Friday 23 December 2016

Speaking Tree - Guru Gobind Singh's Jaap Sahib

Speaking Tree - Guru Gobind Singh's Jaap Sahib



Welcome

Guru Gobind Singh’s Jaap Sahib

By: Kulbir Kaur
Jaap Sahib, composed by Guru Gobind Singh, is a salutation to the Almighty, the Creator as well as the Creation. Jaap Sahib is a celebration, a jalsa of the glory of God who, though pervades even in a blade of grass, cannot be comprehended, expressed, or understood -- just like love. 'Thou pervadest everywhere in the form of love', says Guru Gobind Singh.

God, like love, is impossible to describe or define. 'The One, true,wise and pure Guru has no contour, countenance, colour, caste or lineage. No form, complexion nor any lines by which one may describe him. A Being limitless in might, fearless, luminous and steady...who can describe all Thy names? The wise recounts only such of Thy attributes as are revealed by Thy works'.

Jaap Sahib, with its 199 pauris or verses, is the morning prayer of the Sikhs and the first Bani of the Dasam Granth. It is a tribute to God with 1000 names. Jaap Sahib is one of the five Banis that a Sikh must recite every day. The recitation leads to an inexplainable state of vismad, wonder, with the realisation of the supreme power of  God and us, human beings as minuscule particles of His creation. Indeed, God is the greatest mystery. 'Thou art unascertainable...Thou art unattainable and sublime...Thou art hidden among the hidden...To Thee who art eternal, who art merciful. To Thee I bow again and again', says Guru Gobind Singh.

Why name Him? Why define Him? Why give Him any shape? Why confine Him to any place? The Creator is Akal -- timeless, formless, invisible. He is the King of kings, Moon of moons, God of gods, Sun of suns. He is eternal. He is constant. To identify Him with any religion, caste or sect is just unthinkable.

Jaap sahib extols unity in diversity -- anek hai phir ek hai -- many forms yet One. All life, according to Guru Gobind Singh, is 'Absolutely One'. Addressing God, he writes, 'You appear in all forms and behold everything. You are like an ocean rippling with countless waves, unbroken and mysterious. You are the quintessence of all things yet unformed of the elements. You make all things flourish and then scatter away. To Thee I bow again and again. You are Almighty, Creator, whose hand is in all concerns of the world. You are multifarious and yet One'.

'Jaap' means japna, to recite, repeat, chant; to utter His praises but also to understand and imbibe His attributes. A true Sikh tries to follow these in everyday life. The Supreme Being is dayalam and kripalam -- merciful. He is light, love, beauty, truth, energy. He is the support of the lowly.  God is ever-calm, without anxiety, without desire, free from pain, enjoyer of bliss, like the sky above the earth, calm and deep. Why to embroil in rituals and ceremonies? Embrace naam-simran, charity, seva and remain in chardi-kala (high spirits). He, the Creator, is the highest ideal. He is the only Truth.

Jaap Sahib, a masterpiece of love, devotion and energy, is an utsav of emotions. The Jaap Sahib is recited while preparing amrit for the khande-di-pahul ceremony. It purifies you. 'God is ever the Supreme Truth, Supreme Consciousness and Supreme Bliss', exclaims Guru Gobind Singh. God is the ultimate friend and it is to Him that we should appeal in time of distress.

(Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th prakash utsav on January 5, 2017).

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