Tek Ek Raghunath - Live Recording featuring Rajhesh Vaidhya

Live Recording of new track "Raghunath" 

The Team

With blessings of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru who gave his life for the freedom of belief, dedicated to my Guru, Late Pt. Raghunath Prasanna. Featuring the amazing veena maestro Rajhesh Vaidhya on the Veena (http://www.rajheshvaidhya.com). Thanks much to Janapriyan Levine (http://www.janapriyan.com) for his guitar and Suellen Primost for playing the cello on this track. Above all with much love and respects to my father, S. Preet Mohan Singh, for taking some video shots of the live recording. Recorded at the Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA by Jesse Nichols. I mixed and engineered this; it was quite laborious but I loved the result :)

Salok Mahala 9 

(Pronounced Shlok Mahalla Nauvaan)

These shlokas were written by Guru Tegh Bahadur.  Salok Mahala 9 are the saloks by the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur which form the concluding portion of the Guru Granth Sahib. They appear close to the end of the Sikh holy Granth from page 1426 to 1429. This composition consists of 57 (fifty seven) saloks. Of these I have sung 3 of them; I have plans of singing the complete selection at some point. It is believed, that this bani was composed by Guru Teg Bahadur while in the 'Kotwali' (prison) at Chandni Chowk, Delhi, before he achieved martyrdom.  But I believe this was composed before. This bani is read at a slower pace at the conclusion of the complete reading of the Guru Granth Sahib.  It is said to be a summary of wisdom in the holy book.

The beautiful words from Guru Tegh Bahadur (punjabi, hindi and english), followed by meanings: 

Meaning of Raghunath

I have written a separate note on what I mean when I sing Raghunath and why I don't "translate" Raghunath. 

Lyrics: Tek Ek Raghunath


ਸੰਗ ਸਖਾ ਸਭਿ ਤਜਿ ਗਏ ਕੋਊ ਨ ਨਿਬਹਿਓ ਸਾਥਿ ॥ 
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹ ਬਿਪਤਿ ਮੈ ਟੇਕ ਏਕ ਰਘੁਨਾਥ ॥੫੫॥

ਨਾਮੁ ਰਹਿਓ ਸਾਧੂ ਰਹਿਓ ਰਹਿਓ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦੁ ॥ 
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹ ਜਗਤ ਮੈ ਕਿਨ ਜਪਿਓ ਗੁਰ ਮੰਤੁ ॥੫੬॥

ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਉਰ ਮੈ ਗਹਿਓ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਸਮ ਨਹੀ ਕੋਇ ॥ 
ਜਿਹ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਸੰਕਟ ਮਿਟੈ ਦਰਸੁ ਤੁਹਾਰੋ ਹੋਇ ॥੫੭॥੧॥


संग सखा सभि तजि गए कोऊ न निबहिओ साथि ॥ 
कहु नानक इह बिपति मै टेक एक रघुनाथ ॥५५॥

नामु रहिओ साधू रहिओ रहिओ गुरु गोबिंदु ॥ 
कहु नानक इह जगत मै किन जपिओ गुर मंतु ॥५६॥

राम नामु उर मै गहिओ जा कै सम नही कोइ ॥ 
जिह सिमरत संकट मिटै दरसु तुहारो होइ ॥५७॥१॥


Sang sakẖā sabẖ ṯaj gae koū na nibhio sāth. 
Kaho Nānak ih bipaṯ mai tek ek ragẖunāth. ||55||

Nām rahio sāḏẖū rahio rahio gur gobinḏ.
Kaho Nānak ih jagaṯ mai kin japio gur manṯ. ||56|| 

Rām nām ur mai gahio jā kai sam nahī koe. 
Jih simraṯ sankat mitai ḏaras ṯuhāro hoe. ||57||1|| 

Translation/Meaning of Tek Ek Raghunath


My associates and companions have all deserted me; no one remains with me.
Says Nanak, in this tragedy, the Lord alone is my Support. ||55||

The Naam remains; the Holy Saints remain; the Guru, the Lord of the Universe, remains. Says Nanak, how rare are those who chant the Guru's Mantra in this world. ||56||

I have enshrined the Lord's Name within my heart; there is nothing equal to it. Meditating in remembrance on it, my troubles are taken away; I have received the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. ||57||1||

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