Gems of Gurbani

Guru Granth Sahib

Sukhmani Sahib – 11

Ahtapadi 3 continues…

For the poor your Name is the wealth, for a shelter less Your Name is a shelter, the one who has lost his honour; Your Name becomes his honour. You (O God) give donations to all and make everything happen like every action O Lord. He is the Supreme Being and knows the thoughts of every heart. You know your own condition and estimation O Lord that is why you are always imbued with yourself O Lord. You alone know your praiseworthiness and none else O Nanak knows your praises (pad 7).

Of all the faith the best faith is to meditate on His Name while doing pure deeds. Of all the religious rites the best rite is to abandon the filth of evil intellect by associating the company of saints. Of all the efforts the best effort is to ever meditating on His Name heartily. Of all the speeches (Bani), the best is ambrosial speech (like Nectar) of hearing His Name and to repeat it with the tongue. Of all the places, the best place is that heart in which O Nanak dwells the Name of God (pad 8).

These three Ashtapadis where recitation on the Name of God has been given importance end with a shlok :

O meritless and ignorant mortal (In Sikhism a mortal is known as Jeev or prani) meditate on that Lord’s Name who has brought you to this world (It is believed in the spiritual world that birth can take place only if God wills). If you remember that your birth was His Will O Nanak Lord alone will be your company.