This is an excerpt from the 4th chapter, “The Shabad Guru and the Sound Current” of the book Heroes, Saints and Yogis: Tales of Self Discovery and the Path of Sikh Dharma, compiled by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and Guruka Singh Khalsa. This particular selection is by Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan.
Syllable by Syllable: The Naad of Siri Guru Granth Sahib
When we break up the words “Siri Guru Granth Sahib” into their naad, the syllables of each word tell the essence of the meaning of Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Every word has a naad, and every naad has a combination.
Siri means the entire light of the sun’s creativity, Lakshmi. Whatever has been created, whatever shall possibly be created or can be created, is called siri, “great.”
Guru (“Gu” means darkness, and “ru” means light) means from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge. Guru is one who gives you the technology to remove your ignorance.
Granth (“gra” means knot, “an” means ultimate, and “naath” means owner, master, God) is that which creates the ultimate knot with God. Anything which creates the ultimate knot with God is called a granth. Granth is not a book and can never be a book.
Sahib (“saa” means “light,” infinity, and “hib” means “now”) is the totality of here and now.
Experiencing and Understanding Gurbani
The Guru’s Word (Gurbani) is what the Guru spoke. It is the imprint of the essence of God. It is the pathway to Infinity. If the ordinary human being speaks it, it will always elevate him to that state of consciousness of the Guru.
The Guru’s consciousness is united with God, so the person will automatically get united with God if he speaks the same words. It is a scientific and direct way to unite the finite with the Infinite Consciousness.
The hypothalamus will get the same tingling. The impulses of the pituitary will function the same way and get the other glands to secrete also in the same way as it was in the body of Guru Nanak.
Gurbani is nothing but a total, illustrated, facilitated science of naad for human knowledge. It is an individual effort. Read Gurbani in the way Guru says it, understand it, and you will be in such ecstasy, you will not believe it!
Concentration on the construction of the word and the sound is the proper way to recite Gurbani. As you are creating the sound, the meaning will automatically come to you, now or later. It is just a matter of time and space. You must listen to your own construction of the Gurbani. This is the technical way in Naad Yoga.
There are two ways to go about understanding Gurbani. The first is to know the meaning through purposeful study; and the second is to recite it, and you will automatically understand the meaning intuitively.
Gurbani has to be recited with the tongue, through japa. But, when you read meditatively for the purpose of understanding the meaning, it is okay.
In the book Heroes, Saints and Yogis: Tales of Self Discovery and the Path of Sikh Dharma, compiled by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and Guruka Singh Khalsa:
What does it mean to live as a Sikh? How is this lifestyle relevant today? In this reader friendly collection of personal stories you will find “People Like You and Me” candidly sharing their experiences of self-discovery along the path of Sikh Dharma. This one-of-a-kind book includes fascinating tales of the unique lives of the ten men of higher consciousness who forged a path of everyday learning and personal excellence.
Visit our Marketplace if you are interested in purchasing this book.
Leave a Reply