Daily Hukamnama from Harimandir Sahib (Amritsar)

WADAHANS, FIRST MEHL, SECOND HOUSE: The peacocks are singing sweetly, O sister; the rainy season of Saawan has come. Your beauteous eyes are like a string of charms, fascinating and enticing the soul-bride. I would cut myself into pieces for the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan; I am a sacrifice to Your Name. I take pride in You; without You, what could I be proud of? So smash your bracelets along with your bed, O soul-bride, and break your arms, along with the arms of your couch. In spite of all the decorations which you have made, O soul-bride, your Husband Lord is attuned to someone else. You don’t have the bracelets of gold, nor the good crystal jewelry; you have not dealt with the true jeweller. Those arms, which do not embrace the neck of the Husband Lord, burn in anguish. All my companions have gone to enjoy their Husband Lord; which door should I, the wretched one, go to? O friend, I am very well-behaved, but I am not pleasing to my Husband Lord at all. I have woven my hair into lovely braids, and saturated their partings with vermillion; but when I go before Him, I am not accepted, and I die, suffering in sorrow. I weep — the whole world weeps; even the birds of the forest weep with me. The only thing which does not weep is my body’s sense of separation, which has separated me from my Husband Lord. In a dream, He came, and went away again; I cried so many tears. I cannot come to You, O my Beloved, and I cannot send anyone to You. Come to me, O blessed sleep — perhaps I will see my Husband Lord again. One who brings me a message from my Lord and Master — says Nanak, what shall I give to Him? Cutting off my head, I give it to Him to sit upon; without my head, I shall still serve Him. Why haven’t I died? Why hasn’t my life just ended? My Husband Lord has become a stranger to me. || 1 || 3 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

RAAG SOOHEE, THIRD MEHL, TENTH HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: Do not praise the world; it shall simply pass away. Do not praise other people; they shall die and turn to dust. || 1 || Waaho! Waaho! Hail, hail to my Lord and Master. As Gurmukh, forever praise the One who is forever True, Independent and Carefree. || 1 || Pause || Making worldly friendships, the self-willed manmukhs burn and die. In the City of Death, they are bound and gagged and beaten; this opportunity shall never come again. || 2 || The lives of the Gurmukhs are fruitful and blessed; they are committed to the True Word of the Shabad. Their souls are illuminated by the Lord, and they dwell in peace and pleasure. || 3 || Those who forget the Word of the Guru’s Shabad are engrossed in the love of duality. Their hunger and thirst never leave them, and night and day, they wander around burning. || 4 || Those who make friendships with the wicked, and harbor animosity to the Saints, shall drown with their families, and their entire lineage shall be obliterated. || 5 || It is not good to slander anyone, but the foolish, self-willed manmukhs still do it. The faces of the slanderers turn black, and they fall into the most horrible hell. || 6 || O mind, as you serve, so do you become, and so are the deeds that you do. Whatever you yourself plant, that is what you shall have to eat; nothing else can be said about this. || 7 || The speech of the great spiritual beings has a higher purpose. They are filled to over-flowing with Ambrosial Nectar, and they have absolutely no greed at all. || 8 || The virtuous accumulate virtue, and teach others. Those who meet with them are so very fortunate; night and day, they chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord. || 9 || He who created the Universe, gives sustenance to it. The One Lord alone is the Great Giver. He Himself is the True Master. || 10 || That True Lord is always with you; the Gurmukh is blessed with His Glance of Grace. He Himself shall forgive you, and merge you into Himself; forever cherish and contemplate God. || 11 || The mind is impure; only the True Lord is pure. So how can it merge into Him? God merges it into Himself, and then it remains merged; through the Word of His Shabad, the ego is burnt away. || 12 || Cursed is the life in this world, of one who forgets her True Husband Lord. The Lord grants His Mercy, and she does not forget Him, if she contemplates the Guru’s Teachings. || 13 || The True Guru unites her, and so she remains united with Him, with the True Lord enshrined within her heart. And so united, she will not be separated again; she remains in the love and affection of the Guru. || 14 || I praise my Husband Lord, contemplating the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. Meeting with my Beloved, I have found peace; I am His most beautiful and happy soul-bride. || 15 || The mind of the self-willed manmukh is not softened; his consciousness is totally polluted and stone-hearted. Even if the venomous snake is fed on milk, it shall still be filled with poison. || 16 || He Himself does — who else should I ask? He Himself is the Forgiving Lord. Through the Guru’s Teachings, filth is washed away, and then, one is embellished with the ornament of Truth. || 17 || True is the Banker, and True are His traders. The false ones cannot remain there. They do not love the Truth — they are consumed by their pain. || 18 || The world wanders around in the filth of egotism; it dies, and is re-born, over and again. He acts in accordance with the karma of his past actions, which no one can erase. || 19 || But if he joins the Society of the Saints, then he comes to embrace love for the Truth. Praising the True Lord with a truthful mind, he becomes true in the Court of the True Lord. || 20 || The Teachings of the Perfect Guru are perfect; meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, day and night. Egotism and self-conceit are terrible diseases; tranquility and stillness come from within. || 21 || I praise my Gur

SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: Reading and studying are just worldly pursuits, if there is thirst and corruption within. Reading in egotism, all have grown weary; through the love of duality, they are ruined. He alone is educated, and he alone is a wise Pandit, who contemplates the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. He searches within himself, and finds the true essence; he finds the Door of Salvation. He finds the Lord, the treasure of excellence, and peacefully contemplates Him. Blessed is the trader, O Nanak, who, as Gurmukh, takes the Name as his only Support. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: Without conquering his mind, no one can be successful. See this, and concentrate on it. The wandering holy men are tired of of making pilgrimages to sacred shrines; they have not been able to conquer their minds. The Gurmukh has conquered his mind, and he remains lovingly absorbed in the True Lord. O Nanak, this is how the filth of the mind is removed; the Word of the Shabad burns away the ego. || 2 || PAUREE: O Saints of the Lord, O my Siblings of Destiny, please meet with me, and implant the Name of the One Lord within me. O humble servants of the Lord, adorn me with the decorations of the Lord, Har, Har; let me wear the robes of the Lord’s forgiveness. Such decorations are pleasing to my God; such love is dear to the Lord. I chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, day and night; in an instant, all sins are eradicated. That Gurmukh, unto whom the Lord becomes merciful, chants the Lord’s Name, and wins the game of life. ||21|| 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, THIRD MEHL: Waaho! Waaho! Those humble beings ever praise the Lord, unto whom the Lord Himself grants understanding. Chanting Waaho! Waaho!, the mind is purified, and egotism departs from within. The Gurmukh who continually chants Waaho! Waaho! attains the fruits of his heart’s desires. Beauteous are those humble beings who chant Waaho! Waaho! O Lord, let me join them! Within my heart, I chant Waaho! Waaho!, and with my mouth, Waaho! Waaho! O Nanak, those who chant Waaho! Waaho! — unto them I dedicate my body and mind. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: Waaho! Waaho! is the True Lord Master; His Name is Ambrosial Nectar. Those who serve the Lord are blessed with the fruit; I am a sacrifice to them. Waaho! Waaho! is the treasure of virtue; he alone tastes it, who is so blessed. Waaho! Waaho! The Lord is pervading and permeating the oceans and the land; the Gurmukh attains Him. Waaho! Waaho! Let all the Gursikhs continually praise Him. Waaho! Waaho! The Perfect Guru is pleased with His Praises. O Nanak, one who chants Waaho! Waaho! with his heart and mind — the Messenger of Death does not approach him. || 2 || PAUREE: The Dear Lord is the Truest of the True; True is the Word of the Guru’s Bani. Through the True Guru, the Truth is realized, and one is easily absorbed in the True Lord. Night and day, they remain awake, and do not sleep; in wakefulness, the night of their lives passes. Those who taste the sublime essence of the Lord, through the Guru's Teachings, are the most worthy persons. Without the Guru, no one has obtained the Lord; the ignorant rot away and die. || 17 || 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

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

SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: He acts according to pre-ordained destiny, written by the Creator Himself. Emotional attachment has drugged him, and he has forgotten the Lord, the treasure of virtue. Don’t think that he is alive in the world — he is dead, through the love of duality. Those who do not meditate on the Lord, as Gurmukh, are not permitted to sit near the Lord. They suffer the most horrible pain and suffering, and neither their sons nor their wives go along with them. Their faces are blackened among men, and they sigh in deep regret. No one places any reliance in the self-willed manmukhs; trust in them is lost. O Nanak, the Gurmukhs live in absolute peace; the Naam, the Name of the Lord, abides within them. || 1 || THIRD MEHL: They alone are relatives, and they alone are friends, who, as Gurmukh, join together in love. Night and day, they act according to the True Guru’s Will; they remain absorbed in the True Name. Those who are attached to the love of duality are not called friends; they practice egotism and corruption. The self-willed manmukhs are selfish; they cannot resolve anyone’s affairs. O Nanak, they act according to their pre-ordained destiny; no one can erase it. || 2 || PAUREE: You Yourself created the world, and You Yourself arranged the play of it. You Yourself created the three qualities, and fostered emotional attachment to Maya. He is called to account for his deeds done in egotism; he continues coming and going in reincarnation. The Guru instructs those whom the Lord Himself blesses with Grace. I am a sacrifice to my Guru; forever and ever, I am a sacrifice to Him. || 3 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

DHANAASAREE, FIRST MEHL, SECOND HOUSE, ASHTAPADEES: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: The Guru is the ocean, filled with pearls. The Saints gather in the Ambrosial Nectar; they do not go far away from there. They taste the subtle essence of the Lord; they are loved by God. Within this pool, the swans find their Lord, the Lord of their souls. || 1 || What can the poor crane accomplish by bathing in the mud puddle? It sinks into the mire, and its filth is not washed away. || 1 || Pause || After careful deliberation, the thoughtful person takes a step. Forsaking duality, he becomes a devotee of the Formless Lord. He obtains the treasure of liberation, and enjoys the sublime essence of the Lord. His comings and goings end, and the Guru protects him. || 2 || The swan do not leave this pool. In loving devotional worship, they merge in the Celestial Lord. The swans are in the pool, and the pool is in the swans. They speak the Unspoken Speech, and they honor and revere the Guru’s Word. || 3 || The Yogi, the Primal Lord, sits within the celestial sphere of deepest Samaadhi. He is not male, and He is not female; how can anyone describe Him? The three worlds continue to center their attention on His Light. The silent sages and the Yogic masters seek the Sanctuary of the True Lord. || 4 || The Lord is the source of bliss, the support of the helpless. The Gurmukhs worship and contemplate the Celestial Lord. God is the Lover of His devotees, the Destroyer of fear. Subduing ego, one meets the Lord, and places his feet on the Path. || 5 || He makes many efforts, but still, the Messenger of Death tortures him. Destined only to die, he comes into the world. He wastes this precious human life through duality. He does not know his own self, and trapped by doubts, he cries out in pain. || 6 || Speak, read and hear of the One Lord. The Support of the earth shall bless you with courage, righteousness and protection. Chastity, purity and self-restraint are infused into the heart, when one centers his mind in the fourth state. || 7 || They are immaculate and true, and filth does not stick to them. Through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, their doubt and fear depart. The form and personality of the Primal Lord are incomparably beautiful. Nanak begs for the Lord, the Embodiment of Truth. || 8 || 1 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The Perfect Guru has dispelled the fever. The unstruck melody of the sound current resounds. God has bestowed all comforts. In His Mercy, He Himself has given them. || 1 || The True Guru Himself has eradicated the disease. All the Sikhs and Saints are filled with joy, meditating on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. || Pause || They obtain that which they ask for. God gives to His Saints. God saved Hargobind. Servant Nanak speaks the Truth. || 2 || 6 || 70 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

JAITSREE, FIFTH MEHL, THIRD HOUSE, DU-PADAS: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: Give me a message from my Beloved — tell me, tell me! I am wonder-struck, hearing the many reports of Him; tell them to me, O my happy sister soul-brides. || 1 || Pause || Some say that He is beyond the world — totally beyond it, while others say that He is totally within it. His color cannot be seen, and His pattern cannot be discerned. O happy soul-brides, tell me the truth! || 1 || He is pervading everywhere, and He dwells in each and every heart; He is not stained — He is unstained. Says Nanak, listen, O people: He dwells upon the tongues of the Saints. || 2 || 1 || 2 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

RAAG SORAT’H, THE WORD OF DEVOTEE KABEER JEE, FIRST HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: When the body is burnt, it turns to ashes; if it is not cremated, then it is eaten by armies of worms. The unbaked clay pitcher dissolves, when water is poured into it; this is also the nature of the body. || 1 || Why, O Siblings of Destiny, do you strut around, all puffed up with pride? Have you forgotten those days, when you were hanging, face down, for ten months? || 1 || Pause || Like the bee which collects honey, the fool eagerly gathers and collects wealth. At the time of death, they shout, “Take him away, take him away! Why leave a ghost lying around?” || 2 || His wife accompanies his to the threshold, and his friends and companions beyond. All the people and relatives go as far as the cremation grounds, and then, the soul-swan goes on alone. || 3 || Says Kabeer, listen, O mortal being: you have been seized by Death, and you have fallen into the deep, dark pit. You have entangled yourself in the false wealth of Maya, like the parrot caught in the trap. || 4 || 2 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

JAITSREE, FIFTH MEHL, SECOND HOUSE, CHHANT: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: SHALOK: God is lofty, unapproachable and infinite. He is indescribable- He cannot be described. Nanak seeks the Sanctuary of God, who is all-powerful to save us. || 1 || CHHANT: Save me, any way You can; O Lord God, I am Yours. My demerits are uncountable; how many of them should I count? The sins and crimes I committed are countless; day by day, I continually make mistakes. I am intoxicated by emotional attachment to Maya, the treacherous one; by Your Grace alone can I be saved. Secretly, I commit hideous sins of corruption, even though God is the nearest of the near. Prays Nanak, shower me with Your Mercy, Lord, and lift me up, out of the whirlpool of the terrifying world-ocean. || 1 || SHALOK: Countless are His virtues; they cannot be enumerated. God’s Name is lofty and exalted. This is Nanak’s humble prayer, to bless the homeless with a home. || 2 || CHHANT: There is no other place at all - where else should I go? Twenty-four hours a day, with my palms pressed together, I meditate on God. Meditating forever on my God, I receive the fruits of my mind’s desires. Renouncing pride, attachment, corruption and duality, I lovingly center my attention on the One Lord. Dedicate your mind and body to God; eradicate all your self-conceit. Prays Nanak, shower me with Your mercy, Lord, that I may be absorbed in Your True Name. || 2 || SHALOK: O mind, meditate on the One, who holds everything in His hands. Gather the wealth of the Lord’s Name; O Nanak, it shall always be with You. || 3 || CHHANT: God is our only True Friend; there is not any other. In the places and interspaces, in the water and on the land, He Himself is pervading everywhere. He is totally permeating the water, the land and the sky; God is the Great Giver, the Lord and Master of all. The Lord of the world, the Lord of the universe has no limit; His Glorious Virtues are unlimited- how can I count them? I have hurried to the Sanctuary of the Lord Master, the Bringer of peace; without Him, there is no other at all. Prays Nanak, that being, unto whom the Lord shows mercy - he alone obtains the Naam. || 3 || SHALOK: Whatever I wish for, that I receive. Meditating on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, Nanak has found total peace. || 4 || CHHANT: My mind is now emancipated; I have joined the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. As Gurmukh, I chant the Naam, and my light has merged into the Light. Remembering the Lord’s Name in meditation, my sins have been erased; the fire has been extinguished, and I am satisfied. He has taken me by the arm, and blessed me with His kind mercy; He has accepted me His own. The Lord has hugged me in His embrace, and merged me with Himself; the pains of birth and death have been burnt away. Prays Nanak, He has blessed me with His kind mercy; in an instant, He unites me with Himself. || 4 || 2 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

RAAG DHANAASAREE, THE WORD OF DEVOTEE KABEER JEE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: That humble being, who knows even a little about loving devotional worship — what surprises are there for him? Like water, dripping into water, which cannot be separated out again, so is the weaver Kabeer, with softened heart, merged into the Lord. || 1 || O people of the Lord, I am just a simple-minded fool. If Kabeer were to leave his body at Benares, and so liberate himself, what obligation would he have to the Lord? || 1 || Pause || Says Kabeer, listen, O people — do not be deluded by doubt. What is the difference between Benares and the barren land of Maghar, if the Lord is within one’s heart? || 2 || 3 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com

WADAHANS, THIRD MEHL: O my mind, contemplate the True Lord forever. Dwell in peace in the home of your own being, and the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you. The noose of the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you, when you embrace love for the True Word of the Shabad. Forever imbued with the True Lord, the mind becomes immaculate, and its comings and goings are ended. The love of duality and doubt have ruined the self-willed manmukh, who is lured away by the Messenger of Death. Says Nanak, listen, O my mind: contemplate the True Lord forever. || 1 || O my mind, the treasure is deep within you; do not search for it on the outside. Eat only that which is pleasing to the Lord; as Gurmukh, receive the blessing of His Glance of Grace. As Gurmukh, receive the blessing of His Glance of Grace, O my mind; the Name of the Lord, your help and support, is deep within you. The self-willed manmukhs are blind and devoid of wisdom; they are ruined by the love of duality. Without the Name, no one is emancipated. All are bound by the Messenger of Death. O Nanak, the treasure is deep within you; do not search for it on the outside. || 2 || O my mind, obtaining the blessing of this human birth, some are engaged in the trade of Truth. They serve their True Guru, and the Infinite Word of the Shabad resounds deep within. Deep within is the Infinite Shabad, and the Beloved Naam, the Name of the Lord; through the Naam, the nine treasures are obtained. The self-willed manmukhs are engrossed in emotional attachment to Maya; they suffer in pain, and through duality, they lose their honor. But those who conquer their ego, and merge in the True Shabad, are totally imbued with Truth. O Nanak, it is so difficult to obtain this human life; the True Guru imparts this understanding. || 3 || O my mind, those who serve their True Guru are the most fortunate beings. Those who conquer their minds are beings of renunciation and detachment. They are beings of renunciation and detachment — they are lovingly focused on the True One; they realize and understand themselves. Their intellect is steady, deep and profound; as Gurmukh, they naturally chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Some are lovers of beautiful young women; infatuation with Maya is very dear to them. The unfortunate self-willed manmukhs remain asleep. O Nanak, those who intuitively serve their Guru have perfect destiny. || 4 || 3 || Hukamnama from SikhNet.com