In a kirtan program organized last month to remember Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru, I was asked to sing this shabad. I have been singing the first few lines of the Sukhmani Sahib by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru, since the early 90s.

It has been over 300 years since Mughal Emperor Jahangir ordered that Guru Arjan Dev be killed by extreme torture. The guru was made to sit on a metal plate and hot sheet while boiling hot sand was poured over his burnt body. After enduring five days of unrelenting torture, the Guru left for heavenly abode. Recitation the following first few lines of his masterpiece Sukhmani, written between the years 1601 and 1604AD, therefore has a special meaning to me:

The first ingredient that goes in any arrangement is the meaning. Perhaps due to several practices of singing these lines, or due to the influence of other shabads and experiences, over the years, I have slightly adopted to different arrangements of this shabad to better explain what I understand from this shabad.

I generally look for focal words in any shabad, and have found that arrangements focusing on the right focal words can help bring out the meaning of any shabad. Focal words when used effectively, can help create a singular atmosphere that can then be easily remembered with the help of raags, even while one is busy doing daily chores.

There are two key focal words in this shabad: Simro and Ekai.

With the focus on the rhyming, and the presence of 'Simro' at the beginning of the shabad, there is no doubt that that is a focal word; the earliest of my arrangements try to bring that out. However, more recently, I use a slightly diverging meaning of 'Simro' than what I have read in most translations of the Sukhmani. Now, more than ever, 'Simro,' means 'I do Simran,' and not necessarily 'Do Simran.'

To me there is no good English substitute for Simran (say Sim-Run). 'Meditation', 'remembering' and 'contemplation' are often used to describe Simran. To me, true Simran is a 'constant remembrance' of the Truth at all times. Several meditative techniques can be used to help in doing Simran; music can be used, recitation can be used, repitition of certain words can be used, kirtan can certainly be used.

The second focal word in the shabad is Ekai. This one was tougher for me to find because it did not appear conveniently in the beginning of the shabad. However, interestingly, Ekai finds itself, in some shape or form, in all lines following the first line. Also interestingly, I find that Ekai has two meanings in each line. The most obvious meaning of Ekai is as an adjective, 'One' describing Bisambhar, Akhar, Fragment, and Vision.

Ekai rhymes with 'Nameh,' the focal word in God's salutation at the begining of Sukhmani, the lines that precede this shabad. So, I believe Ekai is a key focal word in the shabad. It comes to me as no surprise that, in one of his key poetic work that took 3 years to complete, Guru Arjan Dev focuses on Ekai, very similar to the opening message of the first guru, Guru Nanak, 'Ek Omkar'!

I have narrowed down to the following meaning of this shabad:

With 'Simran', sorrows go away, and bliss is attained;
'Simran' of The ONE who is extoled by countless;
The ONE, who is the synopsis of extensive holy scriptures;
Whose ONE fragment in anyone's heart can elevate them beyond limits;
With Them, Who seek ONE glimpse of the Truth, Oh God, liberate me!

Simro Simar in Bangla Sahib:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQfx3lOgfCc Set in raag Gauri, which symbolizes the purity embodied by Shiv's wife Parvati, Sukhmani is meant to be recited in the afternoon.

Jogsuhi
Sa Ga ma Pa ni Sa., Sa. ni Dha Pa ma Ga Re Sa.
Thaat: Khamaj
Timing: 3-6PM, Anytime in the summer
Vaadi: Ga
Samvaadi: Ma
Pakad: .Pa .ni Sa Ga ma Ga, Ga ma Pa Dha ma Ga

The popular version of khamaj maintains the tension of the dominant by including a sharp 7th note (Ni shudha), and has the heavenly peaceful Ga as one of the key notes. However, if one goes to the pure mixolydian mode, the tension of the Ni shudha is removed by introducing a Ni komal that relaxes into the Sa. At the same time, you retain the effect of peace through Ga. What I have added to this is a frequent slide between ma and Ga to depict purity which is emblematic of Raag Gauri. This element reminds us of Parvati, the wife of Shiva, whose name (Gauri) and deeds (Sati) symbolize the utmost purity.

No wonder, when an atmosphere of purity, peace and relaxation is desired composers opt for this raag. According to The school of musical composition, by Adolf Bernhard Marx, the mode conveys "a desire for the infinite and exalted" because of the missing resolution of a major dominant.

This raag is similar but different from kalavati, khamaj, lankeshree, khambavati, Janasamohini.

[Updated 2020]

Some of the links to the shabads in this article were not working. If you know of these shabads, especially Dheeron Dekh Tumhare Rangaa please send me an email. In lieu of this missing recordings I am adding the following playlist to this post which has over 30 shabads from Bhai Samund Singh: 

[from 2008]

Last week, a friend told me that there was a classical kirtaniya from Delhi visiting the bay area, and that he will be singing at the San Jose Gurudwara. I had not heard of him ... Bhai Nitendar Singh. Bhai sahib had some time in the east coast earlier this year and lately he had been singing at the San Jose Gurudwara. Although I couldn't go to the Gurudwara that day, I was somewhat excited because my friend told me he could get a recording of the kirtan.

I have always felt that Kirtan programs are like box of chocolates -- you get a lot of treats, but sometimes you are blown away by a surprise. So, being ever hopeful, I pestered my friend to send me the audio recording of the performance. I got it earlier today. And I was blown away by one of the shabads.

There were five shabads in the recording sent to me. The first one was an asavari shabad in sulfakta. It was a nice composition and I would probably go back to it after I had finished listening to the rest of the program. However, that was not to be.

I started playing the second shabad. It was 'Dheerao Dekh Tumhare Rangaa.' Bhai Nitendar claimed that this could possibly be a Samund Singh composition.

Dheero Dekh Tumare Ranga in Bilawal set to Ek Taal


I heard this reet, and I could not stop listening to it.

This is beautiful as bilawal gets. All the elements of the raag are present -- the Ga Ma Re Sa, the Re Ga Ma Pa, the Dha Ni Sa Dha Pa. Still this is not stale at all, it is as fresh as when it was perhaps first sung -- in the middle of the last century. And as someone who has been setting new compositions to fit the rules of a traditional raag, creating a fresh composition that adheres to the quality of the raag is exceptionally difficult. On top of the freshness, the composition has an amazing use of the poetry -- the weight of the composition lies squarely on the rhyming elements. This masterpiece is the work of a master.

I must've heard it 4 or 5 times when my phone rang. It was Friday night and everyone in the family wanted to go out have Pizza. I had opted out of the shopping activities for the evening, but dinner was on.

I dragged myself out and went to a new Pizza place in San Ramon. We must have spent around 2 hours at this Pizza/sports bar, and the pizza was very good. A strong base, colorful toppings, and savory ... just like a finely buttered bilawal reet. Freshness abound! The shabad did not stop playing in my head. I couldn't wait to come back and hit the play button to listen to it several times again.


One possible critique for this composition is the addition of "Mai Vaari" to the rahao line. "Mai Vaari" does not occur in the shabad. Perhaps this was an attempt on the composers part to highlight the first-person appeal of the shabad, which is often misinterpreted. For the purists, who want to adhere to gurbani 'as is', there is an easy way to fix that -- just dont sing the "Mai Vaari" and elongate "Dheero."

This is not the first time I was bowled over by Bhai Samund Singh's Bilawal. This is the second. One of his compostions for Tere Gun Gavaan had gripped me similarly a few years ago. That was my introduction to Bhai Samund Singh. He sang this shabad in a second bilawal reet as well: Tere Gun Gavan; and even that is not the popular bilawal teen taal that is heard across gurudwaras in the world today. Bhai Samund Singh had a liking for freshness, and a liking for Bilawal. I am more confident than by Bhai Nitendar Singh, that the masterful composition came from Bhai Samund Singh.

Alaaps and sargams, which are more dependent on the performer and not the composer, were nearly not as exceptional as the composition. So I really want to listen to this shabad being sung by Bhai Samund Singh, who, like his other recordings, will likely have poured hours of love into it. I looked but I couldn't find any recordings of Bhai Samund Singh singing this shabad. I will keep my search going and if I can't find it, I might spend a couple years honing it myself. Unless I can find a rendition by Bhai Samund Singh, this shabad is a leading contender for my favorite recordings of 2008 which I plan to publish in January 2009.


PS:
The other shabads from that morning:

Har ka Bilohna Biloh in Asavari, Sulfakta


Rasna Japti Tuhi Tuhi in Shudha Sarang in Teen Taal


Man Charnarbind Upaas (?) in Gujri in Roopak.


Raajan Kai Raaja in Gunkali set in Ek Taal