Understanding Jap Ji Sahib better

[Premi5]

Those of you who do Jap Ji paath daily, how did you learn all the meaning of it?

I have read translations, and audio katha, but find it very difficult to remember all the meanings because it is not simple punjabi

Because there are parts I cannot translate in my mind, therefore I find it difficult to concentrate to understand the meaning

Can anyone help?

[puzzled]

Read the translations along with paath ?  i have the same problem. I find jaap a lot more difficult to understand though compared to japji sahib

like read 

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥

and then read the translation     which means showering/cleansing 100,000s times does not purify the mind 

all of these are simple punjabi words  ਸੋਚਿ   is like suchha  untouched/clean/pure   like a glass of water that no one has drank from. 

read each line then read the translation for it. Break each word down 

ਸਹਸ ਸਿਆਣਪਾ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਤ ਇਕ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥

Sianpa  siana someone who knows a lot/intelligence  we often use this word to describe someone who is wise and has knowledge     ek naa chale naal   but not one bit of this intelligence will go with you.  

break the words down...

then all the lines beginning with hukmi comes   which describes everything happens withing waheguru jis hukam

 

its why its important for new parents to teach their kids punjabi because otherwise they will have no clue 

 

 

[Redoptics]

'raahu' what happens now we just read like parrots,  people do not think or contemplate what has being said, it's like the concept of coming in one ear going out of the other.

 

When you say 'raahu' this is when you contemplate,  take your time understand,  research, learn Gurbani.

[Premi5]

Thanks for the replies, yes, some of it a basic punjabi speaker will understand, but a lot of the words are not even used in punjabi, so how would one better understand the bani without understanding some of individual words?

 

Is there a good way to remember a summary of meaning of each Pauri  ?

[Jonny101]

The way I studied Sri Japji Sahib was to study one Pauri at a time. Study it fully including the word for word meaning. Without knowing the word for word meaning you cannot fully understand the meaning. When you think you know the meaning then test yourself without looking at the translation.

If you can, then try to study from a Punjabi translation. Don't rely on an English translation.

The translations I studied from was from Giani Harbans Singh ji amonst other steeks. since their translation always contained word for word translation.

Later I bought the entire translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji by Giani Harbans Singh ji. And from that I have made it a life routine to study one Shabad a day fully word for word. The Shabad I study daily is usually which ever Hukamnama is read from Sri Darbar Sahib. If you do this then day by day you will notice your Gurbani understanding will greatly improve.

[MokhamSingh]

Great topic, thanks for starting this. I would just like to add some points, which I personally found useful.

 I definitely find more Anand when reading Gurbani from Pothi, rather than from memory.

Gurbani is infused with Naam, there’s no doubt whatsoever. What tends to happen, people feel Anand while reading Gurbani, but afterwards they still seem to be under the influence of kaam krodh lobh moh etc.

To make the Anand longer lasting, or permanent, one has to drown out these five evils. Doing repetition of Mool Mantar helps enermously. Chanting Waheguru with full concentration, just focusing on the sound is the ultimate bliss.

waheguru....

[puzzled]

You can try using gurbani kosh online. Just type in the word using gurmuki script and it will give you the meaning. See if it helps ...

I typed in a few words like  jeev, liv, etc and it have me the meaning. 

http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary

[SikhismGuide]

12 hours ago, puzzled said:

Read the translations along with paath ?  i have the same problem. I find jaap a lot more difficult to understand though compared to japji sahib

like read 

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥

and then read the translation     which means showering/cleansing 100,000s times does not purify the mind 

all of these are simple punjabi words  ਸੋਚਿ   is like suchha  untouched/clean/pure   like a glass of water that no one has drank from. 

read each line then read the translation for it. Break each word down 

ਸਹਸ ਸਿਆਣਪਾ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਤ ਇਕ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥

Sianpa  siana someone who knows a lot/intelligence  we often use this word to describe someone who is wise and has knowledge     ek naa chale naal   but not one bit of this intelligence will go with you.  

break the words down...

then all the lines beginning with hukmi comes   which describes everything happens withing waheguru jis hukam

 

its why its important for new parents to teach their kids punjabi because otherwise they will have no clue 

 

 

Thanks. 

That was very helpful. 

[TigerForce1]

On 4/23/2020 at 12:30 PM, puzzled said:

 

Read the translations along with paath ?  i have the same problem. I find jaap a lot more difficult to understand though compared to japji sahib

like read 

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥

and then read the translation     which means showering/cleansing 100,000s times does not purify the mind 

all of these are simple punjabi words  ਸੋਚਿ   is like suchha  untouched/clean/pure   like a glass of water that no one has drank from. 

read each line then read the translation for it. Break each word down 

 

Sochia Soch Na Hovai Je Sochia lakh VaarII
 

By thinking, ‘He’ cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times.

Soch- Think/Thought 

Sucha/Sucham - Clean/Cleanse

Slight difference in the way word is written and pronounced but meaning can be misinterpreted.  

 

[puzzled]

24 minutes ago, TigerForce1 said:

Sochia Soch Na Hovai Je Sochia lakh VaarII
 

By thinking, ‘He’ cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times.

Soch- Think/Thought 

Sucha/Sucham - Clean/Cleanse

Slight difference in the way word is written and pronounced but meaning can be misinterpreted.  

 

I'v seen it translated as both     i use sundar gutka app and it translates it as clean,  watched bhai jagraj singhs katha on 1st pauri and he translates it as clean/cleansing as well      but then some websites online translate it as thinking