Sung in Rag Suhi, the deep crimson color of crimson, today’s Hukam touches me at multiple levels.

Eyes mist.

It is difficult to fully capture the essence of what I am feeling.

Yet, I try.

Some words are too limiting to translate into the English language.

Therefore, I have kept them in the original. Their beauty is astounding.

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Bal ram jeo - A complete, fervent, willing, loving surrender to the One Universal Life - The Ultimate Love. In my world, I would translate it as - I adore You. I also feel that bal ram jeo is an invocation.  

Nam - The primordial essence that binds the entire creation as one integral whole. It is used to express the essence of all existence. 

“The essence of Nam is in all.” Sidh Gosht, Verse 50 

Sabad and Nam at times seem to mean the same thing. But Sidh Goshti reveals that Sabad is the medium through which the ego is destroyed, allowing the Truth-Oriented individual (Gurmukh) to experience Nam. Nam is also the manifestation of Sabad. 

Therefore, it is impossible to translate Nam in a single word when it has so many dimensions.

Sabad - Translating Sabad as the Sacred or Divine Word is very limiting.

“The Sabad is the Guru, and the awareness of its sound is the disciple.” Sidh Goshti,Verse 44

“Sabad is the medium through which Truth-Oriented individuals come to an understanding of the Ultimate Reality - IkOankar.” Sidh Goshti, Verse 58 

Sabad is the Guru, the Eternal Guru or the Ultimate Reality. Understanding, meditating, living on Sabad gradually increases one’s awareness. This leads to the overcoming of ego, which allows one to experience the Ultimate Reality - IkOankar. 

Other dimensions of Sabad:

- It softens the heart and makes it a place where evolving spiritual knowledge finds a receptive home

- A necessary aid for the attainment of Wisdom

- A revelation, which is experienced in the heart

- A means to realizing the “divine inner reality”

- The Ultimate Reality itself

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Sharing my free verse translation of today’s Hukam.

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1 Reality realized by Eternal Perfection’s Grace!

The Divine Teacher channels me to the Divine Reality.

My faults, my defects, are sold; remain, my virtues, my merits, bal ram jeo.

Ceaselessly meditate on Nam. Constantly, incessantly enunciate Sabad, bal ram jeo.

When Sabad becomes eternally sweet, transgressions disappear.

Ego,infirmity, disappears. Fear dissolves, in intuitive ease.

In awareness (The Experience) transpires.Body cradled in Sabad.

Effortlessly Divine Knowledge, the quintessence treasure transpires.

O Nanak: Incessant peace emerges. Eternally merged. The Fount of Purity Unifies. 1

Truth,contentment, creates immaculate Love.

The Divine Teacher unveils engagement, bal ram jeo.

Realized beings (in) intrinsic congregation, resound Sabad, bal ram jeo.

Sabad permeates. Highest Truth realized.

Truth,contentment, compassion, wisdom, patience suffuses.

Anger,attachment, hypocrisy, superstitions, abscond.

“I”pain disappears. Perfect peace pervades. Pain-free becomes being.

O Nanak: The Divine Teacher Graces, The One Virtuous, Infinite ascertained. 2

Self-centered(beings) (experience) separation, distance.

Eternal Home unattainable, bal ram jeo.

Within: attachment, falsehood, duality, trade, bal ram jeo.

Profiting(in) falsehood, duality; colossal sorrow experienced.

Without the Divine Teacher, Destination unreachable.

Alienated(from the) Path, mystified fools experience continuous jostling.

The Divine One in compassion initiates the Divine Teacher to present the Divine Reality.

O Nanak: Lifetime of separations end. In intuitive reverence, the Meeting transpires. 3

The auspicious moment materializes.

The bride’s heart is imbued with a deep yearning, bal ram jeo.

Sages,scholars, emerge.

Blessings resound, bal ram jeo.

Hearing the blessings, bride’s heart rejoices, in anticipation of meeting her Divine-Husband.

Sages,scholars, instantaneously resolve to perform the Wedding ceremony.

The unreachable, unattainable, eternally immaculate, childhood mate, the ultimate Reality, Divine-Husband realized within.

O Nanak: Grace arranges this Union. United forever never to be estranged. 4

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Guru Ramdas Sahib in Rag Suhi  | Guru Granth Sahib 773

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ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ਛੰਤ ਘਰੁ ੧

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਮਿਲਾਇ ਅਵਗਣ ਵਿਕਣਾ ਗੁਣ ਰਵਾ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਨਿਤ ਨਿਤ ਚਵਾ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਸਦ ਮੀਠੀ ਲਾਗੀ ਪਾਪ ਵਿਕਾਰ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

ਹਉਮੈ ਰੋਗੁ ਗਇਆ ਭਉ ਭਾਗਾ ਸਹਜੇ ਸਹਜਿ ਮਿਲਾਇਆ ॥

ਕਾਇਆ ਸੇਜ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਸੁਖਾਲੀ ਗਿਆਨ ਤਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਭੋਗੋ ॥

ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਸੁਖਿ ਮਾਣੇ ਨਿਤ ਰਲੀਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਧੁਰਿ ਸੰਜੋਗੋ ॥੧॥

ਸਤੁ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਕਰਿ ਭਾਉ ਕੁੜਮੁ ਕੁੜਮਾਈ ਆਇਆ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਸੰਤ ਜਨਾ ਕਰਿ ਮੇਲੁ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਗਾਵਾਈਆ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰ ਗਾਈ ਪਰਮ ਗਤਿ ਪਾਈ ਪੰਚ ਮਿਲੇ ਸੋਹਾਇਆ ॥

ਗਇਆ ਕਰੋਧੁ ਮਮਤਾ ਤਨਿ ਨਾਠੀ ਪਾਖੰਡੁ ਭਰਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

ਹਉਮੈ ਪੀਰ ਗਈ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਆਰੋਗਤ ਭਏ ਸਰੀਰਾ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਪਛਾਤਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਣੀ ਗਹੀਰਾ ॥੨॥

ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਵਿਛੁੜੀ ਦੂਰਿ ਮਹਲੁ ਨ ਪਾਏ ਬਲਿ ਗਈ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਮਮਤਾ ਕੂਰਿ ਕੂੜੁ ਵਿਹਾਝੇ ਕੂੜਿ ਲਈ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਕੂੜੁ ਕਪਟੁ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਮਹਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਵੈ ਵਿਣੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮਗੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ॥

ਉਝੜ ਪੰਥਿ ਭ੍ਰਮੈ ਗਾਵਾਰੀ ਖਿਨੁ ਖਿਨੁ ਧਕੇ ਖਾਇਆ ॥

ਆਪੇ ਦਇਆ ਕਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਮਿਲਾਏ ॥

ਜਨਮ ਜਨਮ ਕੇ ਵਿਛੁੜੇ ਜਨ ਮੇਲੇ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਸੁਭਾਏ ॥੩॥

ਆਇਆ ਲਗਨੁ ਗਣਾਇ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਧਨ ਓਮਾਹੀਆ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਪੰਡਿਤ ਪਾਧੇ ਆਣਿ ਪਤੀ ਬਹਿ ਵਾਚਾਈਆ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

ਪਤੀ ਵਾਚਾਈ ਮਨਿ ਵਜੀ ਵਧਾਈ ਜਬ ਸਾਜਨ ਸੁਣੇ ਘਰਿ ਆਏ ॥

ਗੁਣੀ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਬਹਿ ਮਤਾ ਪਕਾਇਆ ਫੇਰੇ ਤਤੁ ਦਿਵਾਏ ॥

ਵਰੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਅਗੰਮੁ ਅਗੋਚਰੁ ਸਦ ਨਵਤਨੁ ਬਾਲ ਸਖਾਈ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਿ ਕੈ ਮੇਲੇ ਵਿਛੁੜਿ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੪॥੧॥

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