Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa, Vahiguru ji ki Fatih!

The inevitability of death often brings a sense of emptiness and finality. How do we embrace Death, the only certain journey in life?

Death is painful.
Death is emptiness.
Death is final.

How do we receive Death, the only certain thing in life?

The Guru is gracious.
The Guru is generous.
The Guru guides.

In the embrace of the Sadd composition, we find solace, comfort, and strength. In the stillness of night, when the world is quiet, the Sadd resonates deeply. It calls out to our inner being—a mournful yet beautiful lament that bridges the earthly and the divine. It is a cry of longing, a call to the departed, and an invitation to reflect on our journey. Through the Sadd, we connect with our ancestors, the divine, and the inevitable reality of our own mortality.

According to historical sources, this composition is associated with Guru Amardas Sahib and describes Baba Sundar ji, the Guru’s great-grandson, witnessing the Guru’s departure from the earthly realm.

In the fourth stanza, Baba Sundar ji recounts Guru Amardas Sahib’s wish to his family: I do not want anyone to cry after me. That will not be pleasing to me at all. This heartfelt plea loses some tenderness in translation. The Guru sought to avoid the typical reaction to a loved one’s death—crying and wailing. Public displays of grief, often by hired mourners, were customary then, and people followed these practices as norms. In the previous stanza, the Guru emphasized that accepting the Command with love and bliss should be celebrated, urging us to view his departure as an occasion for joy.

Tenderly, the Guru explains, If a friend is enrobed with honor, their companion rejoices.

We reflect.
We pause.

We celebrate a loved one’s success with joy, not tears.

The Guru continues, See this, O children, siblings, and beloved Sikhs! The 1-Light is enrobing your true Guru with honor. The Guru urges his loved ones to recognize this honor from IkOankar, the One, and not to cry at his glorification in the Court of IkOankar. Instead, they should rejoice in his eternal union. Though it may be difficult to hear, the Guru asks us to see this as a celebration, a great honor, and a return to the Light from which we came.

The Guru teaches us to see death as a celebration, a fulfillment of the Divine Command, and an honoring of the departing being. Though we may struggle with this understanding, the Guru urges us to reflect deeply and find joy in it.

May we embrace this celebration?
May we align our hearts and minds with this sacred perspective?
May Wisdom-Guru guide us!