Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa, Vahiguru ji ki Fatih!

It is the month of Poh (mid-December to mid-January), the month of shahadat (martyrdom). We return to the year 1705. We return to Panjab, cold and shrouded in the stillness of winter. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, the Sovereign of sovereigns, traverses the dense forests of Machhiwara alone. 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 transcends time and space.

In this solitude, the Sovereign sings a melody that merges with the whispers of the forest, the rustling of leaves, and the unseen rhythm of the cosmos. What matters most in that moment, where concerns and worries become anxieties and stresses? The Sovereign calls out to the 1-Beloved-Friend, IkOankar. The Sovereign calls out to express the condition of the disciples. These words, cherished by generations, ripple across realms, embedded in the collective psyche as a verse of longing—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.

In these words lies a mystery—a pain not of the body, but of the spirit. The Sovereign’s pangs of separation are both personal and universal. They echo the silent cries of every being that has ever wandered far from their Source—an ancient longing.

What does it mean to be separated? The comforts of life—a soft bed, a secure home—become venomous. They lose their meaning and cause us pain 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.

The Sovereign’s connection to the Eternal transforms his condition. The bare earth becomes a sacred resting place, the cold winter air a warm embrace. In this connection with the Eternal, the Sovereign reveals the illusion of material comfort and embraces the truth of spiritual sustenance.

These words are not just a reflection; they are an invitation. They beckon us to awaken to a deeper reality—where the Eternal is not a distant abstract but an intimate presence. 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.

In this month of Poh, as the earth is still and cold, as we return to 1705, to Panjab, to the forests of Macchiwara, we are invited to ask ourselves:

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

The Sovereign’s words echo through the forests of Machhiwara and the chambers of our hearts. They transcend time and space, drawing us into the rhythm of the Eternal and offering a bridge of connection.

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

May the Wisdom-Guru guide us!