Gems of Gurbani

Guru Granth Sahib

Sukhmani Sahib  30

The one who is blessed to recite His Name and praises must take care of the following virtues; a – he must become humble in nature (Ashtapadi 12), b – he must not slander anyone (Ashtapadi 13), c – He must concentrate on the Timeless being because He is the one who will and can fulfill all wishes and needs (Ashtapadi 14, 15).

Shlok: The humble person lives in peace because he has abandoned his ego but the haughty ones are consumed by their own pride O Nanak.

Ashtapadi 12 begins: The one who has a pride like Kingship not only goes to the hell but behaves like a dog. He, who is proud of his youth becomes like worm of filth, he, who calls himself man of good deeds wanders into the cycle of coming and going in many existences, he, who takes pride of his wealth and land is stupid, blind and ignorant, he, in whose heart Lord mercifully plants humbleness O Nanak gets salvation here and peace hereafter (pad 1).

The one who is proud of his riches shall know that while going (from this world) not even a grass straw goes with. He, who has set his hope on his army and men, shall be destroyed in a moment. The one who deems himself strongest of all is in ashes in moments. The one, who in is haughty pride thinks nothing of others will be disgraced by the righteous judge (Dharam Rai). Only a person who by Guru’s grace gets his ego effaced becomes acceptable in His (God’s) court O Nanak (pad 2).

Man may do millions of good deeds and still is egoistic of all that he does incur only trouble because all his acts are in vain. Man may do may penances (there are people who do different kinds of penances like fasting, standing on one leg, living in a dug up hole only with head out of it, reaching far away temples bare foot, standing for days in water and many more ways of torturing your body to achieve union with Lord) but if their pride and ego is not effaced they remain in the cycle of birth in hell or heaven. By doing all such efforts if soul is not softened, how can one reach the God’s court?  He, who calls himself good (by making charities, and other deeds of goodness for show) goodness does not draw near him. Nanak only who humbles down so much that he feels like dust of everybody’s feet is rendered pure in mind (pad 3).