Gems of Gurbani

Guru Granth Sahib

Kirtan Sohila   4

Continued……  Dhanasari Mahala 1 page 662

There is but One God. By true Guru’s grace he is obtained. This is not the age in which people know the way to truth and Yoga. In this age the world’s places of worship are being polluted and the world is being drowned.II 1II In this age only the Lord’s Name is sublime. A hypocrite has closed his eyes, holding his breath he is trying to deceive the world.II  rahao II Holding his breath with his thumb and two fingers he is proclaiming that; I am seeing the three worlds. But he is not seeing anything behind him (Guru ji had picked up his begging bowl and kept it behind is back to check whether in his lotus posture he is actually seeing the three worlds). But he does not see anything behind his back; O strange is this lotus posture. II 2 II The Khatris (Kshtriyas) have abandoned their religion and are speaking the foreign language of the Malechhas( invader Islamic people). The world has assumed one caste (that of evil) and the religion and righteousness has vanished from this world II 3 II The Hindus study the eight and ten Puranas and experts study and reflect upon Vedas ( to show the way to emancipation). Without Lord’s Name there is no emancipations says Nanak the slave of the Lord II 4 II.

This small verse with its huge meaning tells us the history of Nanak’s age and how troubled he was to see the total deterioration in the country where no one was doing their duties. Kshtriyas who were supposed to protect the country had themselves become party to the invaders to establish their rule and the Brahmins who were supposed to show the world the right path to know the Will of the Lord and look after the humanity had divided the society instead of uniting it to fight the foreign rule. The hypocrites like the sadhu were exploiting the situation by such superstitions and stunts that they have direct connection with the Lord and can become intermediary between Lord and people naturally by taking a fee.