Author Topic: Mool mantar-the gift of shri guru nanak dev ji (Read 3302 times)

PuNjAbAn_KuRhI · « **on:** August 24, 2008, 12:42:04 PM »

MOOL MANTAR - THE GIFT OF GURU NANAK
By Karminder Singh Dhillon, Ph.D.

No other spiritual instrument energizes the HUMAN- GOD uniting power as does Guru Nanak's Mool Mantar. Powerful, inspiring, and enlivening, it has unequivocal force to propel the human conscience into the doorsteps of the Guru's Bar (door) and Waheguru's Ghar (Abode).

This article analyses three issues. First, it lays out the meaning of the terms "Mool Mantar", Second it attempts to explain the eleven concepts of the Mantar, and third, it attempts to answer the very common question regarding the composition of the Mantar. This questions is usually asked in the following form: is the Mool Mantar till Gurparsad, or Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach ?

Indian philosophy and spirituality uses three terms to represent three basic ways of bring about change within the human condition. Jantar refers to the use of an external instrument to achieve transformation. Mantar refers to the use of articulated sounds to do the same. And finally Tantar refers to the use of projected thoughts to bring about change. Since Sikhisra regards Guru and God to be in the form of Shabad, and hence a function of naad (sound), Sikh spirituality therefore acknowledges the utility of the Mantar above all, Tantar is rejected, while Jantar has only physical utility (The Kakars and Shastars for instance).

Mool can be translated as root, original, inaugural, basic, or foundational. Considered in totality it means the most important, Indeed, the Mool Mantar is unmatched in its place and importance in Sikh Life, The Mool Mantar appears on page 1 of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (SGGS) and again at the start of every Rag, every major Banee, and every major section and subsection of the SGGS.

words Gur meaning Guru, and Parsaad meaning blessing, By this attributes of God is meant that He is reached by the Guru's Blessing, (Parsaad should NOT be pronounced as Parshaad - the latter pronunciation makes it to mean the deg that is served in the Guru Ghar!).

Now to the question of where does the Mool Mantar end. The answer is straight forward if one looks closely at the composition, arrangement, grammar and logic of its use, The following points will help

1. From Ek Oangkar till Gurparsaad - all eleven words are attributes (explanations) of the characteristics of God. Grammar wise they are adjectives. The NEXT word, JAP, however, is stated with an aungkar below the P. In Gurbani the aungkar signifies one or more of three things - masculine, singular or noun (proper name). JAP with an aungkar is there fore a singular noun. It is thus the name and title of the next composition. We add the world Ji out of respect and call it Jap Ji. The word Jap as a singular noun therefore cannot be part of the Mool Mantar. Jap (with an aungkar) is NOT an adjective and NOT an attribute of God. In other parts of Gurbani where JAP appears as a verb, it appears with a Smart to the p - as it does some 100 times in the first 300 pages of SGGS (Note: the aungkar appears grammatically below Naam, Purakh and NiiVair in the first 11 words of the Mool Mantar In each it signifies the masculine gender of all three words. In none of this does the aungkar signify a no un, simply because God can have no proper names. The aungkar below Nirbhau, however is not a grammar sign, it appears as a vowel (u) that actually makes the (u) sound - hence Nirbhau. Note also the sihari to the word Moorat - signifying its feminine gender.

2. Ek Oangkar till Gurparsaad is NOT in poetry form. No word rhymes with the other. There is no poetical form or verse in the 11 words. However the next 10 words, Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Haibhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach are indeed in poem form. The measure of such poetry (17-22 matxas) is called a Slok.. On page 285 of the SGGS, Guru Arjun Dev Ji wrote the word SLOK above the line Aad Sach.

The Mool Mantar starts with the numerical ONE. It underlines the Sikhi conviction that God was One. The curved line that extends from the E that is called the Kaar signifies that anything and everything was under the control and power of the One God and that nothing was outside of its influence. Taken together, EK OANGKAR refers to the One and only One God who is transcendent as well as immanent.

Satnam originates from two Sanskrit words Satya and Aass, It signifies permanence, omnipresence and ubiquity. Sat signifies something that was true in reality (as opposed to being true in relativity) and also that Gofl was not a function of time and space. Karia translates as Creator and Purakh,. translates as being. Read together these two words explain a special characteristic of God's creation namely that He creates and then resides within His creation. Nirbhou conies from the Sanskrit word Bhou meaning fear The root word of- Nirvair is Vair meaning enmity. Both these words have pre-fixes (Nir) added which negate (or reverse) the meaning. God is hence Fearless because he has no Enemy (an equal or a superior),. Akaal comes from the root word Kaal which means time bound or death bound. The addition of the prefix (A) negates the meaning, Moorat is the Sanskrit word for the Punjabi word Saroop and thus refers to form. Akaal explains Moorat, Taken together Akaal Moorat means His Stature is NOT time bound.

In other words, having created all Form (creation) and having being residing inside all Form, God was still Formless and Timeless, Ajunee comes from the word Joon meaning life form. Again, the prefix (A) negates the meaning, effectively explaining that God does not come within the parameters of life forms - He creates all life forms, yet is above it all Saibhang, is composed of two Sanskrti words Swaiy and Bhu(n) The former means self and the latter created, God, therefore came into being by Himself. Gurparsaad again consists of two Jugaad Sach, Haibhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sact which appears there again. Obviously the first 11 words of the Mool Mantar cannot be seen as being part of the next 10 words - the compositions of boll sections are worlds apart - one is verse the other lyrical.

3. It therefore makes sense to say that that wtaili the SGGS starts with the Mool Mantar, the Japji Banee starts with a title name - JAP- and consists of 38 pauris and two sloks. The first slok is Aad Sach Jugaad Sach, Haibhee Sach, Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach and Guru Nanak writes the numerical ONE after tin Slok - signifying this is the first slok. This slok is followed by 38 paurees - all numbered 1 till 38 pauree is another form of verse, (That is why the numerical 1 appears twice in the Japji numbering - the first numeral is for the first slok, and the second ft the first pauree.) The Japji ends with another slok Pavan Guru Panee Pita, And at the end of this slok again Guru Nanak writes the numerical 1 to say this is NOT the 39th pauree, but ONE more slok.

4. It therefore also makes sense to say that the I words of the Mool Mantar are part of the SGGS, but NOT strictly part of the Japji. In the same way this same Mool Mantar is stated before other Banee for instance, Asa Di Vaar, and all major ragas. It again appearing therein as a Mool Mantar, but NOT part of Asa Di Vaar and the other Banees.

Gurbani grammar is the result of painstaking recent research. Prof Sahib Singh of Khalsa Coiies spent his entire life putting the puzzle together.It succeeded in producing a complete reference text Gurbani grammar in 1951 and a ten-volur translation of the entire SGGS on the basis grammar as late as 1961. The erroneous belief of Mool Mantar extends until Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach therefore simply the result of non-exposure to Gurbaani grammar.

May the repeated recitation of the Mool Mantar take the reciting Sikh into the folds of the unity of the Guru Himself enjoyed with God.

Author Topic: Mool mantar-the gift of shri guru nanak dev ji (Read 3302 times)

PuNjAbAn_KuRhI

Mool mantar-the gift of shri guru nanak dev ji

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