I have been singing this shabad for over 30 years; I composed it when I was a teenager. It comes from a fairly long poem of 55 couplets, lyrics and translation of which is included below. Each couplet is a gem and can be mediated upon separately. I have chosen to sing different portions of the poem in different years. This year I focus on something that is relevant to the ongoing pandemic. The shabad was written by Bhai Nandlal, the poet laureate of Guru Gobind Singh's court.

Bhai Nand Lal, Guru Gobind Singh and I

Bhai Nandlal came from a Hindu family but he was such an expert of farsi and arabic that he was hired by Aurangzeb to teach persian to his kids. The story goes that once after hearing Bhai Nand Lal's interpretation of a Quran verse, Aurangzeb was very impressed. He insisted to his ministers and son that such a man should convert to Islam. Aurangzeb's son was a confidante of Bhai Nandlal and told him that his dad wanted him converted to Islam. Bhai Nand Lal did not want to convert to Islam, so he started pondering as to where he could go to get saved. Someone told him if he wanted to get saved from Aurrangzeb one of the only safe place in North India was Anandpur Sahib, in the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Bhai Nandlal fled overnight towards Anandpur Sahib. The rest is history; he met the guru, served the sangat of Anandpur Sahib and eventually became the poet laureate of Guru Gobind's court. He was the Guru's most favorite poet among the 52 poets he had in his court. He stayed with the Guru for several years.

After Guru Gobind's passing, Bhai Nandlal moved to Multan when he and his descendents lived for over 9 generations. I am fortunate to be his 10th descendant. My father was born in Multan in the ancestral home of the great poet. Our family moved to India after the partition (1947) and we moved to the US in 1991.

Had Guru Gobind Singh not protected Bhai Nandlal from the Mughals, our family would literally not exist. So my existence is a grace of Guru Gobind Singh. My life, literally, is Gur Prasad.

- Shivpreet [December, 2017]

Aalam-e-Raushan Guru Gobind Singh - 10/23/2025

Aalam-e-raushan ze Guru Gobind Singh
Jan-o-dil gulshan ze Guru Gobind Singh

For this year's recording of the shabad, I focused on one verse that I have never sung, and I found very apt for the times we are living in: 

Khaazan means treasurer, khazaanchi. Ganj is a treasure.  For instance Bhagat Farid is called Ganj-e-shakar - the treasure of sweetness. Marham means ointment/cure and Ranj means ailment.  So the guru is the keeper of all treasures and the cure for all ailments.  

I am always amazed at all these lines. Each line is a treasure by itself and Bhai Nandlal says so much in so few words, the economy is comparable to the best succint poetry i have ever found: Emily Dickinson and Guru Nanak (especially in describing Lahore Shehar). 

Keeper of Divine Treasure is Guru Gobind Singh

Happy Gurpurab everyone!!!  Today we remember the emperor of emperors, Guru Gobind Singh.  Last week, I sang the first few lines and the last few lines of Guru Gobind Singh's poet laureate Bhai Nandlal. Here is a video of the practice we did at home. Accompanying me on the guitar is my dear friend Janapriyan Levine (http://www.janapriyan.com). Enjoy and share it with your hearts, friends and family ...

I have been singing this poem for many years but this year I focused on the last few lines of the poem.  While most of the poem describes the amazing nature of Guru Gobind Singh, it is the last few lines which give us a glimpse into what gursikhi was during the guru's time.  These last few lines are rarely sung - they describe the utmost humility of Bhai Nandlal. If I were to prosify his beautiful poetic lines, the gist is:

My soul is branded "Guru Gobind Singh;" I am the slave dog of Guru Gobind Singh ... nay, I am lower than his dogs; if I were to partake the leftovers of his dogs, I would be fortunate. The only hope I have now is that when my life is sacrificed for the Guru, let my head be on his feet.

- Shivpreet (December 24, 2017)

First few verses -

Keeper of Divine Treasure is Guru Gobind Singh

The Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, pronounced [ɡʊɾuː ɡɾəntʰᵊ saːhɪb]) is the central religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal living Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth, its first rendition, was compiled by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan (1563–1606). Its compilation was completed on 29 August 1604[failed verification] and first installed inside Darbar Sahib in Amritsar on 1 September 1604.[1] Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi of the Darbar Sahib. Later, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, added all 115 hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, to the Adi Granth and affirmed the text as his successor.[2] This second rendition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib, and is also sometimes referred to as the Adi Granth.[3][4]

The text consists of 1,430 angs (pages) and 5,894 śabads (line compositions),[5][6][7] which are poetically rendered and set to a rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music.[8] The bulk of the scripture is divided into sixty[5][6] rāgas, with each Granth rāga subdivided according to length and author. The hymns in the scripture are arranged primarily by the rāgas in which they are read.[6] The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script, in various languages, including Lahnda (Western Punjabi), Braj Bhasha, Kauravi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, and Persian. Copies in these languages often have the generic title of Sant Bhasha.[9]

The Guru Granth Sahib was composed predominantly by six Sikh gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, and Guru Teg Bahadur. It also contains the poetic teachings of thirteen Hindu Bhakti movement sant poets and two Sufi Muslim poets.[10][11]

The vision in the Guru Granth Sahib is of a society based on divine justice without oppression of any kind.[12][13] While the Granth acknowledges and respects the scriptures of Hinduism and Islam, it does not imply a moral reconciliation with either of these religions.[14] It is installed in a Sikh gurdwara (temple). A Sikh typically bows or prostrates before it on entering such a temple.[15] The Granth is revered as eternal gurbānī and the spiritual authority in Sikhism.[16]

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Granth_Sahib 

The creator put both lock and key in breath without delay

Kunji - Key

Kulaf - Lock

Praan - Breath (see below for more detail from Wikipedia)

ਗਉੜੀ ॥

गउड़ी ॥

Ga▫oṛī.

Gauree:

ਖਟ ਨੇਮ ਕਰਿ ਕੋਠੜੀ ਬਾਂਧੀ ਬਸਤੁ ਅਨੂਪੁ ਬੀਚ ਪਾਈ ॥

खट नेम करि कोठड़ी बांधी बसतु अनूपु बीच पाई ॥

Kẖat nem kar koṯẖ▫ṛī bāʼnḏẖī basaṯ anūp bīcẖ pā▫ī.

He fashioned the body chamber with six rings, and placed within it the incomparable thing.

ਕੁੰਜੀ ਕੁਲਫੁ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਕਰਿ ਰਾਖੇ ਕਰਤੇ ਬਾਰ ਨ ਲਾਈ ॥੧॥

कुंजी कुलफु प्रान करि राखे करते बार न लाई ॥१॥

Kunjī kulaf parān kar rākẖe karṯe bār na lā▫ī. ||1||

He made the breath of life the watchman, with lock and key to protect it; the Creator did this in no time at all. ||1||

ਅਬ ਮਨ ਜਾਗਤ ਰਹੁ ਰੇ ਭਾਈ ॥

अब मन जागत रहु रे भाई ॥

Ab man jāgaṯ rahu re bẖā▫ī.

Keep your mind awake and aware now, O Sibling of Destiny.

ਗਾਫਲੁ ਹੋਇ ਕੈ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਓ ਚੋਰੁ ਮੁਸੈ ਘਰੁ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

गाफलु होइ कै जनमु गवाइओ चोरु मुसै घरु जाई ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥

Gāfal ho▫e kai janam gavā▫i▫o cẖor musai gẖar jā▫ī. ||1|| rahā▫o.

You were careless, and you have wasted your life; your home is being plundered by thieves. ||1||Pause||

ਪੰਚ ਪਹਰੂਆ ਦਰ ਮਹਿ ਰਹਤੇ ਤਿਨ ਕਾ ਨਹੀ ਪਤੀਆਰਾ ॥

पंच पहरूआ दर महि रहते तिन का नही पतीआरा ॥

Pancẖ pahrū▫ā ḏar mėh rahṯe ṯin kā nahī paṯī▫ārā.

The five senses stand as guards at the gate, but now can they be trusted?

ਚੇਤਿ ਸੁਚੇਤ ਚਿਤ ਹੋਇ ਰਹੁ ਤਉ ਲੈ ਪਰਗਾਸੁ ਉਜਾਰਾ ॥੨॥

चेति सुचेत चित होइ रहु तउ लै परगासु उजारा ॥२॥

Cẖeṯ sucẖeṯ cẖiṯ ho▫e rahu ṯa▫o lai pargās ujārā. ||2||

When you are conscious in your consciousness, you shall be enlightened and illuminated. ||2||

ਨਉ ਘਰ ਦੇਖਿ ਜੁ ਕਾਮਨਿ ਭੂਲੀ ਬਸਤੁ ਅਨੂਪ ਨ ਪਾਈ ॥

नउ घर देखि जु कामनि भूली बसतु अनूप न पाई ॥

Na▫o gẖar ḏekẖ jo kāman bẖūlī basaṯ anūp na pā▫ī.

Seeing the nine openings of the body, the soul-bride is led astray; she does not obtain that incomparable thing.

ਕਹਤੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਨਵੈ ਘਰ ਮੂਸੇ ਦਸਵੈਂ ਤਤੁ ਸਮਾਈ ॥੩॥੨੨॥੭੩॥

कहतु कबीर नवै घर मूसे दसवैं ततु समाई ॥३॥२२॥७३॥

Kahaṯ Kabīr navai gẖar mūse ḏasvaiʼn ṯaṯ samā▫ī. ||3||22||73||

Says Kabeer, the nine openings of the body are being plundered; rise up to the Tenth Gate, and discover the true essence. ||3||22||73||