Meanings Of Siharis

[Bijla Singh]

I do not have the time to go through every word of Rehraas Sahib. It requires a lot of time. But I will explain meanings of some of the words you presented in your earlier post.

ਅਹੰਕਾਰੀਆ ਨਿੰਦਕਾ ਪਿਠਿ ਦੇਇ ਨਾਮਦੇਉ ਮੁਖਿ ਲਾਇਆ ॥

Here there is sihari on word ਪਿਠਿ because it is a preposition and associated with the word ਦੇਇ which also has a sihari. In my opinion, sihari is not pronounced here but is written to tell the reader that it is a past action verb. Meanings are: ਪਿਠਿ ਦੇਇ - ਪਿਠ ਦੇ ਕੇ

ਦੁਖੁ ਦਾਰੂ ਸੁਖੁ ਰੋਗੁ ਭਇਆ ਜਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਤਾਮਿ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥

Word ਤਾਮਿ has sihari because it is associated with word ਜਾ meaning it is a ਸੰਬੰਧਕੀ ਪਦ.

ਚਿਤਿ - ਚਿੱਤ ਵਿਚ

ਹੋਰਿ ਕੇਤੇ ਗਾਵਨਿ ਸੇ ਮੈ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵਨਿ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਿਆ ਵੀਚਾਰੇ ॥

Words that have siharis are all related to each other. Word ਗਾਵਨਿ has sihari because it is plural and addressed in context of third person.

ਦੇਹਿ - It appears in different forms in Gurbani but each form has a different meaning. One rule of thumb to remember is that when verbs end with ਹਿ and addressed in context of third person they are plural. Also, ਹਿ is always pronounced with a nasal sound.

ਦੇਦਾ ਦੇ ਲੈਦੇ ਥਕਿ ਪਾਹਿ ॥

ਦੇ - ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ – He gives (present tense singular)

ਦੇਹੁ ਸਜਣ ਅਸੀਸੜੀਆ ਜਿਉ ਹੋਵੈ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਸਿਉ ਮੇਲੁ ॥3॥

ਦੇਹੁ - ਤੁਸੀਂ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦੇਵੋ (You all give me).

Here word ਦੇਹੁ is in singular form because it has aunkar and one person is making a request. When multiple people make a request it appears as ਦੇਹਿ like in the following line:

ਆਖਹਿ ਮੰਗਹਿ ਦੇਹਿ ਦੇਹਿ ਦਾਤਿ ਕਰੇ ਦਾਤਾਰੁ ॥

ਆਖਹਿ – They say

ਮੰਗਹਿ – They ask

ਦੇਹਿ - ਤੁਸੀਂ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਦੇਵੋ (You give us)

There is also a word ਦੇਹ (without aunkar) but this form always means physical body.

ਮਿਲਿ - ਮਿਲ ਕੇ

When nouns have sihari they pertain to meaning of "through". Here are some examples:

ਭਾਗਿ - ਭਾਗਾਂ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਜਾਂ ਭਾਗਾਂ ਕਰਕੇ

ਲਾਗਿ - ਲੱਗ ਕੇ ਦਾਤਿ – sihari because it is plural.

ਸਾਹਿ ਸਾਹਿ - ਹਰ ਸਾਹ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਾਲ

Had the meanings been ਸਾਹ ਦਾ or ਸਾਹ ਨੂੰ there would be no sihari. Since an action is being performed (God protecting us with our every breath) there is a sihari. I hope this gives you some understanding but these rules will become more glaring as you study Gurbani more and more. If you post panktis that would be more helpful for me to discuss aunkars and siharis. But the rules will apply elsewhere in Gurbani. May Guru sahib forgive me for my mistakes. Guru Rakha

[dalsingh101]

Thanks a lot for that!

English grammar has always been a bit of an Achilles heel for me. I think the same applies for Panjabi and Gurmukhi grammar also. But I will try and grasp the contents of what you have posted above.

I suspect it will take me time....at least in the early stages.

Another quick fire question, do the same grammar rules apply to Bhai Gurdas's vaars?

If so, i have a short one maybe we could grammatically analyse as an exercise?

[Bijla Singh]

I do not know about Vaars but since I have studied them we can certainly discuss them. Let's see if the same viyakaran applies or Bhai sahib has used other rules. I did not pay attention to grammar when I studied Vaars because I studied them before I started Gurbani study since they are key to Gurbani.

[dalsingh101]

Okay, this is what I was looking at:

ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ ਮੇਰੁ ਸਰੀਰ ਕਾ ਬਾਸਨਾ ਬਧਾ ਆਵੈ ਜਾਵੈ ।

jugi jugi mayru sareer kaa baasanaa badhaa aavai jaavai|

Since time immemorial, on account of the bondage of unfulfilled desires, the jiv has been suffering transmigration.

Line 1

ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਫੇਰਿ ਵਟਾਈਐ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਹੋਇ ਮਰਮੁ ਕਉ ਪਾਵੈ ।

dhiri dhiri dhayri vataaeeai giaanee hoi maramu kau paavai|

Time and again, the body is changed, but the mystery of this change can be understood by becoming knowledgeable.

Line 2

ਸਤਿਜੁਗਿ ਦੂਜਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਕਰਿ ਤ੍ਰੇਤੇ ਵਿਚਿ ਜੋਨੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਆਵੈ ।

satijugi doojaa bharamu kari traytay vichi jonee dhiri aavai|

Engrossed in duality in satyug, the jiv entered into the body in treta.

Line 3

ਤ੍ਰੇਤੇ ਕਰਮਾਂ ਬਾਂਧਤੇ ਦੁਆਪਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਕਰਾਵੈ ।

traytay karamaan baandhatay duaapari dhiri avataar karaavai|

Getting caught in karma-bondage in treta

Line 4

ਦੁਆਪਰਿ ਮਮਤਾ ਅਹੰ ਕਰਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਗਰਬਿ ਗਲਾਵੈ ।

duaapari mamataa ahan kari haumai andari garabi galaavai|

he was born in dvapar and remained writhing and wriggling.

Line 5

ਤ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਜੁਗਾਂ ਕੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਰਿ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਸੰਸਾ ਨ ਚੁਕਾਵੈ ।

trihu jugaan kay karam kari janam maran sansaa n chukaavai|

Even the performance of the duties of three ages does not dispel the fear of birth and death.

Line 6

ਫਿਰਿ ਕਲਿਜੁਗ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਦੇਹਿ ਧਰਿ ਕਰਮਾਂ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਫੇਰਿ ਫਸਾਵੈ ।

dhiri kalijug andari dayhi dhari karamaan andari dhayri dhasaavai|

The jiv reincarnates in kaliyug and gets entangled in the karmas.

Line 7

ਅਉਸਰੁ ਚੁਕਾ ਹਥ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥੧੫॥

ausaru chukaa had n aavai ॥15॥

Lost opportunity comes not again.

Line 8

I'd like to do a proper pad arth first. I'll try and start it off.

ਜੁਗਿ - age

ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ - across ages

ਮੇਰੁ - my ?

ਸਰੀਰ - body

ਕਾ - of

ਬਾਸਨਾ - desires ?

ਬਧਾ - tied/fastened ?

ਆਵੈ - comes

ਜਾਵੈ - goes

ਆਵੈ ਜਾਵੈ - comes and goes

Translation attempt:

Tied to desires, my body comes and goes [in transmigration] across the ages.

Initial questions -

Why siharee in jug jug? Is it Jug jug vich?

Is the aunkar in ਮੇਰੁ because BG is referring to themselves or a human existence as a singular?

[Bijla Singh]

This pauri is derived from the Saloak of Mahalla 1 in Aasa Ki Vaar.

Why siharee in jug jug? Is it Jug jug vich?

In Pandit Narayan Singh’s teeka and in Saloak of Guru Granth Sahib the word appears without sihari but in Bhai Veer Singh’s teeka it appears as ਜੁਗਿ. The meanings will be “in each and every yug”. This word has different meanings such as: age, time and two.

Is the aunkar in ਮੇਰੁ because BG is referring to themselves or a human existence as a singular?

Word ਮੇਰੁ comes from ਮੇਰੂ which is the main bead of a maala. In this pauri and in Guru Granth Sahib, it means soul of body which is why it is written ਮੇਰੁ ਸਰੀਰ ਕਾ. Aunkar means Bhai Sahib is talking about a soul in general. He is saying that a soul because of desires of maya transmigrates. Meanings require in-depth study. Bhai Sahib is not endorsing his or Gurmat viewpoint but explaining popular beliefs about yugs during his time. Moral he wants to relay is in the last line.

Piara Singh Padam has a section explaining siharis and aunkars in his book Siri Guru Granth Parkash. It is very brief and to the point. I think it will b every helpful for you and those who wish to learn viyakran.

[dalsingh101]

Thank you again for that.

Piara Singh Padam has a section explaining siharis and aunkars in his book Siri Guru Granth Parkash. It is very brief and to the point. I think it will b every helpful for you and those who wish to learn viyakran.

Is there any chance of you (or anyone) scanning these few pages and posting them for the benefit of the sangat?

Incidentally I followed your lead on ਮੇਰ and found the following definitions:

(1) n.f. spine, spinal column or cord. (2) n.m. mountain, esp. mythical mountain Summer (3) top bead in a rosary.

The central 'spinal column' or 'spine' of the sareer most likely metaphorically refers to the soul.

So a revised (literal) translation might be:

Tied to desires, the soul core of my body comes and goes [in transmigration] across the ages.

??

[Balbir Singh]

Pray Truth for all and say Satsriakaal!

Dear all!

I hoped Bijla Singh Jee would explain the 'meanings of Siharis'.

He is but explaining the meaning of different words where Sihari does not change every time it is used.

Adding Sihari in a word must have a purpose. Can somebody please explain this purpose?

Balbir Singh

[Bijla Singh]

Tied to desires, the soul core of my body comes and goes [in transmigration] across the ages.

Tied to desires (because of desires) soul of the body comes and goes and has been transamigrating throughout yugs.

[dalsingh101]

ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਫੇਰਿ ਵਟਾਈਐ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਹੋਇ ਮਰਮੁ ਕਉ ਪਾਵੈ ।

Can you give a grammatical analysis of the above line Bijla?

Why are these words spelled as they are:

ਫਿਰਿ ਫੇਰਿ

why not use plain ਫੇਰ?

Guessing, based on my grasp of what you posted before ,are the first two words representing past actions and the third the present or future?

If the theory is correct it might explain why jug jug has siharee in that it is speaking of past eras/time?

Also, a lot of Gurmukhi words end with ਐ - do you know the significance of this suffix? Does it have a fixed meaning?

ADMIN: Maybe we should change the title of the thread to include grammar to reflect the wider contents and direction it is going in?

[dalsingh101]

Does this mean that generally a lot of Sikhs (the majority) are quite baffled by the grammar embedded in Gurbani?

I'm surprised no one has created some plainly written, explicit heuristics to disseminate this knowledge to the everyday Joes of the panth (by this I mean those without a scholarly bent)?