Daily Hukamnama from Harimandir Sahib (Amritsar)

SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O Shaykh, you wander in the four directions, blown by the four winds; bring your mind back to the home of the One Lord. Renounce your petty arguments, and realize the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. Bow in humble respect before the True Guru; He is the Knower who knows everything. Burn away your hopes and desires, and live like a guest in this world. If you walk in harmony with the True Guru’s Will, then you shall be honored in the Court of the Lord. O Nanak, those who do not contemplate the Naam, the Name of the Lord — cursed are their clothes, and cursed is their food. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: There is no end to the Lord’s Glorious Praises; His worth cannot be described. O Nanak, the Gurmukhs chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord; they are absorbed in His Glorious Virtues. || 2 || PAUREE: The Lord has adorned the coat of the body; He has embroidered it with devotional worship. The Lord has woven His silk into it, in so many ways and fashions. How rare is that man of understanding, who understands, and deliberates within. He alone understands these deliberations, whom the Lord Himself inspires to understand. Poor servant Nanak speaks: the Gurmukhs know the Lord, the Lord is True. || 11 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

TODEE, FIFTH MEHL, SECOND HOUSE, DU-PADAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: I beg for the Gift of Your Name, O my Lord and Master. Nothing else shall go along with me in the end; by Your Grace, please allow me to sing Your Glorious Praises. || 1 || Pause || Power, wealth, various pleasures and enjoyments, all are just like the shadow of a tree. He runs, runs, runs around in many directions, but all of his pursuits are useless. || 1 || Except for the Lord of the Universe, everything he desires appears transitory. Says Nanak, I beg for the dust of the feet of the Saints, so that my mind may find peace and tranquility. || 2 || 1 || 6 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SOOHEE, FIFTH MEHL: The Simritees, the Vedas, the Puraanas and the other holy scriptures proclaim that without the Naam, everything is false and worthless. || 1 || The infinite treasure of the Naam abides within the minds of the devotees. Birth and death, attachment and suffering, are erased in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. || 1 || Pause || Those who indulge in attachment, conflict and egotism shall surely weep and cry. Those who are separated from the Naam shall never find any peace. || 2 || Crying out, “Mine! Mine!”, he is bound in bondage. Entangled in Maya, he is reincarnated in heaven and hell. || 3 || Searching, searching, searching, I have come to understand the essence of reality. Without the Naam, there is no peace at all, and the mortal will surely fail. || 4 || Many come and go; they die, and die again, and are reincarnated. Without understanding, they are totally useless, and they wander in reincarnation. || 5 || They alone join the Saadh Sangat, unto whom the Lord becomes Merciful. They chant and meditate on the Ambrosial Name of the Lord. || 6 || Uncounted millions, so many they are endless, search for Him. But only that one, who understands his own self, sees God near at hand. || 7 || Never forget me, O Great Giver — please bless me with Your Naam.To sing Your Glorious Praises day and night — O Nanak, this is my heart-felt desire. || 8 || 2 || 5 || 16 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: Infatuated with the darkness of emotional attachment to Maya, he does not know the Lord, the Great Giver. The Lord created his body and fashioned his soul, but he claims that his power is his, weighed down by the chains of egotism. || 2 || Behind closed doors, hidden by many screensown. || 1 || O foolish mind, God, your Lord and Master is watching over you. Whatever you do, He knows; nothing can remain concealed from Him. || Pause || You are intoxicated with the tastes of the tongue, with greed and pride; countless sins spring from these. You wandered in pain through countless incarnations, the man takes his pleasure with another man’s wife. When Chitr and Gupt, the celestial accountants of the conscious and subconscious, call for your account, who will screen you then? || 3 || O Perfect Lord, Merciful to the meek, Destroyer of pain, without You, I have no shelter at all. Please, lift me up out of the world-ocean; O God, I have come to Your Sanctuary. || 4 || 15 || 26 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SHALOK: The Merciful Lord is the Savior of the Saints; their only support is to sing the Kirtan of the Lord’s Praises. One becomes immaculate and pure, by associating with the Saints, O Nanak, and taking the Protection of the Transcendent Lord. || 1 || The burning of the heart is not dispelled at all, by sandalwood paste, the moon, or the cold season. It only becomes cool, O Nanak, by chanting the Name of the Lord. || 2 || PAUREE: Through the Protection and Support of the Lord’s lotus feet, all beings are saved. Hearing of the Glory of the Lord of the Universe, the mind becomes fearless. Nothing at all is lacking, when one gathers the wealth of the Naam. The Society of the Saints is obtained, by very good deeds. Twenty-four hours a day, meditate on the Lord, and listen continually to the Lord’s Praises. || 17 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

JAITSREE, FOURTH MEHL, FIRST HOUSE, CHAU-PADAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: The Jewel of the Lord’s Name abides within my heart; the Guru has placed His hand on my forehead. The sins and pains of countless incarnations have been cast out. The Guru has blessed me with the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and my debt has been paid off. || 1 || O my mind, vibrate the Lord’s Name, and all your affairs shall be resolved. The Perfect Guru has implanted the Lord’s Name within me; without the Name, life is useless. || Pause || Without the Guru, the self-willed manmukhs are foolish and ignorant; they are forever entangled in emotional attachment to Maya. They never serve the feet of the Holy; their lives are totally useless. || 2 || Those who serve at the feet of the Holy, the feet of the Holy, their lives are made fruitful, and they belong to the Lord. Make me the slave of the slave of the slaves of the Lord; bless me with Your Mercy, O Lord of the Universe. || 3 || I am blind, ignorant and totally without wisdom; how can I walk on the Path? I am blind — O Guru, please let me grasp the hem of Your robe, so that servant Nanak may walk in harmony with You. || 4 || 1 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SOOHEE, FIFTH MEHL: I have come to You. I have come to Your Sanctuary. I have come to place my faith in You. I have come seeking Mercy. If it pleases You, save me, O my Lord and Master. The Guru has placed me upon the Path. || 1 || Pause || Maya is very treacherous and difficult to pass through. It is like a violent wind-storm. || 1 || I am so afraid to hear that the Righteous Judge of Dharma is so strict and stern. || 2 || The world is a deep, dark pit; it is all on fire. || 3 || I have grasped the Support of the Holy Saints. Nanak meditates on the Lord. Now, I have found the Perfect Lord. || 4 || 3 || 46 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SORAT’H, THIRD MEHL: Without serving the True Guru, he suffers in terrible pain, and throughout the four ages, he wanders aimlessly. I am poor and meek, and throughout the ages, You are the Great Giver - please, grant me the understanding of the Shabad. || 1 || O Dear Beloved Lord, please show mercy to me. Unite me in the Union of the True Guru, the Great Giver, and give me the support of the Lord’s Name.|| Pause || Conquering my desires and duality, I have merged in celestial peace, and I have found the Naam, the Name of the Infinite Lord. I have tasted the sublime essence of the Lord, and my soul has become immaculately pure; the Lord is the Destroyer of sins. || 2 || Dying in the Word of the Shabad, you shall live forever, and you shall never die again. The Ambrosial Nectar of the Naam is ever-sweet to the mind; but how few are those who obtain the Shabad. || 3 || The Great Giver keeps His Gifts in His Hand; He gives them to those with whom He is pleased. O Nanak, imbued with the Naam, they find peace, and in the Court of the Lord, they are exalted. || 4 || 11 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

DHANAASAREE, FIFTH MEHL: I am satisfied and satiated, eating the food of Truth. With my mind, body and tongue, I meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. || 1 || Life, spiritual life, is in the Lord. Spiritual life consists of chanting the Lord’s Name in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. || 1 || Pause || He is dressed in robes of all sorts, if he sings the Kirtan of the Lord’s Glorious Praises, day and night. || 2 || He rides upon elephants, chariots and horses, if he sees the Lord’s Path within his own heart. || 3 || Meditating on the Lord’s Feet, deep within his mind and body, slave Nanak has found the Lord, the treasure of peace. || 4 || 2 || 56 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

WADAHANS, FOURTH MEHL, GHOREES ~ THE WEDDING PROCESSION: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: This body-horse was created by the Lord. Blessed is human life, which is obtained by virtuous actions. Human life is obtained only by the most virtuous actions; this body is radiant and golden. The Gurmukh is imbued with the deep crimson color of the poppy; he is imbued with the new color of the Lord’s Name, Har, Har, Har. This body is so very beautiful; it chants the Name of the Lord, and it is adorned with the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. By great good fortune, the body is obtained; the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is its companion; O servant Nanak, the Lord has created it. || 1 || I place the saddle on the body-horse, the saddle of realization of the Good Lord. Riding this horse, I cross over the treacherous world-ocean. The treacherous world-ocean is rocked by countless waves, but the Gurmukh is carried across. Embarking upon the boat of the Lord, the very fortunate ones cross over; the Guru, the Boatman, carries them across, through the Word of the Shabad. Night and day, imbued with the Lord’s Love, singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, the Lord’s lover loves the Lord. Servant Nanak has attained the state of Nirvaanaa, the state of ultimate goodness, the state of the Lord. || 2 || The Guru has implanted spiritual wisdom within me, as a bridle in my mouth. He has applied the whip of the Lord’s Love to my body. Applying the whip of the Lord’s Love to the body, the Gurmukh conquers the mind, and wins the battle of life. He trains his untrained mind with the Word of the Shabad, and drinks in the rejuvenating essence of the Lord’s Nectar. Listen with your ears to the Word, spoken by the Guru, and attune your body-horse to the Lord’s Love. Servant Nanak has crossed over on the path, the treacherous path. || 3 || The body-horse was created by the Lord. Blessed, blessed is that body-horse which meditates on the Lord God. Blessed and acclaimed is that body-horse which meditates on the Lord God; it is obtained by the merits of past actions. Riding the body-horse, one crosses over the treacherous world-ocean; the Gurmukh meets the Lord, the embodiment of supreme bliss. The Lord, Har, Har, has perfectly arranged this wedding; the Saints have come together as a wedding party. Servant Nanak has obtained the Lord as his Spouse; joining together, the Saints sing the songs of joy and congratulations. || 4 || 1 || 5 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SOOHEE, FIRST MEHL: Those whose minds are filled with love of the Lord, are blessed and exalted. They are blessed with peace, and their pains are forgotten. He will undoubtedly, certainly save them. || 1 || The Guru comes to meet those whose destiny is so pre-ordained. He blesses them with the Teachings of the Ambrosial Name of the Lord. Those who walk in the Will of the True Guru, never wander begging. || 2 || And one who lives in the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence, why should he bow down to any other? The gate-keeper at the Lord’s Gate shall not stop him to ask any questions. And one who is blessed with the Lord’s Glance of Grace — by his words, others are emancipated as well. || 3 || The Lord Himself sends out, and recalls the mortal beings; no one else gives Him advice. He Himself demolishes, constructs and creates; He knows everything. O Nanak, the Naam, the Name of the Lord is the blessing, given to those who receive His Mercy, and His Grace. || 4 || 3 || 5 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SORAT’H, THIRD MEHL, FIRST HOUSE, TI-TUKAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: You always preserve the honor of Your devotees, O Dear Lord; You have protected them from the very beginning of time. You protected Your servant Prahlaad, O Dear Lord, and annihilated Harnaakhash. The Gurmukhs place their faith in the Dear Lord, but the self-willed manmukhs are deluded by doubt. || 1 || O Dear Lord, this is Your Glory. You preserve the honor of Your devotees, O Lord Master; Your devotees seek Your Sanctuary. || Pause || The Messenger of Death cannot touch Your devotees; death cannot even approach them. The Name of the Lord alone abides in their minds; through the Naam, the Name of the Lord, they find liberation. Wealth and all the spiritual powers of the Siddhis fall at the feet of the Lord’s devotees; they obtain peace and poise from the Guru. || 2 || The self-willed manmukhs have no faith; they are filled with greed and self-interest. They are not Gurmukh — they do not understand the Word of the Shabad in their hearts; they do not love the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Their masks of falsehood and hypocrisy shall fall off; the self-willed manmukhs speak with insipid words. || 3 || You are pervading through Your devotees, O Dear God; through Your devotees, You are known.All the people are enticed by Maya; they are Yours, Lord — You alone are the Architect of Destiny. Overcoming my egotism and quieting the desires within my mind, I have come to realize the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. || 4 || God automatically does the work of those who love the Name of the Lord. By Guru’s Grace, he ever dwells in their minds, and He resolves all their affairs. Whoever challenges them is destroyed; they have the Lord God as their Savior. || 5 || Without serving the True Guru, no one finds the Lord; the self-willed manmukhs die crying out in pain. They come and go, and find no place of rest; in pain and suffering, they perish. But one who becomes Gurmukh drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar, and is easily absorbed in the True Name. || 6 || Without serving the True Guru, one cannot escape reincarnation, even by performing numerous rituals. Those who read the Vedas, and argue and debate without the Lord, lose their honor. True is the True Guru, and True is the Word of His Bani; in the Guru’s Sanctuary, one is saved. || 7 || Those whose minds are filled with the Lord are judged as true in the Court of the Lord; they are hailed as true in the True Court. Their praises echo throughout the ages, and no one can erase them. Nanak is forever a sacrifice to those who enshrine the Lord within their hearts. || 8 || 1 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

BIHAAGRAA, FIFTH MEHL, CHHANT: Why are you imbued with the love of another? That path is very dangerous. You are committing sins — no one is your friend. No one shall be your friend; you shall regret and repent forever. You have not chanted with your tongue the Praises of the Lord of the World; when will these days come again? The leaf, once separated from the branch, shall not join with it again; all alone, it falls on its way to death. Prays Nanak, without the Lord’s Name, the soul wanders in suffering forever. || 1 || You are practicing deception secretly, but the Lord, the Knower, knows all. When the Righteous Judge of Dharma reads your account, you shall be squeezed like a sesame seed in the oil-press. For the actions you committed, you shall suffer in pain, O mortal being; you shall be consigned to countless reincarnations. Emotionally attached to Maya, the great enticer, you shall lose this jewel of human life. Except for the Name of the One Lord, you are clever in everything else. Prays Nanak, those who have such pre-ordained destiny are attracted to doubt and emotional attachment. || 2 || No one advocates for the ungrateful person, who is separated from the Lord. The hard-hearted Messengers of Death come and seize him. They seize him, and lead him away, to pay for his evil deeds; he was imbued with Maya, the great enticer. He was not Gurmukh — he did not chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the Universe; and now, the hot irons are put to his chest. He is ruined by sexual desire, anger and egotism; deprived of spiritual wisdom, he comes to regret. Prays Nanak, by his cursed destiny he has gone astray; with his tongue, he does not chant the Name of the Lord. || 3 || Without You, God, no one is our savior and protector. It is Your Nature, Lord, to save the sinners. O Savior of sinners, I have entered Your Sanctuary, O Lord and Master, Compassionate Ocean of Mercy. Please, save me from the deep, dark pit, O Creator, Cherisher of all hearts. I seek Your Sanctuary; please, cut away these heavy bonds, and give me the Support of the One Name. Prays Nanak, please give me Your Hand and save me, O Lord of the Universe, Merciful to the meek. || 4 || That day is judged to be fruitful, when I met with the Lord God. Total happiness was revealed, and pain was taken far away. Intuitive peace and poise, joy and eternal happiness come from constantly singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the World. Joining the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, I lovingly worship the Lord; I shall not wander again in reincarnation. He has hugged me close in His Loving Embrace, with intuitive ease, and the seed of my primal destiny has sprouted. Prays Nanak, He Himself has met me; He shall never leave me again. || 5 || 4 || 7 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O mind, you have no faith, and you have not embraced love for the Celestial Lord. You do not enjoy the sublime taste of the Shabad — what Praises of the Lord will you stubborn-mindedly sing? O Nanak, one’s coming into the world is approved, if, as Gurmukh, he merges into the True Lord. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: The fool does not understand his own self; he annoys others with his speech. His underlying nature does not leave him; separated from the Lord, he is beaten. He has not changed and reformed himself in Fear of the True Guru, so that he might merge in the lap of God. Night and day, his doubts never stop; without the Word of the Shabad, he suffers in pain. Sexual desire, anger and greed are very powerful within; he passes his life constantly entangled in worldly affairs. His feet, hands, eyes and ears are exhausted; his days are numbered, and death is approaching. The True Name does not seem sweet to him — the Name by which the nine treasures are obtained. But if he remains dead while yet alive, then by so dying, he truly lives; thus, he attains liberation. But if he is not blessed with such pre-destined karma, then without this karma, what can he obtain? Meditate on the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, you fool; through the Shabad, you shall obtain salvation and wisdom. O Nanak, he alone finds the True Guru, who eradicates self-conceit from within. || 2 || PAUREE: One whose consciousness is filled with my Lord and Master — why should he feel anxious about anything? The Lord is the Giver of peace, the Lord of all things; why would we turn our faces away from His meditation, for a moment, even for an instant? One who meditates on the Lord obtains all pleasures and comforts; let’s go, each and every day, to sit in the Society of the Saints. All the pain, hunger and disease of the Lord’s servant are eradicated; the bonds of all the humble beings are torn away. By the Lord’s Grace, one becomes the Lord’s devotee; beholding the face of the Lord’s humble devotee, the whole world is saved and carried across. || 4 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

BILAAVAL: The illusion of birth and death is gone; I lovingly focus on the Lord of the Universe. In my life, I am absorbed in deep silent meditation; the Guru’s Teachings have awakened me. || 1 || Pause || The sound made from bronze, that sound goes into the bronze again. But when the bronze is broken, O Pandit, O religious scholar, where does the sound go then? || 1 || I gaze upon the world, the confluence of the three qualities; God is awake and aware in each and every heart. Such is the understanding revealed to me; within my heart, I have become a detached renunciate. || 2 || I have come to know my own self, and my light has merged in the Light. Says Kabeer, now I know the Lord of the Universe, and my mind is satisfied. || 3 || 11 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com