I am participating in an event organized by Oneness USA at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Nov 23. The organizers requested me to sing Satgur Nanak Pargateya for a portion of the program, so I made a composition yesterday and recorded it. Bhai Gurdas' love for Guru Nanak shines through this one.
Sathguru Nanak pargateya miti dund jag chanan hoya
With the emergence of the true Guru Nanak, the mist cleared and the light scattered all around.
Jiou(n) kar sooraj nikaliaa thaarae shhapae a(n)dhhaer paloaa
As if at the sun rise the stars disappeared and the darkness dispelled.
Si(n)gh bukae miragaavalee bha(n)nee jaaeae n dhheer dhharoaa
With the roar of the lion in the forest the flocks of escaping deer now cannot have endurance.
Everyhome has become a place of dharma where singing.
Baabae thaarae chaar chak na kha(n)dd prithhamee sachaa dtoaa
Baba liberated all four directions and nine divisions of earth.
Guramukh kal vich paragatt hoaa
Gurmukh (Guru Nanak) has emerged in this kaliyug, the dark age.
We are all mourning the untimely loss of Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. As an American Sikh, a son, a husband and especially as a father of three beautiful kids, I can relate to him and cannot imagine the loss his family is enduring. Yesterday I came back from work to spend time with my three kids, he didn't and never again will.
Sandeep also reminds me how to remember Naam, remembering Oneness, the simple but elusive teaching of Guru Nanak. However simple this teaching may seem, it is not easy to put in action. "Saying 'Naam' is hard," reminds Guru Nanak in Raag Asa. Service to your community is one way of remembering "Naam"and Sandeep showed so well how to remember Naam.
Adrian Garcia, the Harris County police commissioner remembered him in the way the Guru Nanak would want any Sikh to be remembered, "This guy had a heart of gold."
Towards the end of Guru Nanak's meditation "Japji" he explains how to build this heart of gold in this poem:
Jat pāhārā dhīraj suni-ār.
Let self-control be the furnace, and patience the goldsmith.
aharaṉ mat vayd hathī-ār.
Let understanding be the anvil, and spiritual wisdom the tools.
bha-u khalā agan tap tā-u.
With the Fear of God as the bellows, fan the flames of tapa, the body’s inner heat.
bhānḏā bhā-u amrit tit ḏhāl.
In the crucible of love, melt the Nectar of the Name,
ghaṟī-ai sabad sachī ṯakasāl.
and mint the True Coin of the Shabad, the Word of God.
jin ka-u nadar karam tin kār.
Such is the karma of those upon whom He has cast His Glance of Grace.
nānak nadarī nadar nihāl. ||38||
O Nānak, the Merciful Lord, by His Grace, uplifts and exalts them. ||38||
Sikhs will always have the deepest gratitude to the department that changed its formal police department policy to allow Sandeep to serve with his Turban and beard. We will also have the deepest gratitude to our fellow countrymen who are giving Sandeep a befitting farewell. We will never get Sandeep back, and his young family suffers an unbearable loss. We are left here to remember "Naam" like Guru Nanak reminds us and like Sandeep inspires us through his lifelong service. Waheguru! Waheguru! Waheguru!
Here is a playlist of a video about this trailblazing Gurmukh followed by some meditative Gurbani verses and simran. This include five new shabads recorded to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
The celebration of Guru Nanak's 550 birth anniversary continues. Here is a new composition of one of my favorite Shabad's by Guru Nanak - Vadde Mere Sahiba. This is just a concept recording ... the idea is to keep developing this composition ... Feel free to share with your heart, mind, soul, friends and family!
ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
आसा महला १ ॥
Āsā mėhlā 1.
Aasaa, First Mehl:
ਸੁਣਿ ਵਡਾ ਆਖੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥
सुणि वडा आखै सभु कोइ ॥
Suṇ vadā ākẖai sabẖ ko▫e.
Hearing of His Greatness, everyone calls Him Great.
ਕੇਵਡੁ ਵਡਾ ਡੀਠਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
केवडु वडा डीठा होइ ॥
Kevad vadā dīṯẖā ho▫e.
But just how Great His Greatness is-this is known only to those who have seen Him.
ਕੀਮਤਿ ਪਾਇ ਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
कीमति पाइ न कहिआ जाइ ॥
Kīmaṯ pā▫e na kahi▫ā jā▫e.
His Value cannot be estimated; He cannot be described.
ਕਹਣੈ ਵਾਲੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਰਹੇ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੧॥
कहणै वाले तेरे रहे समाइ ॥१॥
Kahṇai vāle ṯere rahe samā▫e. ||1||
Those who describe You, Lord, remain immersed and absorbed in You. ||1||
ਵਡੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਾ ਗਹਿਰ ਗੰਭੀਰਾ ਗੁਣੀ ਗਹੀਰਾ ॥
वडे मेरे साहिबा गहिर ग्मभीरा गुणी गहीरा ॥
vade mere sāhibā gahir gambẖīrā guṇī gahīrā.
O my Great Lord and Master of Unfathomable Depth, You are the Ocean of Excellence.
ਕੋਇ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਤੇਰਾ ਕੇਤਾ ਕੇਵਡੁ ਚੀਰਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
कोइ न जाणै तेरा केता केवडु चीरा ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥
Ko▫e na jāṇai ṯerā keṯā kevad cẖīrā. ||1|| rahā▫o.
No one knows the extent or the vastness of Your Expanse. ||1||Pause||
ਸਭਿ ਸੁਰਤੀ ਮਿਲਿ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਕਮਾਈ ॥
सभि सुरती मिलि सुरति कमाई ॥
Sabẖ surṯī mil suraṯ kamā▫ī.
All the intuitives met and practiced intuitive meditation.
ਸਭ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥
सभ कीमति मिलि कीमति पाई ॥
Sabẖ kīmaṯ mil kīmaṯ pā▫ī.
All the appraisers met and made the appraisal.
ਗਿਆਨੀ ਧਿਆਨੀ ਗੁਰ ਗੁਰਹਾਈ ॥
गिआनी धिआनी गुर गुरहाई ॥
Gi▫ānī ḏẖi▫ānī gur gurhā▫ī.
The spiritual teachers, the teachers of meditation, and the teachers of teachers -
ਕਹਣੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ਤੇਰੀ ਤਿਲੁ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥੨॥
कहणु न जाई तेरी तिलु वडिआई ॥२॥
Kahaṇ na jā▫ī ṯerī ṯil vadi▫ā▫ī. ||2||
they cannot describe even an iota of Your Greatness. ||2||
ਸਭਿ ਸਤ ਸਭਿ ਤਪ ਸਭਿ ਚੰਗਿਆਈਆ ॥
सभि सत सभि तप सभि चंगिआईआ ॥
Sabẖ saṯ sabẖ ṯap sabẖ cẖang▫ā▫ī▫ā.
All Truth, all austere discipline, all goodness,
ਸਿਧਾ ਪੁਰਖਾ ਕੀਆ ਵਡਿਆਈਆ ॥
सिधा पुरखा कीआ वडिआईआ ॥
Siḏẖā purkẖā kī▫ā vaḏi▫ā▫ī▫ā.
all the great miraculous spiritual powers of the Siddhas -
ਤੁਧੁ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਿਧੀ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਪਾਈਆ ॥
तुधु विणु सिधी किनै न पाईआ ॥
Ŧuḏẖ viṇ siḏẖī kinai na pā▫ī▫ā.
without You, no one has attained such powers.
ਕਰਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਠਾਕਿ ਰਹਾਈਆ ॥੩॥
करमि मिलै नाही ठाकि रहाईआ ॥३॥
Karam milai nāhī ṯẖāk rahā▫ī▫ā. ||3||
They are received only by Your Grace. No one can block them or stop their flow. ||3||
ਆਖਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਕਿਆ ਵੇਚਾਰਾ ॥
आखण वाला किआ वेचारा ॥
Ākẖaṇ vālā ki▫ā vecẖārā.
What can the poor helpless creatures do?
ਸਿਫਤੀ ਭਰੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਭੰਡਾਰਾ ॥
सिफती भरे तेरे भंडारा ॥
Sifṯī bẖare ṯere bẖandārā.
Your Praises are overflowing with Your Treasures.
ਜਿਸੁ ਤੂ ਦੇਹਿ ਤਿਸੈ ਕਿਆ ਚਾਰਾ ॥
जिसु तू देहि तिसै किआ चारा ॥
Jis ṯū ḏėh ṯisai ki▫ā cẖārā.
Those, unto whom You give-how can they think of any other?
ਨਾਨਕ ਸਚੁ ਸਵਾਰਣਹਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੨॥
नानक सचु सवारणहारा ॥४॥२॥
Nānak sacẖ savāraṇhārā. ||4||2||
O Nanak, the True One embellishes and exalts. ||4||2||
I am participating in an event organized by Oneness USA at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Nov 23. The organizers requested me to sing Satgur Nanak Pargateya for a portion of the program, so I made a composition yesterday and recorded it. Bhai Gurdas' love for Guru Nanak shines through this one.
