Japji Sahib: An Interpretation in Humility

By Nidhi Singh

Guru Nanak Dev, founder of the Sikh faith, uttered the holy Japji Sahib through songs of ecstasy after enlightenment at age 30. It was compiled later- mostly in Gurmukhi.
To Jap, is to chant, recite, and understand wisdom. Ji is added as an expression of respect.
Japji Sahib contains 38 verses, or stanzas, or hymns. It begins with a Mool Mantra (the essential hymn, the fundamental prayer) and ends with a sloka (a song, a 4-line stanza in Sanskrit metre.) Mool Mantra is the first Shabd that is oft repeated through the scriptures. A shabd is a hymn, or a speech, a sound used in religio-philosophical context. It has two aspects, the permanent one of meaning, and the ephemeral one of sound. It denotes an utterance, a cosmic vibration like Aum that can only be heard by the inner ear. Shabd is a mystical, indivisible word-whole. It is the verbal testimony of revealed scriptures.
Japji Sahib is the first composition to appear in the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib (a compilation of the teachings of the Sikh Gurus). Sikhs treat the Guru Granth Sahib as the tenth and final Guru, and there are to be no more Gurus after this. The Guru Granth Sahib is composed of several chapters of Ragas, each containing Shabds, of which the first one is the Mool Mantra.
So why would I pick the Sikh faith’s first composition to write about? Having got married into a Sikh family, where everyone recited, or chanted the Japji Sahib daily, and I too got my own Hindi translated copy, I felt reading and repeating the holy script without a true understanding was downright blasphemy. I was not the only one not to grasp the Mool of the Mantras, there were many, but they would not ask, either out of sheer laziness, or shame, or because there was hardly any Guru out there who could explain it properly.
After many years of trying to keep a promise to myself to decipher the essence of the word of God, I finally got round to scraping for knowledge. It is a personal act of faith, a humble attempt by a layperson at understanding the divine word, and not an expert’s treatise on the Holy Scriptures. And I hope it helps many out there like me who have with a shut mind spent a lifetime rocking and chanting the Shabds without pausing to imbibe their true spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nidhi Singh
• Release date: Mar 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310415333

Nidhi Singh

Nidhi attended American International School, Kabul, before moving to Delhi University for BA English Honors. Currently, she lives with her husband near McLeodganj (abode of the Holy Dalai Lama) in the Dhauladhar mountain ranges. Her short work has appeared in Indie Authors Press, Flyleaf Journal, Liquid Imagination, Digital Fiction Publishing Co, LA Review of LA, Flame Tree Publishing, Four Ties Lit Review, The Insignia Series, Inwood Indiana Press, Bards and Sages Publishing, Scarlet Leaf Review, Bewildering Stories, Down in the Dirt, Mulberry Fork Review, tNY.Press, Fabula Argentea, Aerogram, Fiction Magazines, Flash Fiction Press, The Dirty Pool, Asvamegha, etc. Her translations of Sikh Holy Scriptures, essays on Bollywood and a few novels are available in print and online.

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Japji Sahib: An Interpretation in Humility

Nidhi Singh

Published by Nidhi Singh at Smashwords

Japji Sahib: An Interpretation in Humility

By

Nidhi Singh

Copyright Apr, 2015, Nidhi Singh

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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"The egg of falsehood has burst, the mind is illumined,

The Guru has cut the shackles off the feet and freed the enslaved."

Guru Arjan Dev.

Foreword

Guru Nanak Dev (15 Apr 1469- 22 Sep 1539), founder of the Sikh faith, composed Japji Sahib. He is said to have spoken it after being enlightened, at age 30.

Japji Sahib is the keystone of the compilation of the most sacred Banis (hymns) of the Sikh Gurus (Gurbani). Sikhs recite it at designated hours as part of Nitnem, or daily discipline.

Guru Nanak was born in Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib in his honor, near Lahore in Pakistan. His birthday is traditionally celebrated by Sikhs on full moon day (Puranmasi) in November, though he was born in April. In the absence of any well-documented records, there is a debate among scholars about the birthdate. Bhai Bala, regarded as a companion of Guru Nanak, wrote in the latter’s Janamsakhi (chronicle) that his birth was in the Katik, or November. Subsequent renowned British as well as Sikh historians, on working backwards from his date of death, given that his age then was affirmed as 70 years, 5 months and 7 days, have held that he was born in Baisakh, i.e., April. However tradition runs strong and the birth celebrations are held in November, much like the celebrations of Jesus in December, even though he wasn’t born in that month, as shepherds are not supposed to be in the fields in that season.

Guru Nanak spent much of his time singing hymns in praise and glory of God, travelling and doing missionary work to bring people to the true and righteous path. He never practiced or advocated a life of austerity; he encouraged people to be responsible

Reviews for Japji Sahib

[Sabkush tera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

it is a very good ! Waiting for similiar to this!