To convert love to devotion, you have to convert from bhairavi to Gauri.
To become one with Gauri, one has to give up all ego.
To have the melodious voice of koyal, one has to be burnt by separation.
Kali Koyal tu kit gun kaali
Apne preetam ke haon birhai jaali
When it sings, its blackness is forgotten.
It becomes virtuous.
Lets sing Gauri in such a sweet way, that the dirt of our souls is forgotten,
Paarbati Mai appears in various portions of our bani.
The raag is often at contrast with the words. Raag bhairav gets its name from the destructive form of Lord Shiva. But shabads in Raag bhairav are about protection (Raakha Ek Hamara Swami). Similarly, here in Raag Gauri, a contrast is created between the idealism of Gauri with what the singer of the Shabad is: "Roop Heen, Budh bal heenee" - not only is the singer self described as lacking virtues of beauty, but also that of intelligence (budh) and strength (bal).
I surveyed the other shabads sung by raagis. This shabad is one of the ones that my grandmother used to sing. Although I never heard her sing, I retained some of the melodies that my father used to relate to me. And after several years I found the melody sung by Singh Bandhus:
Professor Darshan Singh - Gujri Todi
Poorvi thaat is one of the thaats I have experienced for a long time. But poorvi just has direction. Gauri poorvi has meaning. It was one of the raags I taught to students who used to learn indian classical music from me when I was doing my bachelors degree in Berkeley.
Gauri Poorvi.
Saadh Sang -
Color -- black
<> siqgur pRswid ]
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
rwgu sUhI bwxI syK PrId jI kI ]
Raag Soohee, The Word Of Shaykh Fareed Jee:
qip qip luih luih hwQ mrorau ]
Burning and burning, writhing in pain, I wring my hands.
bwvil hoeI so shu lorau ]
I have gone insane, seeking my Husband Lord.
qY sih mn mih kIAw rosu ]
O my Husband Lord, You are angry with me in Your Mind.
muJu Avgn sh nwhI dosu ]1]
The fault is with me, and not with my Husband Lord. 1
qY swihb kI mY swr n jwnI ]
O my Lord and Master, I do not know Your excellence and worth.
jobnu Koie pwCY pCuqwnI ]1] rhwau ]
Having wasted my youth, now I come to regret and repent. 1Pause
kwlI koiel qU ikq gun kwlI ]
O black bird, what qualities have made you black?
Apny pRIqm ky hau ibrhY jwlI ]
"I have been burnt by separation from my Beloved."
iprih ibhUn kqih suKu pwey ]
Without her Husband Lord, how can the soul-bride ever find peace?
jw hoie ik®pwlu qw pRBU imlwey ]2]
When He becomes merciful, then God unites us with Himself. 2
ivDx KUhI muMD iekylI ]
The lonely soul-bride suffers in the pit of the world.
nw ko swQI nw ko bylI ]
She has no companions, and no friends.
kir ikrpw pRiB swDsMig mylI ]
In His Mercy, God has united me with the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy.
jw iPir dyKw qw myrw Alhu bylI ]3]
And when I look again, then I find God as my Helper. 3
vwt hmwrI KrI aufIxI ]
The path upon which I must walk is very depressing.
KMinAhu iqKI bhuqu ipeIxI ]
It is sharper than a two-edged sword, and very narrow.
ausu aUpir hY mwrgu myrw ]
That is where my path lies.
syK PrIdw pMQu sm@wir svyrw ]4]1]
O Shaykh Fareed, think of that path early on. 41
Another shabad in Gauri Purbi, shows how Gauri is about removing sins and becoming pure:
Rāg gaoṛī pūrbī mėhlā 4.
Raag Gauree Poorbee, Fourth Nanak
Kām karoḏẖ nagar baho bẖariā mil sāḏẖū kẖandal kẖanda hey.
Lust and anger grip my mind
Meeting the Guru, I break their hold,
Pūrab likẖaṯ likẖe gur pāiā man har liv mandal mandā hey. ||1||
Graced by the Guru's wisdom, my mind is imbued with divine love.
Kar sāḏẖū anjulī pun vadā hey.
Praiseworthy it is to recognize the Guru with folded hands,
Kar dandauṯ pun vadā hey. ||1|| rahāo.
Better still, to humbly bow ||1||Pause||
Sākaṯ har ras sāḏ na jāṇiā ṯin anṯar haumai kandā hey.
The faithless know not Your essence;
Like a thorn in the flesh is their Haumai*
Jio jio cẖalėh cẖubẖai ḏukẖ pāvahi jamkāl sahėh sir dandā hey. ||2||
Pushing deeper with every selfish act, bringing only sorrow and Death.
Har jan har har nām samāṇe ḏukẖ janam maraṇ bẖav kẖanda hey.
The faithful, absorbed in Naam, escape the pangs of birth and death,
Abẖināsī purakẖ pāiā parmesar baho sobẖ kẖand barahmandā hey. ||3||
For they have found You, the Imperishable Supreme Being,
Honored in the here and hereafter.
Ham garīb maskīn parabẖ ṯere har rākẖ rākẖ vad vadā hey.
We are poor and deprived, beggars at Your door,
Protect and secure us O Greatest of the great!
Jan Nānak nām aḏẖār tek hai har nāme hī sukẖ mandā hey. ||4||4||
Your servant Nanak finds sustenance and support in You and Your Name.
In Your Name, he finds rest and comfort. ||4|
Thats the question I repeat in my head when I read this shabad.
The emphasis is usually on "Miloan Meri Mai"
I used to feel that discovery of "other" religions is not important, so my research would be limited. But Guru Nanak removed the fog. His message about Love of the One and Oneness. So now have new found freedom to research and enjoy every aspect of life that can encourage me to sing His praises.
So, when I see a shabad in Raag Gauri, I ask why?
Someone asked me, who tells you these things. I tell them Guru Nanak's Mool Mantra. If applied it removes all sources of anger, frustration, bigotism that we might have.
Or maybe it is about meeting the Guru??
And Parbati Mai is the "Guru" Guru can tell you which attributes you need.
Gur Isar, Gur Gorakh Barma, Gur Parbati Mai.
And the fact remains guru ji's focus is on "Kavan Gun"
So my simran element is "Kavan Gun Mai" not "Miloan Meri Mai"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5BwXxTdHoU
The more popular bhairavi tune:
rwgu gauVI pUrbI mhlw 5
Raag Gauree Poorbee, Fifth Mehl:
<> siqgur pRswid ]
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
kvn gun pRwnpiq imlau myrI mweI ]1] rhwau ]
By what virtues can I meet the Lord of life, O my mother? 1Pause
rUp hIn buiD bl hInI moih prdysin dUr qy AweI ]1]
I have no beauty, understanding or strength; I am a stranger, from far away. 1
nwihn drbu n jobn mwqI moih AnwQ kI krhu smweI ]2]
I am not wealthy or youthful. I am an orphan - please, unite me with Yourself. 2
Kojq Kojq BeI bYrwgin pRB drsn kau hau iPrq iqsweI ]3]
Searching and searching, I have become a renunciate, free of desire. I wander around, searching for the Blessed Vision of God's Darshan. 3
dIn dieAwl ik®pwl pRB nwnk swDsMig myrI jlin buJweI ]4]1]118]
God is Compassionate, and Merciful to the meek; O Nanak, in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, the fire of desire has been quenched.
Two renditions of the shabad. One in Jai taal by Bhai Avtar Singh and one in Chaar Taal.
Gauri Purvi - Kavan Gun Praanpat - Bhai Avtar Singh
Gauri Purvi - Kavan Gun Praanpat - Bhai Gurnam Singh
Why is this shabad addressed to the Mother? Because Mother is the Guru. She is the one who knows true love. She has the attributes that have kept her a Sohagan. So advice needs to come from a mother.
The advice is on beauty. No wonder the shabad is in Gauri. Gauri is the symbol of beauty. She is the wife of Shiva and her beauty is pure.
Fire (Jalan) makes you black. Jalan goes away with saadh sangat.
The emphasis is usually on "Miloan Meri Mai"
I used to feel that discovery of "other" religions is not important, so my research would be limited. But Guru Nanak removed the fog. His message about Love of the One and Oneness. So now have new found freedom to research and enjoy every aspect of life that can encourage me to sing His praises.
So, when I see a shabad in Raag Gauri, I ask why?
Someone asked me, who tells you these things. I tell them Guru Nanak's Mool Mantra. If applied it removes all sources of anger, frustration, bigotism that we might have.
Or maybe it is about meeting the Guru??
And Parbati Mai is the "Guru" Guru can tell you which attributes you need.
Gur Isar, Gur Gorakh Barma, Gur Parbati Mai.
And the fact remains guru ji's focus is on "Kavan Gun"
So my simran element is "Kavan Gun Mai" not "Miloan Meri Mai"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5BwXxTdHoU
The more popular bhairavi tune:
rwgu gauVI pUrbI mhlw 5
Raag Gauree Poorbee, Fifth Mehl:
<> siqgur pRswid ]
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
kvn gun pRwnpiq imlau myrI mweI ]1] rhwau ]
By what virtues can I meet the Lord of life, O my mother? 1Pause
rUp hIn buiD bl hInI moih prdysin dUr qy AweI ]1]
I have no beauty, understanding or strength; I am a stranger, from far away. 1
nwihn drbu n jobn mwqI moih AnwQ kI krhu smweI ]2]
I am not wealthy or youthful. I am an orphan - please, unite me with Yourself. 2
Kojq Kojq BeI bYrwgin pRB drsn kau hau iPrq iqsweI ]3]
Searching and searching, I have become a renunciate, free of desire. I wander around, searching for the Blessed Vision of God's Darshan. 3
dIn dieAwl ik®pwl pRB nwnk swDsMig myrI jlin buJweI ]4]1]118]
God is Compassionate, and Merciful to the meek; O Nanak, in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, the fire of desire has been quenched.
Two renditions of the shabad. One in Jai taal by Bhai Avtar Singh and one in Chaar Taal.
Gauri Purvi - Kavan Gun Praanpat - Bhai Avtar Singh
Gauri Purvi - Kavan Gun Praanpat - Bhai Gurnam Singh
Why is this shabad addressed to the Mother? Because Mother is the Guru. She is the one who knows true love. She has the attributes that have kept her a Sohagan. So advice needs to come from a mother.
The advice is on beauty. No wonder the shabad is in Gauri. Gauri is the symbol of beauty. She is the wife of Shiva and her beauty is pure.
Fire (Jalan) makes you black. Jalan goes away with saadh sangat.
To become one with Gauri, one has to give up all ego.
To have the melodious voice of koyal, one has to be burnt by separation.
Kali Koyal tu kit gun kaali
Apne preetam ke haon birhai jaali
When it sings, its blackness is forgotten.
It becomes virtuous.
Lets sing Gauri in such a sweet way, that the dirt of our souls is forgotten,
Paarbati Mai appears in various portions of our bani.
The raag is often at contrast with the words. Raag bhairav gets its name from the destructive form of Lord Shiva. But shabads in Raag bhairav are about protection (Raakha Ek Hamara Swami). Similarly, here in Raag Gauri, a contrast is created between the idealism of Gauri with what the singer of the Shabad is: "Roop Heen, Budh bal heenee" - not only is the singer self described as lacking virtues of beauty, but also that of intelligence (budh) and strength (bal).
I surveyed the other shabads sung by raagis. This shabad is one of the ones that my grandmother used to sing. Although I never heard her sing, I retained some of the melodies that my father used to relate to me. And after several years I found the melody sung by Singh Bandhus:
Professor Darshan Singh - Gujri Todi
Poorvi thaat is one of the thaats I have experienced for a long time. But poorvi just has direction. Gauri poorvi has meaning. It was one of the raags I taught to students who used to learn indian classical music from me when I was doing my bachelors degree in Berkeley.
Gauri Poorvi.
Saadh Sang -
Color -- black
<> siqgur pRswid ]
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
rwgu sUhI bwxI syK PrId jI kI ]
Raag Soohee, The Word Of Shaykh Fareed Jee:
qip qip luih luih hwQ mrorau ]
Burning and burning, writhing in pain, I wring my hands.
bwvil hoeI so shu lorau ]
I have gone insane, seeking my Husband Lord.
qY sih mn mih kIAw rosu ]
O my Husband Lord, You are angry with me in Your Mind.
muJu Avgn sh nwhI dosu ]1]
The fault is with me, and not with my Husband Lord. 1
qY swihb kI mY swr n jwnI ]
O my Lord and Master, I do not know Your excellence and worth.
jobnu Koie pwCY pCuqwnI ]1] rhwau ]
Having wasted my youth, now I come to regret and repent. 1Pause
kwlI koiel qU ikq gun kwlI ]
O black bird, what qualities have made you black?
Apny pRIqm ky hau ibrhY jwlI ]
"I have been burnt by separation from my Beloved."
iprih ibhUn kqih suKu pwey ]
Without her Husband Lord, how can the soul-bride ever find peace?
jw hoie ik®pwlu qw pRBU imlwey ]2]
When He becomes merciful, then God unites us with Himself. 2
ivDx KUhI muMD iekylI ]
The lonely soul-bride suffers in the pit of the world.
nw ko swQI nw ko bylI ]
She has no companions, and no friends.
kir ikrpw pRiB swDsMig mylI ]
In His Mercy, God has united me with the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy.
jw iPir dyKw qw myrw Alhu bylI ]3]
And when I look again, then I find God as my Helper. 3
vwt hmwrI KrI aufIxI ]
The path upon which I must walk is very depressing.
KMinAhu iqKI bhuqu ipeIxI ]
It is sharper than a two-edged sword, and very narrow.
ausu aUpir hY mwrgu myrw ]
That is where my path lies.
syK PrIdw pMQu sm@wir svyrw ]4]1]
O Shaykh Fareed, think of that path early on. 41
Another shabad in Gauri Purbi, shows how Gauri is about removing sins and becoming pure:
Rāg gaoṛī pūrbī mėhlā 4.
Raag Gauree Poorbee, Fourth Nanak
Kām karoḏẖ nagar baho bẖariā mil sāḏẖū kẖandal kẖanda hey.
Lust and anger grip my mind
Meeting the Guru, I break their hold,
Pūrab likẖaṯ likẖe gur pāiā man har liv mandal mandā hey. ||1||
Graced by the Guru's wisdom, my mind is imbued with divine love.
Kar sāḏẖū anjulī pun vadā hey.
Praiseworthy it is to recognize the Guru with folded hands,
Kar dandauṯ pun vadā hey. ||1|| rahāo.
Better still, to humbly bow ||1||Pause||
Sākaṯ har ras sāḏ na jāṇiā ṯin anṯar haumai kandā hey.
The faithless know not Your essence;
Like a thorn in the flesh is their Haumai*
Jio jio cẖalėh cẖubẖai ḏukẖ pāvahi jamkāl sahėh sir dandā hey. ||2||
Pushing deeper with every selfish act, bringing only sorrow and Death.
Har jan har har nām samāṇe ḏukẖ janam maraṇ bẖav kẖanda hey.
The faithful, absorbed in Naam, escape the pangs of birth and death,
Abẖināsī purakẖ pāiā parmesar baho sobẖ kẖand barahmandā hey. ||3||
For they have found You, the Imperishable Supreme Being,
Honored in the here and hereafter.
Ham garīb maskīn parabẖ ṯere har rākẖ rākẖ vad vadā hey.
We are poor and deprived, beggars at Your door,
Protect and secure us O Greatest of the great!
Jan Nānak nām aḏẖār tek hai har nāme hī sukẖ mandā hey. ||4||4||
Your servant Nanak finds sustenance and support in You and Your Name.
In Your Name, he finds rest and comfort. ||4|
Singing oneness!
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