੁ ਸਾਦ ਲੁਭਾਣਾ।

Jeebhai Andari Boladaa Bahu Saad Lubhaanaa |

Through tongue, He speaks and relishes all the tastes.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੮ ਪੰ. ੩

ਹਥੀ ਕਿਰਤਿ ਕਮਾਵਦਾ ਪਗਿ ਚਲੈ ਸੁਜਾਣਾ।

Hatheen Kirati Kamaanvadaa Pagi Chalai Sujaanaa |

He works with hands and He, the Omniscient One, walks on feet.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੮ ਪੰ. ੪

ਦੇਹੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਇਕ ਮਨੁ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀ ਪਰਵਾਣਾ।

Dayhee Andari Iku Manu Indree Pravaanaa |

In body, He is the mind whose orders are obeyed by all the organs.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੮ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਮਾਣਾ ॥੧੮॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Sukhu Maanaa ||18 ||

Understanding (the fact) that He permeates through all, gurmukhs feel delighted.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੮ ਪੰ. ੬

ਪਵਣ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਹੈ ਰਾਗ ਨਾਦ ਵੀਚਾਰਾ।

Pavan Guroo Guru Sabadu Hai Raag Naathh Veechaaraa |

The basis of the world is air (the mixture of gases) and Sabad (Word) is the Guru of all knowledge from which flow further all thoughts, music and attendant sounds.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੯ ਪੰ. ੧

ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਜਲੁ ਧਰਤਿ ਹੈ, ਉਤਪਤ ਸੰਸਾਰਾ।

Maat Pitaa Jalu Dharati Hai Utapati Sansaaraa |

Mother and father are the creative forces in the form of earth and water.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੯ ਪੰ. ੨

ਦਾਈ ਦਾਇਆ ਰਾਤਿ ਦਿਹੁ ਵਰਤੇ ਵਰਤਾਰਾ।

Daaee Daaiaa Raati Dihu Varatay Varataaraa |

Night and day are the nurses who nurse for the creatures and this way the whole system goes on operating.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੯ ਪੰ. ੩

ਸਿਵ ਸਕਤੀ ਦਾ ਖੇਲੁ ਮੇਲੁ ਪਰਕਿਰਤਿ ਪਸਾਰਾ।

Siv Sakatee Daa Khaylu Maylu Prakirati Pasaaraa |

With the combination of Siva (the consciousness) and Sakti (the inert nature) this whole world comes into being.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੯ ਪੰ. ੪

ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਪੂਰਨ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਘਟਿ ਚੰਦ੍ਰ ਅਕਾਰਾ।

Paarabraham Pooran Brahamu Ghati Chandu Akaaraa |

That transcendental perfect Lord is permeating through all as the same moon in the sky is visualised in all the pitchers of water.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੯ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਾ ॥੧੯॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Niradharaa ||19 ||

That Lord beyond all the sustenances is the sustenance for the gurmukhs and He alone operates through all.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੧੯ ਪੰ. ੬

ਫੁਲਾਂ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਵਾਸੁ ਹੈ, ਹੋਇ ਭਵਰੁ ਲੁਭਾਣਾ।

Dhulaan Andari Vaasu Hai Hoi Bhavaru Lubhaanaa |

The Lord is the fragrance in flowers and becoming black bee He is attracted towards flowers.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨੦ ਪੰ. ੧

ਅੰਬਾਂ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਰਸ ਧਰੇ, ਕੋਇਲ ਰਸ ਮਾਣਾ।

Anbaan Andari Ras Dharay Koil Rasu Maanaa |

Sap in the mangoes is He and becoming nightingale He enjoys the same.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨੦ ਪੰ. ੨

ਮੋਰ ਬਬੀਹਾ ਹੋਇਕੈ ਘਣ ਵਰਸ ਸਿਞਾਣਾ।

Mor Babeehaa Hoi Kai Ghan Varas Sivaanaa |

Becoming peacock and the rain bird (papthd) only He identifies the delight in raining of the clouds.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨੦ ਪੰ. ੩

ਖੀਰ ਨੀਰ ਸੰਜੋਗ ਹੋਇ ਕਲੀਕੰਦ ਵਖਾਣਾ।

Kheer Neer Sanjog Hoi Kaleekand Vakhaanaa |

He transforms Himself into variegated sweets by becoming milk and water.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨੦ ਪੰ. ੪

ਓਅੰਕਾਰੁ ਅਕਾਰੁ ਕਰਿ, ਹੋਇ ਪਿੰਡ ਪਰਾਣਾ।

Aoankaaru Aakaaru Kari Hoi Pind Praanaa |

The same Formless Lord assuming different forms is residing in all the bodies.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨੦ ਪੰ. ੫

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਰਵਾਣਾ ॥੨੦॥੨॥

Aapay Aapi Varatadaa Guramukhi Pravaanaa ||20 ||2 ||

He is omnipresent in all substances and activities and gurmukhs bow before all such stages.

ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੨ ਪਉੜੀ ੨੦ ਪੰ. ੬

[from 2013] Recently I recorded Guru Nanak's Aarti. It was just me and the piano in my studio one evening. The essence of this beautiful poem is "How can I light candles for the one who has ignited all the stars in the platter of the sky, and lit all the flowers in the forest, and blows their perfume with the celestial wind? Nanak says that the true Aarti (lighting of candles) is the lighting of the heart's candle."

Raag Dhanasri

Guru Nanak used to sing Aarti in raag dhanasri. But the question remains how do I know we are truly singing Dhanasri? Several musicologists will agree with the musical notes and other perfunctory intricacies, which are necessary, but still inept in creating the atmosphere of Dhanasri. I have found big and small encyclopedias of Indian classical music and Gurmat Sangeet fall short in a meaningful way. The more you sing, Dhanasri, like all raags from the Guru Granth Sahib, it becomes harder to sing. The musical rules are the first step and maybe easy for an adept musician, but that is only the tip of the iceberg; the true Dhanasri, like any true raag, has to fortify the meaning of the words we are singing. And then it has to take you beyond, to the anhat shabad. That is the purpose of any raag.

More on How do I know I am singing Dhanasri.

Rabindranath Tagore on Guru Nanak's Aarti

Famous saint poet of India Rabindranath Tagore was once asked by Balraj Sahni, who used to teach at Santiniketan then, that the way he has written the National Anthem of India, why doesn't he write one for the world? He replied that it has already been written. It was written in 16th Century by Guru Nanak, and this was sung by Guru Nanak as Aarti at Jagannath puri to the lord (the omnipresent God). and that this anthem was not only for the world, but for the entire universe. He was so influenced by this aarti that he himself translated it into Bangla language.

Someone shared the following story on my youtube page:

Once thespian Balraj Sahni (who used to teach at Santiniketan then) asked the Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore, "You have written the national anthem for India. Can you write an international anthem for the whole world?" Tagore replied, "It has already been written. Not just an international anthem, but an anthem for the entire universe. It is the aarti written by Guru Nanak in the 16th century." Tagore was referring to the Sikh Aarti (ceremony of light). Gurudev Tagore was so enamoured of this aarti that he personally translated it into Bengali. Here is the story behind it :

When Guru Nanak traveled to Puri at the Jagannath temple, the temple priests invited Guru Nanak to join them to join in the Aarti of the Lord. Guru Nanak agreed and went and sat inside the temple. The priests stood in front of the idol gods and started to wave platters with lights, incense and offerings placed on it. All the devotees who had gathered stood up and gazed at the Lord with great devotion. Guru Nanak filled with great pleasure, was transfixed and remained seated. So overwhelmed was he, that tears rolled down his eyes

At the end of the aarti, the priests complained to Guru Nanak, "You said you would join us to join us in the Aarti of God, but you remain seated on the floor with your eyes closed!" Guru Nanak then replied with this Shabad, saying “Dear brothers! Does our Jagannath exist only here and in this wooden image? Is he not dazzling in the aura of his own greatness, inside all creation? Cannot his Mahima be felt and experienced without the accompanying rituals?"

For more see Tagore and Sikhism by Amiya Dev, Sikhism Inspired Tagore

Rituals and Aarti

A few Sikh Gurdwaras perform Aarti with a platter, or 'Thali', while singing the above Aarti Kirtan, including two of the Panj Takhts: Thakat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib Abchal Nagar and Thakat Sachkhand Sri Patna Sahib Harimandir Sahib. Most Sikhs adhering to essence of Guru Nanak's aarti, resist performing Aarti perform, instead singing 'Aarti Kirtan', which are a few shabads from Guru Nanak, Ravidas and other Bhagats/Gurus.

Gagan Mein Thal Rav - Lyrics of Guru Nanak's Aarti

There are two versions of Guru Nanak's aarti in the Granth Sahib (one on page 13 and another on page 663); they are the same in essence but a few words are changed for instance "tere naam vaasa" on page 663 versus "tere naye vaasa" on page 13; and "tis kai chaanan" versus "tis dai chaanan" on page 663.

I assume Guru Nanak would change some of these words as he sung them (like the puratan raagis used to); this made gurbani alive. It became different from the religious texts in sanskrit, where the exact word and pronunciation mattered; here it didn't because the essence mattered most. The emotion and the essence is key in any gurbani recitation.

[from page 13]

Rāg ḏẖanāsrī mėhlā 1.

Gagan mai thāl rav cẖanḏ ḏīpak bane ṯārikā mandal janak moṯī.

Ḏẖūp malānlo pavaṇ cẖavro kare sagal banrāe fūlanṯ joṯī. ||1||

Kaisī ārṯī ho▫e.

Bẖav kẖandnā ṯerī ārṯī.

Anhaṯā sabaḏ vājanṯ bẖerī. ||1|| rahāo.

Sahas ṯav nain nan nain hėh ṯohi ka▫o sahas mūraṯ nanā ek ṯohī.

Sahas paḏ bimal nan ek paḏ ganḏẖ bin sahas ṯav ganḏẖ iv cẖalaṯ mohī. ||2||

Sabẖ mėh joṯ joṯ hai soe. Ŧis ḏai cẖānaṇ sabẖ mėh cẖānaṇ hoe.

Gur sākẖī joṯ pargat hoe. Jo ṯis bẖāvai so ārṯī hoe. ||3||

Har cẖaraṇ kaval makranḏ lobẖiṯ mano anḏino mohi āhī piāsā.

Kirpā jal ḏėh Nānak sāring kao hoe jā ṯe ṯerai nāe vāsā. ||4||3||

[from Guru Granth Sahib page 663]

Gagan mein thaal rav chand deepak bane
Tarka mandal janak moti
Dhoop malaanlo pawan chavaro kare
Sagal banrai phoolant jyoti

Kaisi aarti hove
bhavkhandna teri aarti
Anahad shabd vajant bheri

Sahas tav nain nan
Nain hai tohe kau
Sahas murat nan na ek tohe
Sahas pad bimal nan ek pad gandh bin
Sahas tav gandh ev chalat mohi

Sab mein jot jot hai sohi
Tis ke chaanan sab mein chaanan hoi
Gur sakhi jot pargat hoe
Jo tis bhave so aarti hoe

Har charan kamal makrand lobit mano
Aneno mohe aaee piyasa
Kirpa jal de nanak sarang ko
Hoe jate tere naam vasa
Hoe jate tere naam vasa

Alternative Translation of Guru Nanak's Aarti

The Sky is your platter,
The sun and moon are the lamps
The Stars in the sky are the pearls,
The ‘Dhoop’ (Incense) is the fragrance,
That the wind propels, the whole forest is Your flowers.

O! What a wonderful Aarti, this is!
You, are a destroyer of Fear,
The sound of Your Name, which is so subtle, that It goes unheard,
Resounds endlessly.

You have a thousand eyes, but not one is yours
You have several forms, yet not one is yours
You have feet, noses…And you have none…
I am charmed by your

Your Light enlightens all!
It is by the Grace of the Guru that the real Light (Knowledge) Manifests.
What pleases the Almighty is this Aarti

Nanak is like the thirsty bird that asks,
For a drop of water, From You O Lord!
That drop (Grace) will make Nanak find comfort,
In the uttering of Your Name.

Traditional Translation

Raag Dhanaasree, First Mehl (Guru Nanak)

Upon that cosmic plate of the sky, the sun and the moon are the lamps. The stars and their orbs are the studded pearls.

The fragrance of sandalwood in the air is the temple incense, and the wind is the fan. All the plants of the world are the altar flowers in offering to You, O Luminous Lord. ||1||

What a beautiful Aartee, lamp-lit worship service this is!

O Destroyer of Fear, this is Your Ceremony of Light.

The Unstruck Sound-current of the Shabad is the vibration of the temple drums. ||1||Pause||

You have thousands of eyes, and yet You have no eyes. You have thousands of forms, and yet You do not have even one.

You have thousands of Lotus Feet, and yet You do not have even one foot. You have no nose, but you have thousands of noses. This Play of Yours entrances me. ||2||

Amongst all is the Light-You are that Light. By this Illumination, that Light is radiant within all.

Through the Guru's Teachings, the Light shines forth. That which is pleasing to Him is the lamp-lit worship service. ||3||

My mind is enticed by the honey-sweet Lotus Feet of the Lord. Day and night, I thirst for them.

Bestow the Water of Your Mercy upon Nanak, the thirsty song-bird, so that he may come to dwell in Your Name. ||4||3||

Lyrics in Gurmukhi and English

ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ Raag Dhhanaasaree Mehalaa 1 || Raag Dhanaasaree, First Guru:

ਗਗਨ ਮੈ ਥਾਲੁ ਰਵਿ ਚੰਦੁ ਦੀਪਕ ਬਨੇ ਤਾਰਿਕਾ ਮੰਡਲ ਜਨਕ ਮੋਤੀ ॥ Gagan Mai Thhaal Rav Chandh Dheepak Banae Thaarikaa Manddal Janak Mothee ||

ਧੂਪੁ ਮਲਆਨਲੋ ਪਵਣੁ ਚਵਰੋ ਕਰੇ ਸਗਲ ਬਨਰਾਇ ਫੂਲੰਤ ਜੋਤੀ ॥੧॥ Dhhoop Malaaanalo Pavan Chavaro Karae Sagal Banaraae Foolanth Jothee ||1||

ਕੈਸੀ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥ Kaisee Aarathee Hoe ||

ਭਵ ਖੰਡਨਾ ਤੇਰੀ ਆਰਤੀ ॥ Bhav Khanddanaa Thaeree Aarathee ||

ਅਨਹਤਾ ਸਬਦ ਵਾਜੰਤ ਭੇਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ Anehathaa Sabadh Vaajanth Bhaeree ||1|| Rehaao ||

ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਨੈਨ ਨਨ ਨੈਨ ਹਹਿ ਤੋਹਿ ਕਉ ਸਹਸ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਨਨਾ ਏਕ ਤਦ਼ਹੀ ॥ Sehas Thav Nain Nan Nain Hehi Thohi Ko Sehas Moorath Nanaa Eaek Thuohee ||

ਸਹਸ ਪਦ ਬਿਮਲ ਨਨ ਏਕ ਪਦ ਗੰਧ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਹਸ ਤਵ ਗੰਧ ਇਵ ਚਲਤ ਮੋਹੀ ॥੨॥ Sehas Padh Bimal Nan Eaek Padh Gandhh Bin Sehas Thav Gandhh Eiv Chalath Mohee ||2||

ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਹੈ ਸੋਇ ॥ Sabh Mehi Joth Joth Hai Soe ||

ਤਿਸ ਦੈ ਚਾਨਣਿ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ This Dhai Chaanan Sabh Mehi Chaanan Hoe ||

ਗੁਰ ਸਾਖੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ Gur Saakhee Joth Paragatt Hoe ||

ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਆਰਤੀ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥ Jo This Bhaavai S Aarathee Hoe ||3||

ਹਰਿ ਚਰਣ ਕਵਲ ਮਕਰੰਦ ਲੋਭਿਤ ਮਨੋ ਅਨਦਿਨਦ਼ ਮੋਹਿ ਆਹੀ ਪਿਆਸਾ ॥ Har Charan Kaval Makarandh Lobhith Mano Anadhinuo Mohi Aahee Piaasaa ||

ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਜਲੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਰਿੰਗ ਕਉ ਹੋਇ ਜਾ ਤੇ ਤੇਰੈ ਨਾਇ ਵਾਸਾ ॥੪॥੩॥ Kirapaa Jal Dhaehi Naanak Saaring Ko Hoe Jaa Thae Thaerai Naae Vaasaa ||4||3||

I love the Vande Maataram composition in Raag Des sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Vande Mataram is the national song of India. In 2003, BBC World Service picked Vande Mataram among top 10 songs in the world selected from 7000 songs from 155 countries/island voted. It was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in a mixture of Bengali and Sanskrit. It comes from a poem published in Bankim Chandra's 1882 novel Anandamath. The first political occasion where it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. In 1950 (after India's independence), the song's first two verses were given the official status of the "national song" of the Republic of India, distinct from the national anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana.

Though it arose in the context of Indian nationhood, I have always heard Vande Mataram as a song to Mother Earth. Its rivers, orchards, winds, and moonlight—paired with the reverence for the divine feminine—evoke a planetary motherhood, not just a political homeland. As Guru Nanak says in Pavan Guru, the air is our teacher and the Earth is our mother. Joy Harjo asks in her meditative poetry for us to remember the earth whose skin we are. In that spirit, may this song be received not just as India's offering to the world, but as the Earth’s own voice, calling us back to reverence.

Vande Mataram Lyrics in Hindi/Sanskrit

वन्दे मातरम् सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम् शस्यशामलां मातरम् ।

शुभ्रज्योत्स्नापुलकितयामिनीं फुल्लकुसुमितद्रुमदलशोभिनीं सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीं सुखदां वरदां मातरम् ।। १ ।।

वन्दे मातरम् ।

कोटि-कोटि-कण्ठ-कल-कल-निनाद-कराले कोटि-कोटि-भुजैर्धृत-खरकरवाले, अबला केन मा एत बले ।

बहुबलधारिणीं नमामि तारिणीं रिपुदलवारिणीं मातरम् ।। २ ।।

वन्दे मातरम् ।

तुमि विद्या, तुमि धर्म तुमि हृदि, तुमि मर्म त्वं हि प्राणा: शरीरे बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति, हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति, तोमारई प्रतिमा गडि मन्दिरे-मन्दिरे मातरम् ।। ३ ।।

वन्दे मातरम् ।

त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी कमला कमलदलविहारिणी वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम् नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलां सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् ।। ४ ।।

वन्दे मातरम् ।

श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भूषितां धरणीं भरणीं मातरम् ।। ५ ।।

वन्दे मातरम् ।।

Vande Mataram Lyrics in English

vande maataram..

maataram..

sujalaam sufalaam malayaj sheetalaam

sasyashyaamalaam maataram

vande..

shubhrajyotsna pulakit yaaminiim

phulla kusumita drumadal shobhiniim

suhaasinim sumadhura bhaashhinim

sukhadaam varadaam

maataram.. vande maataram

sapta koti kantha kalakala ninaada karaale

nisapta koti bhujaidhruta kharakarvaale

sapta koti kantha kalakala ninaada karaale

nisapta koti bhujaidhruta kharakarvaale

ka bola ka noma eith bole

bahubal dhaariniin namaami taariniim

ripudalavaariniin maataram

vande maataram ...

tumi vidyaa tumi dharma, tumi hridi tumi marma

tvan hi praanaah shariire

baahute tumi maa shakti,

hridaye tumi maa bhakti,

tomaarai pratimaa gadi mandire mandire

vande maataram..

tvan hi durgaa dashapraharanadhaarinii

kamalaa kamaladala vihaarinii

vaanii vidyaadaayinii, namaami tvaam

namaami kamalaan amalaan atulaam

sujalaan sufalaan maataram

vande maataram..

shyaamalaan saralaan susmitaan bhuushhitaam

dharaniin bharaniin maataram

vande maataram....

Word by word Meanings of Vande Mataram chorus

वन्दे मातरम्।

सुजलाम् सुफलाम्

मलयज शीतलाम्

शस्यश्यामलाम्

मातरम्।

वन्दे मातरम्।

vande mātaram

sujalāṃ suphalāṃ

malayajaśītalām

śasya śyāmalāṃ

mātaram

vande mātaram

Vande- mātaram – I salute you O Mother (refering to India).

Sujalam - Having good water. Su means good and jal means water so sujalāṃ means pure water.

Suphalam - Having good fruits. Phal means fruit. Su again means good. So suphalāṃ means having sweet fruits.

Malayaja-śītalām - Refreshed by the cool scented breeze from the Malaya hills. Malayagiri hills situated in Orissa India are famous for their sandalwood forests. Guru Nanak also mentions this in his aarti (Dhoop Malayaanlo)

śasya śyāmalāṃ - productive and prosperous (śasya) and light-brown in colour (śyāmalāṃ).

शुभ्रज्योत्स्ना

पुलकितयामिनीम्

फुल्लकुसुमित

द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्

सुहासिनीम्

सुमधुर भाषिणीम्

सुखदाम् वरदाम्

मातरम्।।

वन्दे मातरम्

śubhra jyotsnā

pulakita yāminīm

phulla kusumita

drumadalaśobhinīm

suhāsinīṃ

sumadhura bhāṣiṇīm

sukhadāṃ varadāṃ

mātaram

vande mātaram

bright and shining white moonlight (śubhra jyotsnā)

pulakita - gratifies

yāminīm - night

phulla kusumita drumadala śobhinīm - flower and greenery beautified

sumadhura bhāṣiṇīm - sweetness language speaking

suhāsinīṃ - delightful.

sukhadāṃ varadāṃ - joy giving.

Translation of Complete Vande Mataram - Shivpreet Singh

O Mother, I Bow to You

O Mother, I sing your name—

your rivers rush like wild joy,

your orchards shimmer with sunlight,

your winds carry the scent of peace,

and your dark, tilled fields sway with strength.

You, source of might, I bow to you.

Moonlight drapes your trees and streams—

they shine under your gentle watch.

In your blooming arms,

you offer rest.

Your laughter hums low and sweet.

I press my head to your feet.

O Mother, voice soft as prayer—

I praise you.

Who said you are weak?

When seventy million hands lift swords

and seventy million voices echo your name

from shore to shining shore—

you are fierce, full of fire.

To you, we cry—O Mother, O Lord.

Rise now, the one who drove

every invader from sea and plain—

stand tall, shake off the dust again.

You are wisdom, the pulse of law,

you are our heart, our breath,

our soul’s last breath before death.

You are love that conquers fear.

You are the fire in the fist,

the grace in the gaze,

the divine shape

every idol dreams to become.

You are Durga—Queen of light,

with blazing swords in every hand.

You are Lakshmi, on a lotus throne,

and the Muse who sings a hundred tones.

Flawless, radiant, fierce and clear—

Mother, do you hear?

You, with rivers running wild,

you, with orchards in bloom,

dark in hue and bright with grace.

In your soul—stars in your hair,

your smile, a blessing

across every land.

From your hands, endless gifts pour down.

Mother, beloved, forever mine,

sweet and vast, I honor you—

free and boundless Mother, I sing your name.

Translation of Complete Vande Mataram - Sri Aurobindo

Here is the translation in prose of the above two stanzas rendered by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. This has also been adopted by the Government of India's national portal. The original Vande Mataram consists of six stanzas and the translation in prose for the complete poem by Shri Aurobindo appeared in Karmayogin, 20 November 1909.

Mother, I praise thee!

Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I praise thee. [Verse 1]

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When the swords flash out in seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Thou who savest, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foeman drove
Back from plain and Sea
And shook herself free. [Verse 2]

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Thou art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine. [Verse 3]

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair [Verse 4]

In thy soul, with bejeweled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Loveliest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I praise thee,
Mother great and free! [Verse 5]

Translation of Vande Mataram by Keshab Bhattarai

Salutations (to you), oh Mother!
(You are blessed with) Richness in water
resources, plenty of fruits (and forest
resources), flushed with cool air breezing
from Malaya mountains;
Green with rice plants o ! our motherland
Salutations (to you), oh Mother!

Where nights are made joyous by sparkling light
very beautiful by buds-flowers- and rows of trees
Always looking pleasant, sweet speaking
giver of happiness and riches
o! our motherland!
Salutations (to you), oh Mother!

Seventy million voices are heard (praising you) in kalakala sound
many million hands have taken swords (for your protection)
How can I say that you are a helpless woman?
I pray (to you), oh savier mother adorned
with strength, the destroyer of enemies.
Salutations (to you), oh Mother!

You are embodiment of wisdom, virtues
(religion), love, and the essence (of everything).
You are certainly the life force in (our) bodies.
Oh Mother, you are strength in (our) arms,
Oh Mother, you are devotion in (our) hearts,
Your (sacred) image is in every temple
Salutations (to you), oh Mother!

You are indeed the ten-handed Durga goddess,
you are the goddess of wealth, Kamala or
Laxmi, residing on the lotus,
you are the bestower of (power of) speech and
knowledge - Goddess Saraswati, I pray to you.
I salute you oh pure unmatched Goddess KamalA.
You are blessed with water resources,
blessed with plenty of fruits,
Salutations (to you), oh Mother!

You are peaceful, kind, pleasant, and beautiful.
Oh Mother earth, nourisher, salutations.
Salutations (to you), oh Mother! Vande Mataram

Vande Maataram - An ode to the motherland

In the novel "Anandmath," composed in the Bengali script, there exists a heartfelt tribute to the Motherland known as "Vande Mataram." Translated, this title signifies "I bow to thee, Mother." Interestingly, within the later verses of the song, the concept of the "mother goddess" has been inferred to symbolize the homeland of the people – Banga Mata (Mother Bengal) and Bharat Mata (Mother India), even though such allusions are not explicitly stated in the text.

This iconic composition played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement. It was first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore during the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. Subsequently, in 1905, it gained popularity as a marching song for political activism within the Indian freedom movement. Sri Aurobindo, a spiritual Indian nationalist and philosopher, hailed it as the "National Anthem of Bengal." Remarkably, despite being banned by the British government along with the novel that contained it, the ban was openly defied by workers and the general public. Many individuals faced imprisonment for singing it, but ultimately, the ban was lifted by the Indian populace after they achieved independence from colonial rule.

On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India officially adopted "Vande Mataram" as the national song. During this historic moment, India's first President, Rajendra Prasad, emphasized that the song should be held in equal regard with the national anthem of India, "Jana Gana Mana." Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the Constitution of India does not explicitly designate "Vande Mataram" as the national song.

The first two verses of the song symbolize an abstract reference to mother and motherland, devoid of any specific mention of Hindu deities by name, unlike the later verses that do invoke goddesses such as Durga. Additionally, unlike the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana," which has a specified duration of 52 seconds for rendition, there are no time constraints or circumstantial specifications for performing "Vande Mataram."

Controversies with Vande Mataram

In 1937, during the pursuit of India's independence from British colonial rule, a committee consisting of prominent figures like Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose, Acharya Deva, and Rabindranath Tagore recommended the adoption of certain portions of "Vande Mataram" as the national song. However, it was a deliberate choice not to select the entire song in order to honor the sentiments of non-Hindus. The gathering unanimously agreed that individuals should have the freedom to sing an alternative "unobjectionable song" during national gatherings if they found "Vande Mataram" objectionable for personal reasons.

The reasoning behind this decision, as expressed by the assembled leaders, including Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, was that while the first two stanzas of the song beautifully evoked the essence of the motherland without any objectionable content, the later stanzas contained references to the Hindu goddess Durga. This consideration aimed to ensure inclusivity and respect for the diverse religious and cultural beliefs of the Indian population.

Opposition to the song also came from the Muslim League and its leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Subsequently, with the backing of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian National Congress made the decision to adopt only the first two stanzas of "Vande Mataram" as the national song for public gatherings. This choice involved the exclusion of verses that contained references to goddesses like Durga and Lakshmi.

Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950, made the following statement which was also adopted as the final decision on the issue:

... The composition consisting of the words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations in the words as the Government may authorise as occasion arises; and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. (Applause). I hope this will satisfy the Members.
—Constituent Assembly of India, Vol. XII, 24-1-1950[47]

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vande_Mataram for more information.

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Translation of Complete Vande Mataram - Sri Aurobindo

Translation of Vande Mataram by Keshab Bhattarai

Vande Maataram - An ode to the motherland

Controversies with Vande Mataram

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