Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/313

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
THE JAPJI
217

There are worlds upon worlds and forms upon forms.
They fulfil their functions according to God's orders :
God beholding and contemplating them is pleased.
Nanak, to describe them would be impossible.[1]

XXXVIII

Make continence thy furnace, resignation thy goldsmith,
Understanding thine anvil, divine knowledge thy tools,
The fear of God thy bellows, austerities thy fire,
Divine love thy crucible, and melt God s name therein.
In such a true mint the Word shall be coined.
This is the practice of those on whom God looketh with an eye of favour.
Nanak, the Kind One by a glance maketh them happy.

SLOK

The air is the guru, water our father, and the great earth our mother ;
Day and night are our two nurses, male and female, who set the whole world a-playing.[2]
Merits and demerits shall be read out in the presence of the Judge.
According to men s acts, some shall be near, and others distant from God.
They who have pondered on the Name and departed after the completion of their toil, [3]
Shall have their countenances made bright, O Nanak ; how many shall be emancipated in company with them ![4]

  1. Literally - would be as hard as iron.
  2. Here the denizens of the world are likened to children. Their father is said to be water, the human sperm ; the earth like a mother affords them nutriment; day supplies them with occupation; the night lulls them to rest ; and the breath of the Guru imparts divine instruction.
    In the East it is usual for the rich to have two nurses for a child - a female nurse by night, and a male nurse to accompany and play with it by day.
  3. The worship of God and the necessity of labour for one's livelihood are eminently Sikh principles.
  4. This slok is generally believed to be the composition of Guru Angad.