Look at the world around you. Hear the beautiful voices of natures. Taste different foods and drinks. Smell different scents. With Waheguru’s kirpa, most of us have 5 senses that we use to do more things, have more experiences, and expand our horizons. However, we don’t use these blessings from Waheguru to explore the creation of Waheguru. Instead, we use it for our own pleasure and happiness. In this shabad, Guru Nanak Dev Ji is reminding us to use our senses to explore things that really matter in this world.
In this shabad, Guru Ji is telling us that he is in awe of the diversity that Waheguru has created. He is describing the diversity by using the word “Vismaad.” Before we go on to the shabad, it is important to understand the meaning of the word. Vismaad has no literal definition- it is simply an exemplary state of mind when one doesn’t have the words to describe how wonderful something is.
ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੧ ॥
salok mahalaa pehilaa ||
Shalok, First Mehla:
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਨਾਦ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਵੇਦ ॥
visamaadh naadh visamaadh vedh ||
Wonderful is the sound current of the Naad, wonderful is the knowledge of the Vedas.
Our ears are so powerful that we can hear millions of different sounds, all of these sounds are a reaction. For the effect of noise to occur there has to be a cause. This cause can be someone beating a drum or a tree falling. Our bodies are capable of hearing both internal noises and worldly noises. Guru Ji is also expressing his appreciation for the diversity of faiths and different holy books. He references specifically the Vedas which contain knowledge of the Hindu religion were passed down orally and committed to paper 1500-1200 BC. Guru Ji respects the diversity of Waheguru and the creation of different faiths.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਜੀਅ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਭੇਦ ॥
visamaadh jeea visamaadh bhedh ||
Wonderful are the beings, wonderful are the species.
Guru Ji notes the diversity of all beings on planet earth. The world is filled with many different types of species and we still have to discover the different life forms outside of our world. The world has many different species and even the animals of those species differ from one another. A perfect example of this would be identical twins. By nature they are theoretically the same but the way they were raised, nurtured, causes them to be unique.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਰੂਪ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਰੰਗ ॥
visamaadh roop visamaadh ra(n)g ||
Wonderful are the forms, wonderful are the colors.
Guru Ji is awed by the diversity of colors that are visible to the human eye. Our eyes are able to see many different colors on a spectrum, not only black and white but different shades of each color. There is also diversity in the different objects in nature. For example, if you ever go hiking and you are at the top of a mountain or cliff, looking off you can see many different plants and species of trees.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਨਾਗੇ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਜੰਤ ॥
visamaadh naage fireh ja(n)t ||
Wonderful are the beings who wander around naked.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji is in absolute awe of the civilizations around him. The beings who wander around naked are animals. We have built this conception that if we do not cover ourselves with clothes, we feel shame. For animals, on the other hand, there is no sense of shame in the emotional abilities. Guru Nanak Dev Ji is amazed at how we, as humans, are walking around as civilized beings with clothes while the animals are walking around naked and thriving just as well as the humans are.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਪਉਣੁ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਪਾਣੀ ॥
visamaadh paun visamaadh paanee ||
Wonderful is the wind, wonderful is the water.
Not only is Guru Ji in awe of the life around him, but also the forces. Wind and water, though benign in concept, wield great power, and harbor life. He is in admiration of all the diversity that is only possible through wind and water -- essential to life. One cannot live without water or air, and too much or too little of could mean the end for all. Guru Ji is not only recognizing its strength, but is in absolute veneration of it.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਅਗਨੀ ਖੇਡਹਿ ਵਿਡਾਣੀ ॥
visamaadh aganee kheddeh viddaanee ||
Wonderful is fire, which works wonders.
Whenever we think of the word fire, we immediately think of danger and damage. We think of its ability to kill human life, instead of producing new lifeforms. We think of its ability to damage nature, instead of help cultivate and grow nature. However, Guru Ji is teaching us the importance of fire in this line. He says that the fire is playing in its different ways and that is working wonders. But, what is so beautiful about fires?
Originating from sanskrit, there are 8 different types of fires from the Vedas. Some of these include natural fires, like lava from volcanoes, wildfires in forests, and the fire from the sun. The other fires include the fires in our own bodies, from the womb, our digestive system, and stomach. The last types of fires originate from our own mind, which includes our wisdom and our anxiety. All these different types of fires play their role in the diversity of this world. Each type of fire has its own purpose and its own function. As long as the fires are contained, there is no harm to human life and our surroundings. However, the moment a fire becomes out of control, it can devastate the lifeform around it. Waheguru Ji has created fires in different forms and capacities. It is so much of a necessity that without fires, human life may not even exist. So, next time you hear the word fires, think of the good that comes from fires, not just the bad.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਧਰਤੀ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਖਾਣੀ ॥
visamaadh dharatee visamaadh khaanee ||
Wonderful is the earth, wonderful the sources of creation.
In this humble contemplation by our Guru, he is describing the wondrous very earth that we are living in today and then following that with his appreciation for the wonder of his creations as well. We are blessed to have this creation, because with it, we are able to accomplish and experience the beautiful fruits of waheguru’s creation. He writes this line, just as he does the others, to show us how even at an elevated state of spirituality, one can still show appreciation and gratitude towards the creation itself; this also shows how humble the guru was.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸਾਦਿ ਲਗਹਿ ਪਰਾਣੀ ॥
visamaadh saadh lageh paraanee ||
Wonderful are the tastes to which mortals are attached.
In this pangti, maharaj is amazed by the diversity between the humankind and how everyone is engrossed in different desires. All these desires are what separate our thoughts and opinions from each other.
Guru maharaj has gifted us humans (praanees) this life form to do bhagti and meditate on his name and go on the inner journey and find waheguru and submerge into him. But instead of tasting that holy nectar, we are addicted to all the other worldly tastes of maeya( anything that takes you away from god). "ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸਾਦਿ ਲਗਹਿ ਪਰਾਣੀ" humans are attached to all the different worldly things that are not going to help is this life (lok) or our afterlife (parlok).
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸੰਜੋਗੁ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਵਿਜੋਗੁ ॥
visamaadh sa(n)jog visamaadh vijog ||
Wonderful is union, and wonderful is separation.
Guru Ji looks describes ਸੰਜੋਗੁ (sanjog) in this line as the union of body and soul. This happens during the miracle of birth. The soul enters and takes form as a human body. Then they describes ਵਿਜੋਗੁ (vijog) as the separation of material body and soul, the miracle of death. Birth and death are the most important moments in anyone's lives. Guru ji is awed by the diversity and power Waheguru has in these two moments, these moments only occur because of Waheguru’s hukam.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਭੁਖ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਭੋਗੁ ॥
visamaadh bhukh visamaadh bhog ||
Wonderful is hunger, wonderful is satisfaction.
Here, Guru Sahib introduces a different approach to the idea of Vismaad; rather than solely referencing the beauty of this world, he talks about two extremes, one extreme that lives alongside the other. Guru Ji is in awe about how there is hunger in this world while people bask in their overindulging consumption. Like the Guru, we should also be in a state “vismaad” looking at the world, a world that includes both bad and good qualities.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥
visamaadh sifat visamaadh saalaeh ||
Wonderful is His Praise, wonderful is His adoration.
Guru Sahib is referring to the beauty in the diversity of how people recognize Ik Onkar. In a world where there are an uncountable amount of religions working towards the same thing, Guru Nanak Dev Ji is in awe about both how much love there is for the naam and how different forms of worship are necessary for the recognition of Ik Onkar.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਉਝੜ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਰਾਹ ॥
visamaadh ujhaR visamaadh raeh ||
Wonderful is the wilderness, wonderful is the path.
In our veechar, we learned that Guru Nanak Dev Ji is in complete astonishment and awe in the fact there is so much diversity of paths. Rah, in this case, means path. These paths can be interpreted in different ways. In this example, we will use the path of religion. Guru Nanak Dev Ji is in awe of the diversity of paths towards Waheguru, whether it is Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam. He is also in awe of how many people are taken off of that path. Notice that Guru Nanak Dev Ji isn’t saying anything bad or good about these two concepts, he is just simply in awe of this diversity.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਨੇੜੈ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਦੂਰਿ ॥
visamaadh neRai visamaadh dhoor ||
Wonderful is closeness, wonderful is distance.
In this, Guru Ji is noticing the wondrousness of relationships. When we are close to someone, it is as if all other worries melt away. However, distance can provide clarity. Guru Ji is not highlighting Maya, or attachment here, but rather the love that one can give or receive by being near someone else. Both closeness and distance are incredible by their own right, and Guru Ji is recognizing that in this line.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਦੇਖੈ ਹਾਜਰਾ ਹਜੂਰਿ ॥
visamaadh dhekhai haajaraa hajoor ||
How wonderful to behold the Lord, ever-present here.
Waheguru is not only near or far from us, Waheguru is also within us. Many of us from a young age were taught that Waheguru is within each of us, therefore we are all equal. Guru Ji is noticing the diversity within the proximity of the holy spirit for each religion. Many western religions tend to classify God as an external, far reaching subject while other religions express the uniqueness of God within each of us.
ਵੇਖਿ ਵਿਡਾਣੁ ਰਹਿਆ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ॥
vekh viddaan rahiaa visamaadh ||
Beholding His wonders, I am wonder-struck.
Everyone has experienced a time where they were overwhelmed, possibly from work, school, or family. But here, Guru Nanak Dev Ji is overwhelmed in the best way possible: he’s overwhelmed just by looking to the world, the creation of the naam. This line essentially redefines vismaad; it’s a state of overwhelming love and recognition for the naam.
ਨਾਨਕ ਬੁਝਣੁ ਪੂਰੈ ਭਾਗਿ ॥੧॥
naanak bujhan poorai bhaag ||1||
O Nanak, those who understand this are blessed with perfect destiny. ||1||
In this line, Guru ji is highlighting our duties to understand and realize this wondrous earth and creations waheguru has created for us. With this understanding of how blessed we are, we will be able to seek out a perfect destiny and lifelong happiness with ourselves and the guru. With this understanding we will escape the cycle of reincarnation, as our chemistry will have matched with that of Waheguru. Once we realize what we all have to be grateful for, we become humbled and take one step closer to Waheguru. This is our duty as Sikhs and we must work on it if we want to come out on top.
We are all truly blessed to be able to embrace the diversity around us and recognize the differences between thoughts, emotions, religions, species, and more. It is as if we are looking down on Earth and being able to distinguish each difference between not only physical objects, but mental elements as well. We need to become more aware of our surroundings, and this shabad gives us the perfect opportunity to do so. By looking at the diversity around us, we are reminded to reflect upon Waheguru, who has created all the beautiful differences and diversity in our world. However, most of us are so engrossed in just the creation that we forget about the creator. By reflecting upon this shabad, one can become more aware, expand his/her horizons, and go one step closer to meeting Waheguru. Guru Ji is not only giving us a lesson on being more aware of the types of diversity around us, but telling us that it is equally, if not more important, to remember the one who has made it all.
Bhul Chukk Maaf
SikhTeens Team
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