by Harnaak Singh

This is extracted from article at Gurbvichar at Link A.

MGC Head Parcharak says in the video the amrit vela is any time one chooses.  In the article at Link A he states Amrit Vela, is the time period from birth to ONE year of age.

The two explanations are contradictory.  This is what happens when one uses the MANMAT to understand Gurbani.

My WHAT A MISLEADING, MISINTERPRETED MANMAT BASED DISTORTION.

Lets proceed and understand what Guru Ji tells us about Amrit Vela

ਗੁਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਜੋ ਸਿਖ ਅਖਾਏ, ਸੋ ਭਲਕੇ ਉਠ ਹਰ ਨਾਮ ਧਿਆਵੈ।
One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord’s Name.

ਉਦਮ ਕਰੇ ਭਲਕੇ ਪਰਭਾਤੀ, ਇਸਨਾਨ ਕਰੇ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਰ ਨਾਵੈ।
Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar.
. . .

DISCUSSION OF THE SHABAD

We will analyse the shabad in its entirety to get the big picture perspective so we do not miss out the main concept being taught by Guru Ji.  The shabad in question (actually a stanza in a slok) is stanza 2 of the slok in chakka 11 of Gaurdi Ki Vaar Mehla 4, which starts on SGGS 300 and ends on SGGS 318.  The vaar consists of 33 chakkay.  The paurdi of each chakka contains the main theme and the corresponding slok clarifies the main theme.    

We will first get an overview of the paurdi.  Paurdi 11 essentially talks about gurmukh and manmukh 

The essence of paurdi is, RARE are those who meditate on you (God), and those who don’t are relegated to REINCARNATION.  This chakka is also a follow up from the previous one which talks about ATTACHMENT ਮੋਹ those who are attached to family and everything they see (Maya).

The two stanzas in the slok clarify this further.  The first stanza talks about the traits of the manmukh and the second the traits of the gurmukh. 

In the FIRST STANZA, the traits ATTACHMENT of the manmukh (a follow up from the previous chakka), and the attachment to Maya is so strong that the manmukh tends to stray from respect to or love of the Guru.  The manmukh practices falsehood and pays the price of “no peace”.  Without doubt, Gurbani is talking about the external actions of the manmukh as a result of the “attachment” imbued mind set of the manmukh.  Clarifying further, one driven by one of the five evils (vices) attachment, becomes obsessed with Maya externally in one’s actions, to his/her own peril, getting no contentment ਸੰਤੋਖ in the life and so being subject to rebirth.  This stanza further adds that through the Grace of God, one realises, that the Shabad of Gurbani will eliminate this peril.  So clearly Gurbani is relating activities of both the inner-self as well as external actions; the mindset in the inner-self manifests as external actions.  The inner-self and external actions are intricately linked.  Implementation of the teachings of Gurbani has to be in our inner-self and the result will manifest in our external actions. 

Within this setting, we look at the SECOND STANZA which is of interest in this article.

ਗੁਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਜੋ ਸਿਖ ਅਖਾਏ, ਸੋ ਭਲਕੇ ਉਠ ਹਰ ਨਾਮ ਧਿਆਵੈ।

One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord’s Name.

ਉਦਮ ਕਰੇ ਭਲਕੇ ਪਰਭਾਤੀ, ਇਸਨਾਨ ਕਰੇ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਰ ਨਾਵੈ।

Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar.

ਉਪਦੇਸਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰ ਹਰ ਜਪ ਜਾਪੈ, ਸਭ ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਪਾਪ ਦੋਖ ਲਹਿ ਜਾਵੈ।

Following the Instructions of the Guru, he is to chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased.

ਫਿਰ ਚੜੈ ਦਿਵਸੁ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਗਾਵੈ ਬਹਿਦਆ ਉਠਿਦਆ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਵੈ ॥ 

Then, at the rising of the sun, he is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up, he is to meditate on the Lord’s Name.

ਜੋ ਸਾਸਿ ਗਿਰਾਸਿ ਧਿਆਏ ਮਰੇਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਸੋ ਗੁਰਿਸਖੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਵੈ ॥ 

One who meditates on my Lord, Har, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food – that GurSikh becomes pleasing to the Guru’s Mind.

ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਿਸਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਉਪਦਸੇੁ ਸੁਣਾਵੈ ॥ 

That person, unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate – upon that GurSikh, the Guru’s Teachings are bestowed.

ਜਨੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਧੂੜਿ ਮੰਗੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਿਸਖ ਕੀ ਜੋ ਆਿਪ ਜਪੈ ਅਵਰਹ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ ॥੨॥

Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that GurSikh, who himself chants the Naam, and inspires others to chant it. ||2||

The stanza outlines the practices of a TRUE Sikh (a Gurmukh) and starts with a summary statement (the first verse) outlining the trait of a Sikh of Guru (ਗੁਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਜੋ ਸਿਖ ਅਖਾਏ).  This Sikh will arise tomorrow (ਸੋ ਭਲਕੇ ਉਠ) and meditate on NAAM (ਹਰ ਨਾਮ ਧਿਆਵੈ).  Clearly this first verse is stating what the Sikh is to do tomorrow.  This verse is talking about what should be the daily practice of a Sikh and states two key points i.e.

• get up or arise tomorrow (note this does not specify any time) and
• meditate on NAAM.

The next verse goes on to state the process.  It explains details of the “arise tomorrow” i.e. make effort to arise tomorrow before dawn (ਉਦਮ ਕਰੇ ਭਲਕੇ ਪਰਭਾਤੀ). 

What happens next?

Look at personal hygiene and cleanliness with a bath (ਇਸਨਾਨ ਕਰੇ).  This will put us in good stead for the next step.  Now that the external actions are completed, the inner self is cleaned. 

How?

By bathing we clean our inner-self in the pool of nectar (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਰ ਨਾਵੈ). 

What does this “pool of nectar” mean? 

The next verse gives the answer. 

The pool of nectar is the instructions of Guru (ਉਪਦੇਸਿ ਗੁਰੂ) to recite the NAAM (ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਪੁ ਜਾਪੈ). 

What is cleaned by bathing (the action of bathing here is metaphorically meant to clean or get rid of)? Our misdeeds and sins will be cleaned (ਸਭ ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਪਾਪ ਦੋਖ ਲਹਿ ਜਾਵੈ।) in the sense that our mindset will change moving from action associated with the 5 evils to those associated with 5 virtues.  So up to this point we have cleaned our outer or physical self as well as our inner-self. 

What happens next. 

We continue reciting NAAM and then when the sun rises we sing Gurbani (ਫਿਰ ਚੜੈ ਦਿਵਸੁ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਗਾਵੈ). 

Is that all?  No. 

We have to meditate on God (ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਵੈ) at all times (ਬਹਿਦਆ ਉਠਿਦਆ). 

How do we do this?  Don’t we have to go to work? 

Yes we go to work but we must remember God (ਧਿਆਏ ਮਰੇਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ) at every breath (ਸਾਸਿ) and piece of food we eat (ਗਿਰਾਸਿ).  So even while at work we keep the presence of God in our mind and inner self. 

What is the result of doing this to the Gur Sikh (ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਿਸਖ)? 

He or She will be pleasing to Guru’s Mind (ਗੁਰੂ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਵੈ).  And God will be compassionate to this Gur Sikh (ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਸੁਆਮੀ) and the Gur Sikh will be endowed with the teachings of our Guru (ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਿਸਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ਸੁਣਾਵੈ). 

What then? 

The Gur Sikh (ਜੋ) should keep meditating (as we have seen above – daily) (ਆਪਿ ਜਪੈ) and also teach others to do the same (ਅਵਰਹ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ) AND Guru Nanak says one should beg for the “dust of the feet” (ਜਨੁ ਧੂੜਿ ਮੰਗੈ) of this Gur Sikh (ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਿਸਖ ਕੀ).  Here begging for the “dust of the feet” is metaphorically used to mean that one should hold such a Gur Sikh in high esteem.

So we see how easily the meaning and Guru’s teaching is understood.  The chakka talks about the traits of a manmukh and a gurmukh and the second stanza of the slok outlines the responsibility of one who wants to be as well as the result of one who becomes a Gur Sikh.

Summary:

A True Sikh will arise every morning before dawn (AMRIT VELA), take a bath and recite NAAM.  Then sing Gurbani as dawn breaks and goes on to daily duties all the time keeping God’s presence in the mind.