“The whole of the Guru Granth is the voice of a wedded woman pining in love for the Beautiful. Her nobleness in Guru Granth is infinite, her freedom is of the highest. Both man and woman as sexes are forgotten in her voice. She becomes the supreme reality and a freed soul. In the freed soul alone is the subordination of one to the other effectively abolished and all disputes hushed.” – Prof. Puran Singh

And for me, the entire Guru Granth is a Collection of poetic Love-Letters, which I savor, and read over and over. Something profound opens within me with each reading.

And when Guru says:

ਧਨੁ ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਜੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਪਛਾਨੈ ॥
ਮਾਨੈ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਤਜੈ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੈ ॥
ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਸਿਉ ਰਾਤੀ ਰਲੀਆ ਮਾਨੈ ॥੧॥

Blessed is the bride-lover who recognizes Owner.
By renouncing ego follows the Hukam.      
Colored in Beloved, exults bliss. 1

     Guru Nanak Sahib [GGS: 737]

My head falls. Love fills me.

In this Divine Collection, the pangs of a lover yearning for the Beloved are revealed—the Beloved that resides within us all. These Love-Letters are to be read with an open heart, for only then can one feel the presence of the Beloved.

Songs of Love repeating the Name of the Beloved resound from this Divine Collection. Those who do not ache with this agony of love, will find them repetitive. But for those who suffer these pangs—they will find joy and bliss in them.

I struggle to translate these Love-Letters into the English language. But they are impossible to adequately translate, for they flow from a place of exquisite Beauty and Sound. They can only be understood and sensed when sung by a heart that is immersed in the love of the Beloved. Verses with images, symbols and metaphors flow effortlessly, raising our consciousness.

And when consciousness is raised:

Ignorance dissipates.
Illusions fades.
Silence descends.
And the lover stands before the Beloved.
Can anything be sweeter than this meeting?
Nectar cascades.
Life blossoms.
Fragrance emanates.
Gratitude flows.

Realization dawns…

Only when the lover dies into the Beloved does the lover realize how much the Beloved loves. Exquisite intimacy and tenderness flow throughout this entire love process.

For lovers, this Divine Collection is treasure trove of infinite love and wisdom. Precious jewels reside within. Lovers yearn to adorn themselves with these jewels.

May we all yearn to experience this love process and be graced with perennial inspiration and inner illumination!