Columnists
The Month of Jeytth [May 15 - June 14]
Translated by GURMEET KAUR
1
maahu jaet(h) bhalaa preetham kio bisarai ...
naanak jaet(h) jaanai this jaisee karam milai gun gehilee ||7||Guru Nanak [Raag Tukhaari, GGS:1108]
In the month of Jeytth - Sublime
How shall she forget
Her beloved ?
As the earth simmers
The soul bride glows
In longing.
Yearning, praying, singing,
Beseeching -
So she shall please thee ...
... Escape the heat of Maya
... Find refuge
In the abode of the detached one.
Lowly and modest
Bearing the pangs of separation
She treads the path.
Says Nanak:
Walking this trail of virtue
She comes to know him
As she becomes like him -
In the month of Jeytth - sublime.
2
har jaet(h) jurra(n)dhaa lorreeai jis agai sabh niva(n)n || ...
har jaet(h) ra(n)geelaa this dhhanee jis kai bhaag mathha(n)n ||4||
Guru Arjan [Raag Maajh, GGS:133]
In the month of Jeytth - sublime
She longs to merge
With the one
That everyone adores
If she clings on to his robe
Who can
Bound her ?
If she adorns with
The jewel Of Naam
Who can rob her?
If she imbues in his color
What shall
Displease her ?
He has made her his own
She shall follow his lead
In forever bliss.
If she could have met him
On her own accord
Why would she suffer in separation?
Lo! His grace has struck
Company of the saints bestowed
The Playful One has embraced the fortunate bride ...
In the month of Jeytth - Sublime.
May 16, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), May 14, 2010, 7:57 PM.
Gurmeet ji, bless you for the exquisite lines. Life is a journey. What has started must hopefully end in the ultimate tryst. This is the constant refrain in the whole of Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak's 'Barah Mah' (The Twelve Months) in Tukahri Raag is considered to be his last bani and stands out in its fullest poetic splendour when he wistfully saw the change of seasons. The whole 'banrai' in full bloom, the bumblebees humming with his song and a 'koel' on the mango tree joining him in a duet of his celestial song, with the expanse of joyfully swaying mustard yellow fields in full bloom. Close your eyes and savour this wonderful play. Yet all this has the deep anguish of separation of the bride from her Lord Husband who is not home. 'Kio sukh paavai bireh dhaan chejai' [GGS:1081.1] - 'If her Husband Lord does not return home, how can the Soul bride find peace? Her body is wasting away with the sorrow of separation.' To celebrate Guru Nanak's 'aagman', may I ask you to join me in paying homage to Guru Nanak's gift to mankind. Please go to the following site and sing along. http://shabadkirtan.blogspot.com/2010/02/delhi-raag-darbar-dec-2009.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ShabadKirtan+(Shabad+Kirtan)&utm_content=FeedBurner
2: Mohan Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), May 16, 2012, 11:50 AM.
Baarah Maah (The Twelve Months), in Raag Tukhari and Majh both, describe the state of separation from the Lord, acute longings for re-uniting with Him and the state of happiness and peace that occurs after this union. Not a word has been mentioned about the piety of sangrand (the first day of each month). But there is a major confusion amongst the Sikh sangat that the day of sangrand is a pious and holy one - a Hindu practice that has crept into our community in the last several decades, but having no significance in Sikhism. It is under these sentiments that special divans are held in gurdwaras and people throng to hear the month that has commenced. It is their belief that having an auspicious beginning of the month will help them pass the entire month without any trouble. Such beliefs have spread due to ignorance re gurbani and gurmat. Nowhere in our history or in gurbani is it mentioned that these days have some importance in the life of a Sikh. To celebrate these days in gurdawaras is to do something against the teachings of our Gurus. It is like breaking away from the directions of the Guru and entering into the same dark alleys from where our Gurus had rescued us out. Prof Darshan Singh has clearly said in his vyakhya (discourse) on the Baarah Maah that sangrand is not a Sikh festival or observance. Prof Gurbachan Singh of Thailand (Principal, Sikh Missionary College, Ludhiana) has also spoken about this in his gurbani discourse and reiterated that it is purely against gurmat.