Gems of Gurbani

Guru Granth Sahib

Asa di waar    13

On page 472 Guru Nanak has commented on a ritual called Sutak. This actually means a state where a household is considered ritually impure. This happens at the time of birth or death in a family. People are asked to make offerings to ward off this ritual impurity. Guru Nanak says this is all falsehood. This is an inevitable fact that a woman goes through her monthly cycle and this cannot be changed same way a person in whose mouth falsehood dwells cannot be changed and he goes back to his falsehood. Pure are only those O Nanak in who’s mind you abide. Guru Nanak describes these people as follows; they ride horses swift like wind and look at all types adorned women and fix their gaze on them. They dwell in houses, pavilions and multi-storied mansion and show off. They do all things that their mind desires but forget God and that in that is their defeat. They order the desired food to show their authority and seeing their mansions they forget death. When the old age comes youth gets defeated.

If one likes to believe in the concept of Sutak then Sutak is everywhere: in cow dung and wood there are worms, every grain has life in it and in the first place there is life in water by which all are made green. How can Sutak be warded off if it has fallen on your kitchen. Nanak Sutak is not warded off like this it is washed away with divine knowledge. The Sutak of the mind is greed and that of tongue is falsehood. The Sutak of eyes is to behold, someone’s wife, wealth and beauty. The Sutak of the eye is hear someone’s defamation or slandering. Nanak the body of the mortals goes bound to the city of death. All that concept of Sutak is a doubt to create ambiguity. Birth and death are according to His Will. Eating and drinking are pure any time because God has provided for the sustenance of the mortals. Nanak says all those who become God oriented don’t get any impurity stuck to them.

To continue……