by Harnaak Singh

Precursor

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥

By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times.

Some say the Sochai ਸੋਚੈ  means “cleansing” not “thinking”.   Which is the case?

What do CREDIBLE sources state for the meaning of ‘SOOCHAI’

Common translations by Manmohan Singh (Punjabi and English), Sant Singh Khalsa (English) and Professor Sahib Singh (Punjabi) are referred to.

It is interesting to note that there are two explanations of the word “Soochai / sooch”.  One is the mental process of THINKING (or pondering) (Manohan Singh and Sant Singh Khalsa), the other is the bodily process of “PURIFYING” (Prof Sahib Singh).  

The word CLEANSING is not used in any of the above.  

Note that purify and cleanse are not equal in meaning.  Cleanse means remove dirt (first dot point below) but purify (for spiritual purposes) can have many meanings e.g. 

• bath the body in water (e.g. in river Ganges), 
• rubbing cow dung on the body (Goumaya bath)
• wear the right attire, 
• application of Tilak on the forehead,
• acquiring a suitable state of mind (purify thought to be able to contemplate).

Note: Contemplation involves acceptance (SHARDA) while thinking involves reasoning (LOGIC i.e questioning if something fits into observed paradigm). 

To see which explanation is correct we must understand the whole of the First Paurdi of Japji Sahib where this verse is the first verse.  The first paurdi is shown below. 

ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥

By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times.

ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥

By remaining silent, inner silence is not obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within.

ਭੁਖਿਆ ਭੁਖ ਨ ਉਤਰੀ ਜੇ ਬੰਨਾ ਪੁਰੀਆ ਭਾਰ ॥

The hunger of the hungry is not appeased, even by piling up loads of worldly goods.

ਸਹਸ ਸਿਆਣਪਾ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਤ ਇਕ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥

Hundreds of thousands of clever tricks, but not even one of them will go along with you in the end.

ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ ॥

So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away?

ਹੁਕਮਿ ਰਜਾਈ ਚਲਣਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੧॥

O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will. ||1||

The first four verses are telling us what will not help in acquiring TRUTH ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ and shedding ILLUSION ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ (verse 5).  To shed ILLUSION, we have to eradicate the 5 evils and to acquire TURTH we have to acquire the 5 virtues.  The answer comes in the last verse i.e. to obey the HUKAM and follow the WILL of God.  Note there is no mention of REASON, LOGIC or CRITICAL THOUGHT but simply OBEY and FOLLOW (WITHOUT QUESTIONING).  

NOTE: The reason, logic and critical thought was for our Guru to decide what is good for us, the result of which is Gurbani.  So, let us not be the smart aleck and start using our own reason, logic and critical thinking on Gurbani.

Notice that the first 4 verses are to do with our interaction with material world and are the methods used by people who want to realise God.  Therefore, the first verse has to do with the interaction with the material world.  THINKING (judging, reasoning to make inferences, decisions, find solutions) is dealing with the material world to realise God and so is PURIFYING. 

So, both explanations, THINKING and PURIFYING are correct and fit into the intent of Paurdi 1.  The first verse “ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ …” implies both “thinking” as well as “purifying” both methods will prove useless.  That means this ONE VERSE gives us TWO MESSAGES.  

This is poetry.  We cannot have narrow-minded thinking, boxed around with science, to understand Gurbani.

But CLEANSING, being only one part of the purifying process, does not convey the appropriate message.  

In fact I would go on to say the it would be giving the wrong message.

Conclusion

Both explanations, THINKING and PURIFYING are correct and fit into the intent of Paurdi 1.  

The first verse “ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ …” implies both “thinking” as well as “purifying” both methods will prove useless.  That means this ONE VERSE gives us TWO MESSAGES.  

The last verse 

Acquiring TRUTH ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ and shedding ILLUSION ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈ ਪਾਲਿ (verse 5)

teaches us to obey the HUKAM and follow the WILL of God.  

Note that in the 5th verse there is no mention of REASON, LOGIC or CRITICAL THOUGHT but simply OBEY and FOLLOW (WITHOUT QUESTIONING).  

This process (reason, logic, critical thinking) was for our Gurus to use when they were composing Gurbani NOT for us to understand Gurbani.

---

---