Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa, Vahiguru ji ki Fatih!

It is the month of Poh (mid-December to mid-January). The year is 1705. The land is Panjab, shrouded in winter’s stillness. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, the Sovereign of sovereigns, walks through the dense forests of Machhiwara. Alone, yet not lonely. Separated from the Khalsa, the family, the forts, the blue steed, the hawk, and the treasures of Anandpur Sahib, the Sovereign carries no worldly possessions. Instead, the Sovereign bears a luminous connection to the Eternal, one that defies the boundaries of time and space.

In this sacred solitude, the Sovereign’s voice arises—a melody that merges with the whispers of the forest, the rustling of leaves, the unseen rhythm of the cosmos. The call is to the 1-Beloved-Friend, IkOankar. These words, cherished by generations, ripple across realms, becoming a verse of longing and a bridge to the Eternal:

To the Beloved Friend, tell the condition of the disciples.
Without You: Using a comforter is like being ill,
living in the house is like being with snakes.
Flask is like a spear; glass is like a dagger;
separation-pang feels like a butcher’s knife.
Friend’s earth-bed is pleasing to us;
pleasing the body-village is like living in the kiln.

     Khyal, Sovereign 10

We pause.
We listen.
We feel.

The Separation

In these words lies a mystery—a pain not of the body but of the spirit. The Sovereign’s pangs of separation are not merely personal but universal. They echo the silent cries of every being that has ever wandered far from its Source. This separation is an ancient longing woven into the very fabric of existence.

What does it mean to be apart from the Eternal? The Sovereign’s imagery transforms our understanding. The comforts of life—a soft bed, a secure home—become venomous. They lose their meaning when the spirit is distant from the Beloved Friend. The Sovereign reveals that this pain is not to be avoided but embraced, for it is the key to awakening.

Do we feel this separation? Or have we dulled ourselves to it, choosing instead the fleeting distractions of this world?

The Friend’s Earth-Bed

The Sovereign’s connection to the Eternal transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. The bare earth becomes a sacred resting place, the cold winter air a warm embrace. The forest, alive with unseen energies, offers solace greater than any earthly palace. In this connection with the Eternal, the Sovereign reveals the illusion of material comfort, for the Sovereign knows its emptiness and embraces the truth of spiritual sustenance.

And what of us? Do we seek this sacred warmth? Or do we continue to stoke the fires of fleeting pleasures, burning ourselves in the kiln of desire? The Sovereign’s words beckon us to awaken to a deeper reality where the Eternal is not a distant abstract but an intimate presence.

The Call

These words are not just a reflection; they are an invitation. The Sovereign calls out to each of us, urging us to pause and feel the depth of our separation. The Sovereign reminds us that this pain is not our enemy; it is our guide. It is the thread that connects us to the Eternal tapestry.As we listen, we are invited to ask ourselves:

• Have I felt the ache of separation?
• Do I recognize the Eternal’s whisper in my moments of stillness?
• Am I ready to let go of the fleeting and embrace the Infinite?
• Will I dare to tell my condition to the Beloved Friend?

The Sovereign’s words echo through the forests of Machhiwara and the corridors of our hearts. They transcend time and space, pulling us into the rhythm of the Eternal.

May we pause.
May we listen.
May we awaken to the call.

May the Wisdom-Guru be with us!