ਸਾਧ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਨਹੀ ਕਛੁ ਘਾਲ॥ ਦਰਸਨੁ ਭੇਟਤ ਹੋਤ ਨਿਹਾਲ॥
Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Ang 272
In the first pankiti, the word ‘ਘਾਲ’ has a mukta ‘ਲ’, which in this context means ਕਮਾਈ (effort). The last letter of a feminine noun is always mukta. In the meaning of ‘ਕਮਾਈ’, the ‘ਲ’ in ‘ਘਾਲ’ is mukta here.
The meaning of both pankitis is quite profound and wondrous: Guru Sahib, who has descended from the divine realm, and who has been blessed from the very source – such a Guru, in the form of a Saadh (True Saint), carries the philosopher’s touch that transforms everything. Through their divine touch, a seeker does not have to make immense efforts in this life. This is because their past-life spiritual earnings (Ghaal Kamaai) are so strong that the moment they have the darshan (sight) of the illuminated Guru Nanak form, their inner doors of divine realization open.
With just one glimpse of the Guru’s radiant form – who is the embodiment of divine light – they attain the supreme spiritual state, where their Dasam Duaar (tenth spiritual gate) is awakened, and they merge into divine consciousness. The very moment they have darshan, their spiritual journey is fulfilled.
With just one glimpse of these magnetic divine darshans, they become completely blissful. However, this supreme vision is only possible through the Satguru in the form of Guru Nanak. It is only through the darshan of the Guru, who embodies the Nirankar (Formless One), that such ultimate liberation- described as ‘ਦਰਸਨੁ ਭੇਟਤ ਹੋਤ ਨਿਹਾਲ’ (By beholding the vision, one is eternally blessed) – can be attained.
People who are deluded by false saints, hypocritical gurus, and deceitful pretenders, searching for spiritual rewards through their so-called “darshan” (sight), are simply chasing an empty and meaningless desire.
Some seekers, who are extremely lazy in true spirituality, merely pretend to be renunciants. They desire a convenient way to attain spiritual fulfillment – one where they don’t have to make any real effort or earn spiritual merit, yet somehow, by an easy shortcut, their longing for spiritual attainment is fulfilled.
To fulfill this cheap desire, these effort-averse and spiritually impoverished seekers, driven by baseless hopes, run after fake saints in the guise of ascetics. They blindly follow such hypocritical figures, believing that merely seeing them will bring them blessings. They think the meaning of the two pankitis above applies to such fraudulent saints.
These seekers approach them and say things like, “Maharaj Sant Ji, I have come to be blessed just by having your darshan.” Hearing this, the fraudulent saints, who are nothing more than showy deceivers, puff up with pride. They assume the role of a great spiritual being, believing that their mere sight is enough to “bless” others.
However, there is no real spiritual benefit from these deceptive saints, nor do those who seek their darshan gain anything meaningful. Such pretentious displays have misled and ruined the world, leading genuine spiritual seekers astray and leaving them lost and disappointed.
In this seventh Ashtpadi of Sri Sukhmani Sahib, the praise of the Saadh (True Saint) that Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji has uttered is in reference to Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth Guru Nanak, as the embodiment of the Saadh.
The attainment of such divine darshan, which carries the touchstone-like transformative power, the nectar-like radiance of divine light, and the supreme fruitful blessings, is granted only to spiritually dedicated seekers who engage in unceasing effort and continuous devotional practice. Whether this spiritual effort (Ghaal Kamaai) was performed in past lives with unwavering dedication or earned in this very life, the result remains the same.
It has been clearly observed that those worthy souls who have made spiritual efforts in their past lives experience something profound when they partake in Amrit from the Guru-roop Panj Pyare.
The moment they receive Guru’s initiation (Gur Dikhiya) and enter the path of Gurmat through the Gurmantra, they immediately perceive the radiant divine presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji within the Panj Pyare. For them, the spiritual vision of the Guru’s presence is as clear as day.
With this divine experience, their spiritual connection (liv) instantly reaches the Dasam Duar.
We have seen many such great seekers who, absorbed in the divine radiance of the Guru’s vision, have transcended their physical existence, experiencing a state where they are beyond the body itself.
The Satguru is still ever-present, ready to bestow the radiant glimpses of His divine vision. However, the real issue lies in the lack of spiritual effort and devotion.
Those great souls who have surrendered completely but are still unable to experience the ever-flowing divine nectar of these sacred visions, their very being, down to their veins and fibers – becomes intoxicated with the vibration of Naam and the spiritual energy of Gurmantra initiation.
Under the influence of the blissful flow of Khanda Ras, they become engrossed in the unbroken practice of Naam and the spiritual earnings it brings. Then, at an auspicious moment, without their awareness, the divine vision and light of the soul’s realization manifest, and they are blessed with the direct sight of the divine. The spiritual effort (Ghaal Kamaai) they have made never goes in vain. The fruits of their efforts ripen, and they attain the desired results.
The practice of devotion, once performed, never goes to waste.
ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਘਾਲਿਆ ਕਿਸੈ ਕਾ ਇਕੁ ਤਿਲੁ ਨ ਗਵਾਈ ॥
(Translation: One who engages in the Lord’s service, not even a single bit of their effort is lost.)
Translated from: ਸਾਧ ਕੌਣ ਹੈ? in the book Gurbani Diyaan Lagaan Matraan Dee Vilakhantaa by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji.
