THE DAILY BANIS
(Nitnem Namaa)

The Yogi speaks effortlessly …
From the Love and Light of his Heart,
And from the depth of his meditative Wisdom.

Oh, Sikhs of the Guru! Oh, Khalsa!
Listen to my Prayer!

The Nitnem is the Command given by the True Guru.
If you recite your Banis consciously, you will gain
Divine Knowledge.

It is by Guru’s Grace that I tell you this,
And it is by God’s Grace that you will be merged with Him.

When your Soul feels sad, recite ]apji in the depth of your Inner Self.

When your body feels useless, recite Shabd Hazaare.

When your Dignity is threatened, meditate on ]aap Sahib.

When nothing seems to satisfy you, sing Tav Prasad Swaye each day .

When you feel hopeless, unsuccessful, and worthless,
That is the time to sing Rehiras.

When your lower self confronts you, and you seem to have no money,
When your affairs all seem to fail, and your mind can find no Peace,
That is the time to sing Anand Sahib.

When your life seems boring, and you feel uninspired,
That’s when you should sing Kirtan Sohila.

When the Light of your Soul is dim, and the dark ethers surround you,
Then recite the Bhagauli Ardas.

If you sing Sukhmani from your heart,
You shall be wealthy and exalted, beyond your wildest dreams.

All the Bliss your mind desires,
Is yours, when you meditate on Gobind, the destroyer of cruelty.

The Kingdom of the one who chants the Gurmantra, WaheGuru,
Shall endure for ever and ever.

If you chant Sat Nam, all your affairs are arranged,
And all your desires are fulfilled.

When you sing Sopurkh, the Vision of the Infinite Creator
shall come to you.

The entire Universe fills the meditation,
Of the one who sings the watch of the So Dar.

When you sing the praises of Guru Ram Das,
God manifests in your Innermost Soul.

The Siri Sargam is such a powerful Naad,
That hearing it, even the homeless shall find a good home.

Hearing and singing the Guru Gayatri,
Rishi Dusht Daman will be the Protector of your home.

The Paintees Akharee gives the understanding of Yoga.

Benti Chaupee liberates the Soul.

Whoever listens to, or recites the Bara Maha to others,
His home becomes an ocean of Peace and Bliss.

By eating lightly of healthy food,
One experiences the Bliss of Brahm, and complete Liberation.

The Guru’s Langar is the very best food!
The entire Universe meditates at the Harimandir.

Whoever recites his Nitnem daily,
Is blessed by Akal with Peace and Bliss!

If you would like to begin or deepen your experience with the daily Sikh prayers, explore the Nitnem offerings available in our marketplace. 

Another version of this poem appeared in the Summer 1983 (Bead 10, Vol. II) edition of Beads of Truth, under the title “In Praise of the Daily Prayers.”