Gems of Gurbani

Guru Granth Sahib

Sukhmani Sahib  56

 Sing the praises of Lord O friendly Saints with alertness and single-mindedly. In the Sukhmani are peace, Lord’s praise  and Name. When a person abides in his mind, he becomes rich because all his desires are fulfilled. He becomes a distinguished person and renowned in the whole world. He obtains the highest place and the coming and going (recycle of birth) does not happen. Nanak, the one who obtains Sukhmani departs after earning the wealth of God’s Name (pad 5).

Repose, peace, wealth, nine treasures, understanding, divine knowledge, all the immediate occult powers, learning, penance, union with and meditation on Lord Master, the excellent divine insight, the excellent ablutions, four cardinal boons, the blossoming of heart like lotus, detachment from all amongst midst of all, beautiful, shrewd and knower of all reality, impartial view and beholder of One God these all gifts are obtain by the man who with his mouth recites (Sukhmani) and heartily hears Guru Nanak’s hymns in the praise of God’s Name (pad 6).

Let anyone meditate heartily on this treasure of God’s Name. In all the ages he shall obtain salvation. This composition is the praise of the Lord of the world. Even the Vedas, shastras and smritis speak of the Name of the Lord of the world. The essence of all the religions is the God’s Name alone. The Name of the Lord abides in the mind of a devotee. In the company of the Saints millions of the sins are pardoned and by their mercy he escapes the messenger of death. They who have such destiny written on their brows O Nanak have entered the Lord’s sanctuary (pad 7).

 The one, within whose mind the Sukhmani abides and who listen to it with love that mortal remembers the Lord Master. His pangs of birth and death are destroyed. His human life that is difficult to obtain is exonerated. His speech becomes sweet and his repute becomes spotless. His mind is contained only with love of the Lord Master and sorrow, sickness, dread and doubt departs from him. He goes by the Name of the Saint and his acts become pure. The highest of all becomes his glory. Because of these virtues, O Nanak this is called hymns of peace ‘Sukhmani’ (pad 8, ashtapadi 24).