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Day and Night I Ask for Nam Within

ਹਉ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੰਗਾ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ਨਾਮੇ ਹੀ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥

Monday
,
13
March
2017

Day and Night I Ask for Nam Within

ਹਉ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੰਗਾ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ਨਾਮੇ ਹੀ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥

Monday
,
13
March
2017
Sabad of the Week
Guru Ramdas
Rag Sorathi
Guru Granth Sahib
Sabad
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Day and Night I Ask for Nam Within

ਹਉ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੰਗਾ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ਨਾਮੇ ਹੀ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥

Monday
,
13
March
2017

This Sabad by Guru Ramdas Sahib within Rag Sorath encompasses a tapestry of emotions: seriousness, love, separation, longing, and detachment. Traditionally performed, it encapsulates a spectrum of human experiences.

This Sabad by Guru Ramdas Sahib within Rag Sorath encompasses a tapestry of emotions: seriousness, love, separation, longing, and detachment. Traditionally performed, it encapsulates a spectrum of human experiences.


The Sabad unravels a profound truth: when love for the All-Pervasive, the Divine permeates within, a separation from the All-Pervasive becomes inconceivable. Just as a fish is bound to water, life intertwines with Nam. This portrayal instills a sense of irreplaceability, urging a connection with the Divine Name.


The seeker's plea emerges, a yearning for the water of All-Pervasive's glory. The repetition of this request, day and night, underscores its earnestness. Serenity, attained through Nam, is the pinnacle of this aspiration, inviting contemplation.


The metaphor of the Chatrik pleading for a raindrop draws parallels. Just as the bird's thirst hinges on the raindrop, a seeker's spiritual nourishment relies on Guru-oriented wisdom. Embracing this guidance, the seeker blossoms through supreme Love, mirroring the Chatrik's transformation.


A contrasting scenario emerges, depicting those self-oriented, wandering. Without Nam, they endure agony, caught in a birth, death, and rebirth cycle. This cyclic existence is a place of reprimand, emphasizing the significance of Nam in transcending this cycle.

When All-Pervasive’s Love penetrates the inside and the mind,
then one cannot live without the All-Pervasive.
As the fish perishes without water, so does one die without Nam. 1.

My Divine, grace me with the water of All-Pervasive’s glory.
Day and night I ask for Nam within. Through Nam serenity is attained. Reflect.

As the Chatrik¹ pleads for the rain-drop, for without the rain-drop,
its thirst cannot be quenched.
Become Guru-oriented to receive the water of bliss naturally,
then blossom through supreme Love. 2.

Self-oriented are hungry, wander in ten directions.
Without Nam experience the agony.
Born, dead, then born again,
they are reprimanded in the dwelling place. 3.

When Graced, then All-Pervasive’s virtues are sung,
All-Pervasive’s flavors are experienced within.
Nanak: When on the meek the Compassion occurs,
then Sabad quenches desires. 4.

¹ Pied Crested Cuckoo bird. Poets describe this bird as being unwilling to drink the water found on earth. It will only drink rain water as it drops from the skies.

   Guru Ramdas Sahib in Rag Sorath | Guru Granth Sahib 607

ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਸਿਉ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਅੰਤਰੁ ਮਨੁ ਬੇਧਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਰਹਣੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ॥
ਜਿਉ ਮਛੁਲੀ ਬਿਨੁ ਨੀਰੈ ਬਿਨਸੈ ਤਿਉ ਨਾਮੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥
ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਜਲੁ ਦੇਵਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਈ॥
ਹਉ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੰਗਾ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ਨਾਮੇ ਹੀ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ॥
ਜਿਉ ਚਾਤ੍ਰਿਕੁ ਜਲ ਬਿਨੁ ਬਿਲਲਾਵੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਜਲ ਪਿਆਸ ਨ ਜਾਈ॥
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਲੁ ਪਾਵੈ ਸੁਖ ਸਹਜੇ ਹਰਿਆ ਭਾਇ ਸੁਭਾਈ ॥੨॥
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਭੂਖੇ ਦਹ ਦਿਸ ਡੋਲਹਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਈ॥
ਜਨਮਿ ਮਰੈ ਫਿਰਿ ਜੋਨੀ ਆਵੈ ਦਰਗਹਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਜਾਈ ॥੩॥
ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰਹਿ ਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਹ ਹਰਿ ਰਸੁ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਪਾਈ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਦੀਨ ਦਇਆਲ ਭਏ ਹੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਸਬਦਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥੪॥੮॥

About Sabad of the Week

We are finite; our understanding is finite. Our understanding was different yesterday and may evolve tomorrow as we deepen our relationship with the Sabad. In this trans-creation, we have chosen to keep the repeating words in the Sabad same. We aspire to learn and retain the Divine attribute used in the original Sabad and avoid terms like God or Lord.

Revised:

This Content has been made available for educational purposes only. SikhRI does not make any representation concerning the completeness of the Content. This Content is not intended to substitute research or a deeper understanding of the topic. SikhRI encourages readers to read multiple authors to gain a complete understanding of the topic.

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Written By

Senior Fellow, Research & Policy

Harinder Singh is the Senior Fellow at the Sikh Research Institute. He holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University, an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Kansas, and an MPhil from Punjab University in the linguistics of the Guru Granth Sahib. 

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Creative Director

Inni Kaur is Creative Director at the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI). She has served SikhRI in several capacities since 2010, including Chair of the Board, and most recently as CEO. 

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