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Enticer Enticed My Mind

ਮੋਹਨ ਮੋਹਿ ਲੀਆ ਮਨੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥

Sunday
,
17
December
2017

Enticer Enticed My Mind

ਮੋਹਨ ਮੋਹਿ ਲੀਆ ਮਨੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥

Sunday
,
17
December
2017
Sabad of the Week
Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Nanak
Rag Sarang
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Enticer Enticed My Mind

ਮੋਹਨ ਮੋਹਿ ਲੀਆ ਮਨੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥

Sunday
,
17
December
2017

Guru Nanak Sahib's Sabad, set in the serene and simple Sarang Rag, beautifully captures the essence of devotion and spiritual surrender amidst the oppressive heat of a summer afternoon. Sarang, associated with the late afternoon when the...

Guru Nanak Sahib's Sabad, set in the serene and simple Sarang Rag, beautifully captures the essence of devotion and spiritual surrender amidst the oppressive heat of a summer afternoon. Sarang, associated with the late afternoon when the sun's intensity causes exhaustion and rest, provides a fitting backdrop for this contemplative and introspective composition.

The Sabad opens with the Guru's profound declaration of being a "maiden-slave" of the Divine Ruler, symbolizing complete surrender and dedication. By grasping the feet of the Divine, the ego is metaphorically killed, signifying the eradication of self-centeredness and the birth of true humility. This act of submission to the Divine is the gateway to a life filled with the presence and light of the Supreme Being.

The reference to the "Enticer" who has captivated the mind underscores the transformative power of the Sabad. Through reflection and internalization of the Sabad, the mind is truly enlightened and aligned with the Divine will. This enlightenment contrasts starkly with the state of the self-centered, who suffer from weak understanding and physical and mental anguish. The serene mind, dyed in the "Colorful Charmer-Divine," finds peace and contentment through contemplation of the Divine.

Abandoning the ego and embracing a divinely passionate state (bairagani), the mind remains fixed on the Eternal consciousness, forgetting worldly honors and concerns. This state of being highlights the profound transformation that occurs when one fully embraces the Divine. The Guru acknowledges that there is none like the Divine, neither in the past nor in the future, emphasizing the unique and unparalleled nature of the Divine presence as the ultimate support in life.


In the final verses, the Sabad extols the bride-lover imbued with the All-Pervasive’s Nam, embodying the ultimate spiritual union and fulfillment. Through this Sabad in Sarang Rag, Guru Nanak Sahib encapsulates the journey from ego and suffering to divine love and eternal consciousness.

I am the maiden-slave of my Ruler.
Grasped feet of Divine World-Life,
killed and ended ego. 1. Reflect.

My life is the Beloved–
Perfect, Supreme, Light, Supreme-Divine.
Enticer enticed my mind,
which understands and reflects on Sabad¹.  1.

Self-centered is weak, with little and false understanding,
Mind, torso, and body are in pain.
When dyed in the Colorful Charmer-Divine,
mind became serene, contemplating Charmer-Divine.  2.

Ego abandoned, became bairagani²,
then Eternal consciousness remained. Mind accepts Self-Existent Immaculate,
Worldly honor, forgotten.

None like You in the past,
nor in the future.
My Beloved is the life support. 3.

Bride-lover is imbued with All-Pervasive’s Nam³.
Nanak: Charmer-Divine is Husband of the bride-lover
who is dyed in All-Pervasive’s Nam.  4.

¹ Literally “The Word.” Popularly refers to the hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib.

2 Divinely-passionate: Colored with Love in intense longing.

3 Divine Identification.

     Guru Nanak Sahib in Rag Sarang  |  Guru Granth Sahib 1197
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਘਰੁ ੧

ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਅਪੁਨੇ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਕੀ ਹਉ ਚੇਰੀ ॥
ਚਰਨ ਗਹੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਰਿ ਨਿਬੇਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਪੂਰਨ ਪਰਮ ਜੋਤਿ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਹਮਾਰੇ ॥
ਮੋਹਨ ਮੋਹਿ ਲੀਆ ਮਨੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਮਝਸਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੇ ॥੧॥

ਮਨਮੁਖ ਹੀਨ ਹੋਛੀ ਮਤਿ ਝੂਠੀ ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਪੀਰ ਸਰੀਰੇ ॥
ਜਬ ਕੀ ਰਾਮ ਰੰਗੀਲੈ ਰਾਤੀ ਰਾਮ ਜਪਤ ਮਨ ਧੀਰੇ ॥੨॥

ਹਉਮੈ ਛੋਡਿ ਭਈ ਬੈਰਾਗਨਿ ਤਬ ਸਾਚੀ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਸਮਾਨੀ ॥
ਅਕੁਲ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਸਿਉ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ਬਿਸਰੀ ਲਾਜ ਲੋੁਕਾਨੀ ॥੩॥

ਭੂਰ ਭਵਿਖ ਨਾਹੀ ਤੁਮ ਜੈਸੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਅਧਾਰਾ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਨਾਮਿ ਰਤੀ ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਮ ਭਤਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੧॥

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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