Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa, Vahiguru ji ki Fatih!

The' Vanjara' once walked the streets and villages of South Asia, their presence a familiar sight until the late twentieth century. These traders of women's cosmetics, known for their melodic songs sung during their travels, have since vanished from our daily lives. Yet, the legacy of the Vanjara lives on in a unique genre of folk poetry that echoes the tunes of their songs.

In Sikhi, we find a profound parallel between the Vanjara and our spiritual journey. Like a Vanjara, each being is born into this world with a purpose: to unite with IkOankar, the One, by trading in the Nam, Identifying and contemplating IkOankar. Our guide in this sacred trade is the Guru, the embodiment of divine Wisdom, who inspires and connects us to IkOankar.

In the third stanza of the Vanjara composition, Guru Ramdas Sahib speaks directly to the mind, urging, O mind! Attach love to Hari’s Nam. The fortunate one who has found the Wisdom, Hari, causes them to cross over through the Sabad of the Wisdom. Hari, synonymous with IkOankar, represents the One Light, the All-Pervasive, the Remover of Suffering, and the Fear-Eliminator. In this context, the Nam is our deep Identification with IkOankar, an ongoing process of remembering and praising the One.

The Guru's call to our minds is a friendly urging to cultivate a love for IkOankar. It's a reminder that those who have encountered the Wisdom are fortunate and experience the freedom of a fruitful life through the Sabad, the Infinite Wisdom. This gentle urging asks us to nurture this love, engage with the Sabad, earn it, and live it. If we build a relationship with the Sabad, Guru (the Wisdom), Nam (Identification), and IkOankar (the One), we will find ourselves carried across the challenges of this world, leading lives that are meaningful and free.

As roving traders and wandering seekers, we search for the true trade of life. The Guru reveals that the most extraordinary fortune is not pre-written but is shaped by our efforts, practices, and changes in behavior. This spiritual journey is not a transaction but a path guided by those who have already recognized the One. These guides, the devoted beings, practice Identification, remembrance, and praise of the One in their consciousness and deeds.

Will our wandering minds trade in the Divine?
From fate's illusion to love, will we incline?
Will we shift our focus from what’s seen as fate,
To hearts full of love, a sacred trade innate?

Will we transform our lives in this sacred pursuit,
Filled with divine love, our spirits' true fruit?
In sacred trade, may we find our fulfillment,
In IkOankar's grace, our spirit’s alignment.

May we all become true Vanjaras.
May the Wisdom-Guru guide us!