Epic Three - Wreath of Knowledge

Obeisance to the Innovative Being (Satguru Guru Nanak) (who) delineated the Supreme One (Waheguru).

And Satguru in his truest form made Shabd, the (Celestial Word), discernible.

The pious company is the (true) domain and an authentic home,

Where, with the devotional love the temporal being achieves cognate contentment.

The ones, who are submerged (in the Immortal Being), are the pride of the humble.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shivaji could not fathom the ultimate end.

The thousand-headed Python meditated but did not realise the Ultimate.

Only the Gurmukhs who become hermits of His Gate are truly pleasing.

The fraternity of the Guru and the Disciple is imperceptible and noncommittal.

The Disciple of (Guru) Nanak Dev is worthy of acclamation,

(Because), through the Guru's education, he gets absorbed in the (sublime) compliments.

With awakening through Shabd (the Celestial Word) (he) forsakes the temporal love and is rid of afflictions.

With the understanding the dismay of the Gurmukh is obscured,

And with the eradication of passion and wrath, he is endowed with commiserations.

(Then) bliss prevails which needs neither the Faculty nor Shiv.

Remaining domesticated he (the disciple) becomes austere, and the true one attains the truth.

And the Guru's Sikh are granted hundred percent (celestial) pursuit.

Affiliation of the Guru and the Disciple is acknowledged, which only a Gurmukh can realise.

The wondrous is such a Gurmukh and incommunicable his parables.

Yielding to the nature as a creation of the Creator, (He) is a sacrifice.

The Gurmukh's path is pure and cannot be defiled.

He is pleasing to Satguru and always expresses as such,

Standing like a bard at the Guru's portal, enunciates Gurbani, the Celestial Word,

Recognizing the Omniscient, he realises His benevolence,

And by achieving the true mark, attains the awakening.

There is only one dependable portal (of Gurbani) through which the Word is perceived.

Shabd Guru is Guru and blessed is Gurmukh who acquires it.

With absorption in it, the Disciple (Guru Angad) transcribed the Intranscribable.

Meeting Guru (Nanak), the Disciple (Guru Angad) achieved the Fourth Stage of highest spiritual enlightenment.

(Consequently) the Disciple, with deep contemplative perception, endured the intolerable.

The true one, without any indifference, amalgamated in the Truth,

Becoming a lord through the Lord he promoted His Command,

And acquiesced to the God's Will.

He nourished His true glory and (made others) to relish the nectarous drink.

And with the awakening through (the Celestial) Word (he) illuminated the obscured ones.

Neither it (Gurmukh's Path) can be bought nor its price can be assessed, because it is inestimable.

It is beyond the capacity of a scale, and cannot be weighed with stones.

Preserving it on the throne of ones heart, one remains unperturbed in spite of tribulations.

Gurmukh's Path is absolute and beyond fusion.

Its narration is indescribable; neither it can be expressed nor it should be prattled.

Neither it forgets nor it can be forgotten; it should never be disregard.

Gurmukh's Path is stable, and it is absorbed in cognate.

Like the Nectar, decanted from the (celestial) tank, Gurmukh achieves this Path,

And now finding this, even through hundreds of thousands of pursuits, he (Gurmukh) does not vaunt.

The commodity (of Naam, the Celestial Name) is accessible through only one shop (of the True Congregation of the Saints).

`The weighing stone (of the Saints) is absolute', is thus appraised.

It never is under weight as it is the creation of the True Lord.

The ones who earn through the perfect True Lord, achieve the bliss.

The true Congregation is always manifested, one must subsist with it.

Husk the rice in one go so that the need for the second one does not rise;

Through the celestial benevolence, the noose of the angel of death is diminished,

And the five vices are eradicated.

And with water from the Persian-well (with the flow of Bani) keep the farm (mind) blooming.

He, Himself is the absolute True-guru but remains unapparent.

He observes the creation (of good deeds) and the culmination (of the bad ones), and He does as He pleases.

Neither He claims virtuosity for good deeds nor ineptitude for demerits.

He becomes not arrogant; neither claims a boon nor a curse.

He intones the (Celestial) Word and relates the incommunicable sermons.

The world, relating both the communicable and incommunicable, is not treated maliciously.

With the grace of the Perfect Guru, the seeker's self-emotive desire is lost.

(He) gets rid of three frenzies (fevers).

And the aspirant, through concentration on Gurbani, attains the self-reflection.

Only the absolute Satguru is true, and becoming Gurmukh (He) can be realised.

Through Satguru's absolute understanding, the Shabd is sustained.

Celestial honour is obtained by eradicating the ego.

Remaining in the righteous place of Dharamsala the strategy for the (Godly) home is accomplished.

The Sikhs of the Guru, who accept this way, are emancipated.

Imbued with the love of adoration, they are exalted with (Godly) benevolence.

And this way, although they receive the parasol of sovereignty,

They still continue toiling by providing domesticated services (fetching water and grinding flour) for (their) Satguru,

Because they (wish to) remain in their unique stance of living in humility.

Conceding to the sermonizing of the Guru, Gurmukhs play truthfully.

Delving into the Shabd, they entail the true congregation,

And, thus, the way the linseeds acquire flowery tinge, they become prominent.

The (celestial) nose ring keeps the Guru's Sikhs unaffected of the afflictions.

(They) bathe at the ambrosial hour and go to join the eminent assembly.

(They) put their minds in the Guru's meditation and adequately perceive the Guru.

The devoted love and the fear of meeting (the end) enables the saints to achieve superiority.

Their everyday means (to achieve) are newer and novel.

They are brokers for handing out (Godly) charity and are incorporate (with God, Almighty).

Contemplate on the Guru's embodiment as if He is always apparent.

Through the Shabd the Gurmukh feels (Him) neither apart nor around,

But the initial writ is the symbol of the graceful destiny, which is as delicate as the grapes.

And by dint of service to the Guru the disciple becomes prominent.

The perfect and supreme (celestial) treasure is always full of (benevolence).

And (through that) the saints' congregation sparkles with His splendour.

Even hundreds of thousands of the suns and the moons become tranquil facing such splendour,

And the eulogies of hundreds of thousands of Vedas and the Puranas develop weariness.

(That is why) the devotees accept the celestial dust through the saints' feet.

Merging in each other, the Sikh and the Guru recount the indescribable.

Through the Guru's sermons, the Sikh becomes the (true) sikh (disciple).

And the (true) disciple is the one who wins the favour of the Guru,

(And becomes a part of Him like) a droplet of diamond is pierced and threaded (into a necklace) of diamonds.

The waves, although seem conspicuous, merge into water.

One oil-lamp enlightens another oil-lamp and the light from the first is absorbed into the other.

Wonderful is He, who causes such wondrous ful plays,

As fermenting milk into yoghurt and from there into butter oil.

Through His one light he illuminates, and (Himself) becomes apparent in all the three (heavenly, temporal and spiritual) domains.

Satguru Nanak Dev has been the Guru of the Gurus,

Who enabled (Guru) Angad to perceive (the knowledge) of the Secretive Indescribable.

(Guru Angad) endowed eternal absorption to (Guru) Amar Das and revealed to him the Imperceptible,

And he, in turn, bequeathed (Guru named) Ram Das who, with supreme adoration, generated the flow of the (celestial) nectar.

Guru Arjan, through (righteous) service gained the (sublime) bounty.

Guru Hargobind churned (thoroughly acquiesced) churnables (the heavenly nectar) and became profound.

Through the True Guru, the True Name prevailed in the true one (Sikh),

Who controlled the uncontainable mind and weaved it into the Shabd.

The devoid (minds) of the Gurmukhs were filled (with Naam) and all illusions were eradicated.

In the true congregation, (the Gurmukh) endures the (Godly) love and the fear (of dissolution), but remains in ecstatic alienation.

And this ecstatic nature keeps his reflections awake.

He abandons the self-conceit, and deliberates melodiously.

With dependence on Satguru's intellect, he always remains in adoration.

Through the destined good luck, he relishes the cups full of (celestial) love,

And (likewise) the Creator's radiance turns into the light of knowledge for the Creator's gods.

The teachings of the Guru instil the bliss, and (the Gurmukh) remains detached and undefiled.

They remain aloof from the gyration of twenties and savour the One and only.

By remembering Shabd through Gurmukh, the awakening is sustained.

Through Gurmukh's graceful perception and love (celestial) vision is sought.

Performance of service through Gurmukh is accomplished by the rare ones.

Being compassionate to the humble, the Gurmukh endows them place in his heart with love.

Guru's Sikh always follows as the Gurmukh leads on (up to the end).

The alienation (from temporal attachments) and (spiritual) devotion are procurable through Gurmukh.

Being not amenable to conjectures, Gurmukhs are immortal, and their devotion is the abode of comforts.

Like the religious swan soul (who differentiates between milk and water), Gurmukh distinguishes (between true and false).

Just by writing `1' , (He) was depicted as the One and only,

And idealised by the placement of `U' beside it.

Founded, then, was the Fearless True Name of the Creator.

Along with Sans enmity, slogans of Unborn and Deathless were attached.

Endowed with the sign of Truth, prevailed the boundless enlightenment.

And with five bountiful words (Gur Parsad), Naam (the Celestial Name) was preserved.

Then, through the complacent quintessence (human being) secured the Godly vision.

The nine numbers (1 to 9) with the attachment of zero achieved ceaseless countability,

Same way trillions of devotional cups, with celestial love, became infinite.

Gurmukhs meet all the four castes through the true congregation.

To merge into one like (the four ingredients of) betel-leaf-morsel is the Gurmukhs' legacy.

All the five (perceptive) organs of the Gurmukhs enjoy in unison the limitless bliss.

Through the (divine) waves of Satguru's Shabd, they are always in solace.

Reflecting on the Shabd, they get amalgamated with the parables of (spiritual) knowledge.

In all respects, they get imbued (in Gurbani) through sublime eulogies.

As with intensive love for the Shabd, the Boundless seems all alone unified.

Gurmukhs' path is undefiled as their plays are beyond reproach (of the five perceptive organs).

Blessed by the Pristine and the Primal One, who is devoid of passions,

The Word echoes, and the ego absconds.

The kohl (of knowledge) makes the Gurmukhs wonderful and credible.

With Guru's teachings and through Guru's grace, they decimate the fallacies.

The Primal Creator, who is immortal and is the supreme source, never disintegrates.

He endows delightful benevolence to the patriarchal and (humble) attendants.

And remembering Him through out ages, the Gurmukh (relishes the divine) ablution.

Through the devotional cups, the Supreme-being is discerned as the Perfect One.

From the primal times, and through out ages, the Absolute Eternal-being has remained manifested.

Mere talk is not enough, to become a (true) disciple (sikh), one has to sacrifice individuality.

He must be contented, full of faith, ready to attain martyrdom, devoid of fallacies and imbued in love.

Like a bartered slave, he should revel in the pursuit of service.

Neither he should eat (during performance of duty) nor sleep (during working hours).

He should grind for the fresh flour and fetch water and (promptly),

Provide (to the Guru) cool air with the fan and thoroughly wash his (Guru's) feet.

Remaining solemn, he should not indulge in (excessive) joviality or anguish.

Remaining as devotee at the portals of the Darvesh (Guru), he should savour the nectarous juice.

And then will he stand to receive the commiserations like at the appearance of moon at (Muhammadan festival of) Eid.

Disciple bows down on the feet (of the Guru) and becomes as humble as the dust (thereunder).

The enthusiast of Guru's manifestation, perishes (his self) and through Godly death attains mortality.

Forsaking all kinships, he gets imbued in heavenly colours.

Relinquishing the petty ravings, aspires to attach his mind (with Lord).

And through devotional cup cherishes the holy nectar.

Pursuing his abode humbly, he remains consistent.

By alienating from ten (perceptive) organs he submerges in ecstasy.

Be vigilant! Acquiescing to the Guru's sayings do not let the mind rove in inconsistencies.

Through the comprehension of the Shabd, the intelligent ones journey across the (temporal world).

The one who retreats to bow at the Satguru's feet,

Bends down his forehead in obeisance, puts his mind at Guru's feet,

Abides Guru's teaching in his heart, surrenders the self,

Becomes a Gurmukh and thus, spontaneously, submits to the God's Will.

He puts his mind to the acknowledgement of the Shabd and earns the benefit of (His) Command.

Through both the love of congregation and fear (of the bad deeds) he achieves the homely divination.

Satiated through the lotus feet (of the Guru), he is enchanted like a black moth.

Treasuring the container of serenity (laden with precious stones of Shabd) he cherishes the (sacred) nectar.

Blessed is the mother who accorded motherhood (to such a disciple, the sikh) and his coming into being is made auspicious.