Article by Rajveer Singh, Head Of Khalsa Diary, Funding and Conflict None

Sri Sukhmani Sahib is one of the most read Bani’s from Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Majority of Sikh Celebrations held in the day will begin with Sukhmani Sahib Path. Written by Guru Arjan Sahib Ji, Sukhmani Sahib contains a vast array of knowledge, and panthic vichaardhara.

First off, why was Sri Sukhmani Sahib recited in the first place? According to Gurbilas Pathshahi 6 and Kavi Santokh Singh, Guru Arjan Sahib was going about their daily routine and after leaving Ramsar Sahib they encounterred Bhai Gurdas Ji, and said to Bhai Gurdas Ji that we are stuck in a very dark time (ਘੋਰ ਕਲਜੁਗਿ) and its only going to get worse overtime. To combat Maharaj recited Sri Sukhmani sahib.

Sukhmani sahib has been described by many Sikh scholars in a multitude of different ways. However for two explainations in English which I find to be quite interesting.

When we read Sukhmani Sahib, the mind mounts to some delectable height, and the body becomes light and etheral and soars with it.

Professor Puran Singh Ji – Spirit Born People

Principal Teja Singh writes that “it is designed to stir the deeps of human nature and start a current of religious emotion that will cleanse and invigorate our tiny selves and unite them with the source of all existence.”

Sukhmani sahib has 24 saloks and 24 astpatiaa and The essence of the whole bani is up till the ਰਹਾਉ।

ਗਉੜੀ ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ਮਃ ੫ ॥
Gauree Sukhmani, Fifth Mehla,

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
Shalok:

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

ਆਦਿ ਗੁਰਏ ਨਮਹ ॥
I bow to the Primal Guru.

ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਗੁਰਏ ਨਮਹ ॥
I bow to the Guru of the ages.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰਏ ਨਮਹ ॥
I bow to the True Guru.

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰਦੇਵਏ ਨਮਹ ॥੧॥
I bow to the Great, Divine Guru. ||1||

ਅਸਟਪਦੀ ॥
Ashtapadee:

ਸਿਮਰਉ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਉ ॥
Meditate, meditate, meditate in remembrance of Him, and find peace.

ਕਲਿ ਕਲੇਸ ਤਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਮਿਟਾਵਉ ॥
Worry and anguish shall be dispelled from your body.

ਸਿਮਰਉ ਜਾਸੁ ਬਿਸੁੰਭਰ ਏਕੈ ॥
Remember in praise the One who pervades the whole Universe.

ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਤ ਅਗਨਤ ਅਨੇਕੈ ॥
His Name is chanted by countless people, in so many ways.

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਸੁਧਾਖ੍ਯਰ ॥
The Vedas, the Puraanas and the Simritees, the purest of utterances,

ਕੀਨੇ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਇਕ ਆਖ੍ਯਰ ॥
were created from the One Word of the Name of the Lord.

ਕਿਨਕਾ ਏਕ ਜਿਸੁ ਜੀਅ ਬਸਾਵੈ ॥
That one, in whose soul the One Lord dwells

ਤਾ ਕੀ ਮਹਿਮਾ ਗਨੀ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥
the praises of his glory cannot be recounted.

ਕਾਂਖੀ ਏਕੈ ਦਰਸ ਤੁਹਾਰੋ ॥
Those who yearn only for the blessing of Your Darshan

ਨਾਨਕ ਉਨ ਸੰਗਿ ਮੋਹਿ ਉਧਾਰੋ ॥੧॥
– Nanak: save me along with them! ||1||

ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ਸੁਖ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਨਾਮੁ ॥
Sukhmani: Peace of Mind, the Nectar of the Name of God.

ਭਗਤ ਜਨਾ ਕੈ ਮਨਿ ਬਿਸ੍ਰਾਮ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The minds of the devotees abide in a joyful peace. ||Pause||

Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree – 262

ਉਸ ਦੀ ਯਾਦ ਵਿਚ ਜੋ ਪਕੇ ਤੋਰ ਤੇ ਟਿਕ ਜਾਵੇ, ਐਸੇ ਭਗਤਾ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਸਦਾ ਲਈ ਇਕਾਗਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਨੇ। You could sit here forever and speak about the greatness of Sri Sukhmani Sahib but it just a short understanding of the structure and its meanings is extremely important.

The first 3 astpatiaa talk about the effects of Naam Simran – some people say why wasn’t Simran explained to us, and the simple answer to that is, Simran doesn’t need to be explained when it’s something we should be doing. When we sit together in the Sangat and do simran and listen to the guru, that feeling can’t be explained, and all we can do is say waheguru. Without a doubt, being in constant connection with the divine is something that isn’t obtained by everyone, but if u don’t bother, then how would you ever know?

So, how does one encourage themselves? How does one be ready? Understanding that nothing in the world is permanent.
ਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨਾ, ਭੁੱਖ, ਲਾਲਸਾ, ਪਦ, ਪਦਵੀ, ਰਾਜ ਅਭਿਮਾਨ ਹੀ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਦੁੱਖਾਂ ਦਾ ਕਾਰਣ ਹੈ। ਤੇ ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਚਣ ਦਾ ਰਸਤਾ ਮਹਿਰਾਜ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਅਗਲੇ ਅਸਟਪਦੀਆ ਵਿਚ ਦਸਦੇ ਨੇ, ਸਾਧ ਦਾ ਸੰਗ, ਸੰਤ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ, ਭਗਤ ਦੇ ਰੰਗ, ਤੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਦੀ ਅਵੱਸਥਾ ਨੂੰ ਪਾਉਣਾ।

And by the tenth astpati we learn that no matter how much we think we have studied, how many PhD courses, higher education we think we’ve done, Maharaj says we can never reach them because beyond all our knowledge there are millions of moons, sun’s, stars, skies and deities.

Maharaj says:

ਕਈ ਬਾਰ ਪਸਰਿਓ ਪਾਸਾਰ ॥
ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਇਕੁ ਏਕੰਕਾਰ ॥

So achievements should never become an ego boost.

Giani Sant Singh Ji Maskeen mentioned in their katha many times that if a person’s desire is fulfilled, then Gods desire was the same. So then why is their need for ego and boasting. And if your desire is not fulfilled, then the Gurus desire was something else, and that we should accept. This was made concrete in the 11th astpati

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
Shalok:

ਸੁਖੀ ਬਸੈ ਮਸਕੀਨੀਆ ਆਪੁ ਨਿਵਾਰਿ ਤਲੇ ॥
The humble beings abide in peace; subduing egotism, they are meek.

ਬਡੇ ਬਡੇ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੀਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਗਰਬਿ ਗਲੇ ॥੧॥
The very proud and arrogant persons, O Nanak, are consumed by their own pride. ||1||

Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree – 278

Further on, Maharaj teaches us that we shouldn’t fall into useless conversations/debates, nindiya, and the urge to know everything – something the Panth is riddled with.Understanding the limits of humanity is extremely important – we don’t realise, so we feel as though we don’t need God. But we need Waheguru more than ever.

The last four astpatiaa speak of ਸਰਗੁਣ – ਨਿਰਗੁਣ, ਪਾਪ ਪੁੰਨ, ਦੁੱਖ ਸੁੱਖ, ਬੰਧਨ ਮੁਕਤ, ਮਨ ਮਾਦਾ, becomes important to understand that he is within ur heart, but he’s also out there. He’s within everyone.

ਸੋ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਸੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਅਨੰਤ ॥
The Infinite Lord is inside, and outside as well.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree – 293

ਅਨੰਤ means infinite. When the infinite Lord starts to take root in ur heart, that is then true ਅਨੰਦ is felt and that Anand is infinite as well.

So Sukhmani Sahib is such that it clinches your soul, forces you to see the light, keeps your mind at ease, and makes you focus on the divine. Just by reading it, your mind automatically connects, and by understanding it, your mind is opened to endless depths of knowledge and wisdom. You become one with him, and he projects himself within you.

And that is the miracle of Sri Sukhmani Sahib. This is something we see in our history by 2 central figures. Bhai Mani Singh Ji, when being martyred, completed 16 astpatiaa of Sri Sukhmani Sahib, and the rest came from his Shaheedi Deh. In the same way, those who challenge that Baba Deep Singh Ji could not have fought without his head clearly have not read Sri Sukhmani Sahib, so their opinion is meaningless. Maharaj says:

ਪ੍ਰਭ ਭਾਵੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਾਸ ਤੇ ਰਾਖੈ ॥
If it pleases God, the body is preserved, even without the breath of life.

It is said that humans take around 24,000 breathes every day, Sukhmani Sahib is 24,000 Akhars. So he who reads it makes each one of his breathes useful to Waheguru.

That’s why their glory exists what does Maharaj say at the end of Sukhmani Sahib:

ਸਭ ਤੇ ਊਚ ਤਾ ਕੀ ਸੋਭਾ ਬਨੀ ॥
His glory becomes the highest of all.

ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹ ਗੁਣਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ॥੮॥੨੪॥
O Nanak, by these Glorious Virtues, this is named Sukhmani, Peace of mind. ||8||24||

Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree – 296