[random] Mango Raam Te Ik Daan

[lowest of the low singhni]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

This shabad is by Dhan Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Ji on Ang 682. Bhai Harpreet Singh sung it very beautifully in the 1990s but I can't remember where, otherwise I would give you all the link.

ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥

ਮਾਂਗਉ ਰਾਮ ਤੇ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਨੁ ॥

ਸਗਲ ਮਨੋਰਥ ਪੂਰਨ ਹੋਵਹਿ ਸਿਮਰਉ ਤੁਮਰਾ ਨਾਮੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਚਰਨ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਰੇ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਵਾਸਹਿ ਸੰਤਨ ਕਾ ਸੰਗੁ ਪਾਵਉ ॥

ਸੋਗ ਅਗਨਿ ਮਹਿ ਮਨੁ ਨ ਵਿਆਪੈ ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਉ ॥੧॥

ਸ੍ਵਸਤਿ ਬਿਵਸਥਾ ਹਰਿ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਮਧ੍ਯ੍ਯੰਤ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਜਾਪਣ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਰੰਗੁ ਲਗਾ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਬਾਹੁੜਿ ਜਨਮ ਨ ਛਾਪਣ ॥੨॥੧੮॥੪੯॥

ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥

Dhanaasaree, Fifth Mehl:

ਮਾਂਗਉ ਰਾਮ ਤੇ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਨੁ ॥

Māʼnga­o rām tė ik daān.

I beg for one gift only from the Lord.

Guru Saheb describes the ultimate prayer - the wish or blessing (ਦਾਨੁ) to fulfil our purpose in this life, regardless of the billions of distractions around us which so often encapture our minds. We often spend most of our time thinking in the short-term - we worry about upcoming events or deadlines which are important in our lifetime. But we can only see through a tiny window which doesn't give us the full picture and timespan of our existence. And whilst fulfilling wordly duties is often important, we forget that it's our duties as Sikhs to honour the path laid down by us by the Khalsa - and to always keep our King in mind.

ਸਗਲ ਮਨੋਰਥ ਪੂਰਨ ਹੋਵਹਿ ਸਿਮਰਉ ਤੁਮਰਾ ਨਾਮੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Sagal manorath pūran hoveh simra­o tumrā nām.

May all my desires be fulfilled, meditating on, and remembering Your Name, O Lord.

We constantly go in search of happiness because we don't with what we have - but we try to quench that thirst with temporary pleasures. We place our faith in things and people when we know they won't be around forever to help us. Surely if our underlying desire is happiness, we should place our faith and trust in something higher - something that *will* lead to contentment and peace. If we are blessed enough to remember Maharaj with every breath, word and action, (ਸਿਮਰਉ ਤੁਮਰਾ ਨਾਮੁ) the mind which darts so quickly to so many different thoughts and distractions will finally be tamed.

ਚਰਨ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਰੇ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਵਾਸਹਿ ਸੰਤਨ ਕਾ ਸੰਗੁ ਪਾਵਉ ॥

Charan tumĥārė hirdai vāseh santan kā sang pāva­o.

May Your feet abide within my heart, and may I find the Society of the Saints.

We shoul strive to keep Akaal Purakh in our thoughts all the time - how can we ever go wrong if we try to do this? The problem is that many of us don't even try. We put aside the point of life for another day, a day when we're bored or aren't so busy. But we need to wake up and realise that every day counts - every second without keeping in mind our Sustainer is like a diamond crashing to the ground, it's value wasted. We will only truly understand and realise this if we pray to Maharaj, the One who has taken care of us throughout our millions of lives, for His invaluable blessing and for the company of like-minded Naam-hunters - ਸੰਤਨ ਕਾ ਸੰਗੁ ਪਾਵਉ.

ਸੋਗ ਅਗਨਿ ਮਹਿ ਮਨੁ ਨ ਵਿਆਪੈ ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਉ ॥੧॥

Sog agan meh man na vi­āpai āath pahar gun gāva­o.

May my mind not be afflicted by the fire of sorrow; may I sing Your Glorious Praises, twenty-four hours a day.

ਮਨ ਕਿਉ ਬੈਰਾਗੁ ਕਰਹਿਗਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਪੂਰਾ ॥ - Why should our minds be sad when we've been given the key to the universe? Guru Saheb will always help His servants. Those people who are in love with their Beloved are like rays of sunshine which brighten everything around them. They are devoted and dedicated to their Guru, no amount of bribery or incentives can draw them away. Their faith is unshakeable and every breath is a gift from Akaal Purakh - an opportunity to praise their Beloved and revel in His glory.

ਸ੍ਵਸਤਿ ਬਿਵਸਥਾ ਹਰਿ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਮਧ੍ਤ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਜਾਪਣ ॥

Savast bivasthā har kī sėvā madhy­aʼnt parab jāpan.

May I serve the Lord in my childhood and youth, and meditate on God in my middle and old age.

*ਮਧ੍ਤ should have a tippi on it - madhy­aʼnt. It means middle and last life stages (youth/old age). ਸ੍ਵਸਤਿ ਬਿਵਸਥਾ refers to the stage of childhood.

There's no time like the present - the time to serve Maharaj is now. There will come a time when we cannot put this off any longer, but by then it will probably be too late. We have to make a choice - we can actively make an effort to uphold the honour of all those who were brutally tortured and killed for our Dharam, or we can sit back and kid ourselves on. We can serve our King in every step of life if we want to.

ਨਾਨਕ ਰੰਗੁ ਲਗਾ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਬਾਹੁੜਿ ਜਨਮ ਨ ਛਾਪਣ ॥੨॥੧੮॥੪੯॥

Nānak rang lagā parmėsar bāhur janam na chaāpan.

O Nanak, one who is imbued with the Love of the Transcendent Lord, is not reincarnated again to die.

Guru Saheb has been kind enough to bless us with this human life form. Gurbani tells us clearly that if we don't use this life properly, it will disappear quickly and we'll end up in the birth/death cycle all over again. We can't imagine how much agony and pain our souls must have gone through whilst being so many different things - blades of grass, oxen, insects* and so much more. If we dedicate our lives to the service of Akaal Purakh, our souls will be free from that bondage.

And I've found it - second Shahbad sung by Bhai Harpreet Singh Ji in Chicago 1993. :devil:

*Interesting point about insects, ants in particular. When ants are working, whilst carrying leaves and making their way back and forth from their nests, they often have to trek across very rough terrain. When there are potholes in their pathways, an ant will measure its body size against the hole and lie over it, so that its fellow brothers will be able to walk over its body in order to complete the work. The ant can stay over the hole for many hours in order to make the path easier for the others. We're humans - apparently the most sophisticated species on the planet - yet we spend so much of our time arguing with each other abour minor things. How many of us would do this for a fellow human being?

*vaheguru vaheguru vaheguru vaheguru vaheguru vaheguru*

~l~

:

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

[Akaali]

vaheguruuuu