16th Pauree
The Sixteenth Pauree gives knowledge of the structure of the universe.
Excerpted from the book Guru Nanak’s Call of the Soul: Japji Sahib:
The 16th pauree reveals to us the secrets of the creation of the universe and the entire phenomenal world (…) Panch parvaan, panch pardhaan also refers to the creation process wherein the soul covers itself in the five elements much like a pearl in an oyster shell is created by covering a grain of sand.
No matter how much we reflect on the actions of the universal Creative Consciousness, we cannot conceive of that vastness. Guru Nanak reflects that the foundation of the universe is compassion. He refers to a Hindu mythological metaphor, saying that Dharma, the path of righteousness, lays on the back of Dhaul, the white bull that holds up the world. And out of Dharma, daya – mercy or compassion, is born. The earth and all the myriad worlds are held in place by this compassion. Divine compassion keeps this earth rotating and allows all the souls upon it continue on this path of Dharma toward merger back into the One.
Daya means mercy, dharam means call of duty, poot means son. Mercy is the son of dharam… Anything is born out of dharam is daya. Mercy. And what is the test of mercy? … Adversity, with reality. When you meet an unkind man, how will you deal with him? With your kindness. Now you meet a debaucher, how will you meet with him? With honesty. When you meet with a characterless person, how will you deal with him? With character. When you deal with a shaky person, how will you deal with him? With commitment. When you will deal with … an infidel, when you deal with your faith. When you deal with everything, which is not to be to be, then you be positive. That is dharma.
~ Siri Singh Sahib – September 12th, 2000
Guru Nanak then describes the vastness of the universe, all of which has come from “the One’s flowing pen.” Dhartee hor parai hor hor, means that beyond this earth there are other worlds, and worlds beyond worlds. In this vast creation, we are not the only being who are in existence by His Hukam.
16th Pauree
Panch parvaann panch pardhaan. Panchay paaveh dargeh maan.
Panchay soheh dar raajaan. Panchaa kaa gur ayk dhi-aan.
Jay ko kehai karai veechaar. Kartay kai karnnai naahee sumaar.
Dhaaol dharam da-i-aa kaa poot. Santokh thaap rakhi-aa jin soot.
Jay ko bujhai hovai sachi-aar. Dhavalai upar kaytaa bhaar.
Dhartee hor parai hor hor. Tis tay bhaar talai kavann jor.
Jee-a jaat rangaa kay naav. Sabhanaa likhi-aa vurree kalaam.
Ayho laykhaa likh jaannai ko-ei. Laykhaa likhi-aa kaytaa ho-ei.
Kaytaa taann su-aaliho roop. Kaytee daat jaannai kaaonn koot.
Keetaa pasaa-o ayko kavaa-o. Tis tay ho-ay lakh daree-aa-o.
Kudrat kavann kahaa veechaar. Vaari-aa na jaavaa ayk vaar.
Jo tudh bhaavai saa-ee bhalee kaar. Too sadaa salaamat nirankaar. ]16]
The chosen ones, the self-elect, are accepted and approved.
The chosen ones are honored in the Court of the True One.
The chosen ones look beautiful in the courts of kings.
The chosen ones meditate single-mindedly on the Guru.
No matter how much anyone tries to explain and describe them,
the actions of the Primal Creative One cannot be counted.
The mythical bull is Dharma, the son of compassion;
this is what patiently holds the earth in its place.
One who understands this becomes truthful.
What a great load there is on the bull!
So many worlds beyond this world – so very many!
What power holds them and supports their weight?
The names and the colors of the assorted species of beings
were all inscribed by the ever-flowing pen of the True One.
Who knows how to write this account?
Just imagine what a huge scroll it would take!
What power! What fascinating beauty!
And what gifts! Who can know their extent?
You created the vast expanse of the universe with One Word!
Hundreds of thousands of rivers began to flow.
How can Your creative potency be described?
I cannot even once be a sacrifice to You.
Whatever pleases You is the only good done,
You, Eternal and Formless One!
Musical Recitation
Enjoy this beautiful musical recitation of the 16th Pauree of Japji Sahib by Meditative Mind.
Need to practice your pronunciation of Japji Sahib?
One of the best ways to learn how to recite Japji is to listen to and read along with someone else reciting it.
To help with that, we have a FREE Japji for the Aquarian Age App for IOS and Android. Once you download it, you can use it to recite the complete Japji Sahib in your daily practice, or you can choose the “Repeat Paurees” feature and follow along with the recitation of each section of Japji Sahib.
A special 40 week practice of reciting Japji Sahib is to recite one section 11x a day for one week and then do the same for the next section and so on, until over 40 weeks, you’ve completed a practice of reciting each of the 40 sections of Japji Sahib 11x a day for a week.
Here are instructions for downloading the Japji for the Aquarian Age App
In Guru Nanak’s Call of the Soul: Japji Sahib, by Gurutej Singh Khalsa with Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Based on the teachings of Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan:
In Japji Sahib, Guru Nanak touches the deepest essence of individual consciousness, elevating one to the universal consciousness. Japji is made up of 40 remarkable segments where Guru Nanak not only explains the mysteries of the cosmos, but also gives us spiritual instruction that we can follow to achieve the same experience of higher consciousness that Guru Nanak embodied. In this book the Mul Mantra and each of the 38 paurees of Japji, plus the Slok, are explained from a spiritual as well as historical perspective, enhanced by the teachings of Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan. It is our sincere prayer that this book will open up to you the miraculous wonder of Japji Sahib.
194 pages including an in-depth exploration of the 40 sections of Japji Sahib, 48 full color illustrations, 15 meditations that enhance the effects of the pauris, pronunciation guide and glossary and a foreword by Bhai Sahiba, Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa, PhD. Includes beautiful full-color paintings by Sewa Singh and Sewa Kaur.
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