In ‘Barah Maha,’ the natural scenes of Bar or Sandal Bar are illustrated to describe the internal state of the human-bride (seeker). The description of the seasons of different months has been provided in great detail. The bumblebees look beautiful in the spring season that arrives with the month of Chet. Forests are full of flowers. The sound of Indian cuckoos on mango trees is delightful. In Vaisakh, the vegetation assumes several forms. In the month of Jeth, the deserts burn like furnaces. The month of Harh further intensifies the condition of Jeth. The sun’s heat is so intense that even the water and sap of plants dries up. Savan being a month of rain, brings with it, a season of happiness. Lightning flashes in the sky. It continues to rain in Bhadon. Rivers, streams, ponds, etc. are filled with water. With the stream of rainwater, frogs, peacocks, and pied cuckoos begin to speak. At the same time, mosquito-bites add to physical suffering. The abundance of snakes and other venomous creatures becomes the cause of fear. In the month of Assu, various types of grasses like reeds grow. In Assu, Katak, and Maghar the weather changes and winter begins. During the month of Poh, it gets cold due to frost. With this, the vegetation dries up again. The season changes in Magh and Phagan, and the winter begins to recede.
The seventh month of Barah Maha is Asu. It is corresponding from mid-September to mid-October. This is a time where the human-bride is requesting the Beloved to come into her home.
The sixth month of Barah Maha occurs between mid-August and mid-September. The human-bride is at a point where she is experiencing a delusion, having forgotten IkOankar. She’s been distracted by the state of her surroundings. Now, she is lost. The gap between her heart and her mind is triggering mood swings. She feels good at one moment and fears the next. The sudden shifts in her behavior are uncovering her loss and loneliness. Will the human-bride find happiness or comfort without connection to IkOankar? Follow along as she looks to overcome her loneliness, her flaws, and forgetfulness.
The fifth month of Barah Maha is Savan. From mid-July to mid-August, there is a great relief for the agrarian societies that have spent the last few months working in the scorching heat. With the rainy season, beauty arises, and vegetation goes green.
Asar is the fourth month of Barah Maha. It is sweltering heat. The earth endures pain and suffering as the sun sucks all of the life from the defenseless vegetation. The heat is a symbol of a human-bride, the seeker who is disconnected from IkOankar. Follow the human-bride as she finds realization in her anxieties and the external pains in her life.
Next is Jeth, a month where the beautiful spring season is transitioning to summer. The heat is arising and the deserts are becoming hot, almost too hot to the point of discomfort. For the human-bride to truly remain connected to IkOankar, it makes sense that they are detached from the world. After all, an individual cannot be at two places at the same time and two loves cannot flourish in the heart simultaneously. When attachment to the world is eliminated, for that is when the human-bride can truly lie in the abode of IkOankar. Watch the video to delve into the complexity of connection between the world, IkOankar, and the human-bride.
We now move on to Vaisakh, a month in which vegetation and agriculture are thriving. Growth is truly at its finest right now, yet the human-bride is experiencing bouts of separation. Join the human-bride as she begins to see where her shortcomings lie due to her pain from her separation from IkOankar.
SikhRI’s Barah Maha (twelve months) video series gives you a glimpse of Guru Nanak Sahib’s Barah Maha composition in Rag Tukhari. This self-titled video series is dedicated to embracing the poetic genre’s beauty while highlighting the pain of the “spiritual separation” of a seeker from IkOankar, the 1 creative and pervasive Force through the symbol of a husband and wife’s relationship, as prevalent in the Indic culture.
The first video in the Barah Maha video series is Chet. Immerse yourself into the beauty of nature while learning about detachment and connection. Fly into the flowers and trees and surround yourself with the smell and sounds of the earth. Follow the human-bride, the seeker, as she overcomes the separation she feels from IkOankar. She hopes so profoundly for the connection.
We now move on to Vaisakh, a month in which vegetation and agriculture are thriving. Growth is truly at its finest right now, yet the human-bride is experiencing bouts of separation. Join the human-bride as she begins to see where her shortcomings lie due to her pain from her separation from IkOankar.
Next is Jeth, a month where the beautiful spring season is transitioning to summer. The heat is arising and the deserts are becoming hot, almost too hot to the point of discomfort. For the human-bride to truly remain connected to IkOankar, it makes sense that they are detached from the world. After all, an individual cannot be at two places at the same time and two loves cannot flourish in the heart simultaneously. When attachment to the world is eliminated, for that is when the human-bride can truly lie in the abode of IkOankar. Watch the video to delve into the complexity of connection between the world, IkOankar, and the human-bride.
Asar is the fourth month of Barah Maha. It is sweltering heat. The earth endures pain and suffering as the sun sucks all of the life from the defenseless vegetation. The heat is a symbol of a human-bride, the seeker who is disconnected from IkOankar. Follow the human-bride as she finds realization in her anxieties and the external pains in her life.
The fifth month of Barah Maha is Savan. From mid-July to mid-August, there is a great relief for the agrarian societies that have spent the last few months working in the scorching heat. With the rainy season, beauty arises, and vegetation goes green.