Cleaner Than Any Pilgrimage

ਪਉੜੀ ॥

pa-orhee.

Pauree:

ਜਿਸ ਕੈ ਮਸਤਕਿ ਕਰਮੁ ਹੋਇ ਸੋ ਸੇਵਾ ਲਾਗਾ ॥

jis kai mastak karam ho-ay so sayvaa laagaa.

One who has such good karma inscribed upon his forehead, is committed to the Lord's service.

ਜਿਸੁ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਕਮਲੁ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸਿਆ ਸੋ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਜਾਗਾ ॥

jis gur mil kamal pargaasi-aa so an-din jaagaa.

One whose heart lotus blossoms forth upon meeting the Guru, remains awake and aware, night and day.

ਲਗਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਚਰਣਾਰਬਿੰਦ ਸਭੁ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਭਉ ਭਾਗਾ ॥

lagaa rang charnaarbind sabh bharam bha-o bhaagaa.

All doubt and fear run away from one who is in love with the Lord's lotus feet.

ਆਤਮੁ ਜਿਤਾ ਗੁਰਮਤੀ ਆਗੰਜਤ ਪਾਗਾ ॥

aatam jitaa gurmatee aaganjat paagaa.

He conquers his soul, following the Guru's Teachings, and attains the Imperishable Lord.

ਜਿਸਹਿ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਸੋ ਕਲਿ ਮਹਿ ਤਾਗਾ ॥

jisahi Dhi-aa-i-aa paarbarahm so kal meh taagaa.

He alone keeps up in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, who meditates on the Supreme Lord God.

ਸਾਧੂ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਨਿਰਮਲਾ ਅਠਸਠਿ ਮਜਨਾਗਾ ॥

saaDhoo sangat nirmalaa athsath majnaagaa.

In the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, he is immaculate, as if he has bathed at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage.

ਜਿਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਆਪਣਾ ਸੋ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਸਭਾਗਾ ॥

jis parabh mili-aa aapnaa so purakh sabhaagaa.

He alone is a man of good fortune, who has met with God.

ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਸੁ ਬਲਿਹਾਰਣੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਏਵਡ ਭਾਗਾ ॥੧੭॥

naanak tis balihaarnai jis ayvad bhaagaa. ||17||

Nanak is a sacrifice to such a one, whose destiny is so great! ||17||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Whoever has blessings written on their forehead is joined to serving the One.

Whoever meets the Guru, and feels the heart's lotus bloom, stays awake and aware day and night.

Whoever loves the One's lotus feet sees all doubt and fear run away.

Following the Guru's teaching, they win over their own self and reach the One who never perishes.

Whoever remembers the Supreme One keeps going strong in this dark age.

In the Sangat they are spotless, as if they had bathed at all sixty-eight holy places.

Whoever has met their own Beloved is blessed with good fortune.

Nanak says: I give myself to the one whose fortune is so great!

The Sangat can wash your heart cleaner than any journey to a holy place.

The deeper layer

The heart is pictured as a lotus that blooms on meeting the Guru and stays awake and aware. The sixty-eight holy bathing places (athsath) are found in the Sangat, people gathered together to remember the One: the heart is washed clean by remembering together, more than from any journey. Doubt and fear dissolve, and the fortunate one meets the One.

A Question to Sit With

Have you ever felt cleaner inside just from being around the right people?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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