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Samrath Guru

Sometime last year I heard this haunting melody from Nirinjan Kaur ... and fell in love with it. Since then I have been singing it and recording it and adding instruments to it gradually. Thanks to Rajesh Prasanna for his bansuri, Kimberly Foree for her oboe and Christine Linge for background vocals.


A note about the translation on the video -- it is not possible to translate gurbani so these are just my feelings while singing this shabad. These can change depending on the day I sing it. It is just a snapshot of what my thinking was one day. If you really want to understand the meaning of the shabad, I encourage you to do your own interpretation ...

Samrath Guru Sir Hath Dhareo Gur keeni kripa harnaam dio, Jis dekh charan aghan hareo Nis baasur ek saman dhian, Su naam sunay sut bhaan dareo Bhan daas su aas jagatra guru ki, Paaras bet, paras kareo Ramdas guru har sat kio, Samrath guru sirhath dhareo ਸਮਰਥ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਿਰਿ ਹਥੁ ਧਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ ॥ समरथ गुरू सिरि हथु धर्यउ ॥ Samrath gurū sir hath ḏẖar▫ya▫o. The All-powerful Guru placed His hand upon my head. ਸਿਰਿ = ਸਿਰ ਉਤੇ। ਸਮਰੱਥ ਗੁਰੂ (ਅਮਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ) ਨੇ (ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਦੇ) ਸਿਰ ਉੱਤੇ ਹੱਥ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਹੈ। ਗੁਰਿ ਕੀਨੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦੀਅਉ ਜਿਸੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਚਰੰਨ ਅਘੰਨ ਹਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ ॥ गुरि कीनी क्रिपा हरि नामु दीअउ जिसु देखि चरंन अघंन हर्यउ ॥ Gur kīnī kirpā har nām ḏī▫a▫o jis ḏekẖ cẖarann agẖann har▫ya▫o. The Guru was kind, and blessed me with the Lord's Name. Gazing upon His Feet, my sins were dispelled. ਗੁਰਿ = ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ। ਜਿਸੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਚਰੰਨ = ਜਿਸ (ਗੁਰੂ) ਦੇ ਚਰਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ। ਅਘੰਨ = ਪਾਪ। ਹਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ = ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਗਏ। ਜਿਸ (ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ) ਦੇ ਚਰਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕੀਤਿਆਂ ਪਾਪ ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਸ ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ ਮਿਹਰ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ, (ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ) ਹਰੀ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਿਆ ਹੈ; ਨਿਸਿ ਬਾਸੁਰ ਏਕ ਸਮਾਨ ਧਿਆਨ ਸੁ ਨਾਮ ਸੁਨੇ ਸੁਤੁ ਭਾਨ ਡਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ ॥ निसि बासुर एक समान धिआन सु नाम सुने सुतु भान डर्यउ ॥ Nis bāsur ek samān ḏẖi▫ān so nām sune suṯ bẖān dar▫ya▫o. Night and day, the Guru meditates on the One Lord; hearing His Name, the Messenger of Death is scared away. ਨਿਸਿ ਬਾਸੁਰ = ਰਾਤ ਦਿਨ। ਬਾਸੁਰ = ਦਿਨ। ਏਕ ਸਮਾਨ = ਇੱਕ-ਰਸ। ਸੁਤੁ ਭਾਨ = ਸੂਰਜ ਦਾ ਪੁਤ੍ਰ, ਜਮ। ਭਾਨ = ਸੂਰਜ। ਸੁਨੇ = ਸੁਨਿ, ਸੁਣ ਕੇ। (ਉਸ ਨਾਮ ਵਿਚ ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਦਾ) ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤ ਇੱਕ-ਰਸ ਧਿਆਨ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਨਾਮ ਦੇ ਸੁਣਨ ਨਾਲ ਜਮ-ਰਾਜ (ਭੀ) ਡਰਦਾ ਹੈ (ਭਾਵ, ਨੇੜੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਉਂਦਾ)। ਭਨਿ ਦਾਸ ਸੁ ਆਸ ਜਗਤ੍ਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀ ਪਾਰਸੁ ਭੇਟਿ ਪਰਸੁ ਕਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ ॥ भनि दास सु आस जगत्र गुरू की पारसु भेटि परसु कर्यउ ॥ Bẖan ḏās so ās jagṯar gurū kī pāras bẖet paras kar▫ya▫o. So speaks the Lord's slave: Guru Raam Daas placed His Faith in Guru Amar Daas, the Guru of the World; touching the Philosopher's Stone, He was transformed into the Philosopher's Stone. ਭਨਿ = ਆਖ। ਦਾਸ = ਹੇ ਦਾਸ (ਨਲ੍ਯ੍ਯ) ਕਵੀ! ਜਗਤ੍ਰ ਗੁਰੂ = ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਗੁਰੂ। ਪਾਰਸੁ ਭੇਟਿ = ਪਾਰਸ (ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ) ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ। ਪਰਸੁ = ਪਰਸਨ-ਯੋਗ (ਪਾਰਸੁ)। ਕਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ = ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਦਾਸ (ਨਲ੍ਯ੍ਯ ਕਵੀ!) ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਕੇਵਲ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਹੀ ਆਸ ਹੈ, ਪਾਰਸ (ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ) ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਆਪ ਭੀ ਪਰਸਨ-ਜੋਗ (ਪਾਰਸ ਹੀ) ਹੋ ਗਏ ਹਨ। ਰਾਮਦਾਸੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਸਤਿ ਕੀਯਉ ਸਮਰਥ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਿਰਿ ਹਥੁ ਧਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ ॥੭॥੧੧॥ रामदासु गुरू हरि सति कीयउ समरथ गुरू सिरि हथु धर्यउ ॥७॥११॥ Rāmḏās gurū har saṯ kī▫ya▫o samrath gurū sir hath ḏẖar▫ya▫o. ||7||11|| Guru Raam Daas recognized the Lord as True; the All-powerful Guru placed His hand upon His head. ||7||11|| ਸਤਿ = ਅਟੱਲ ॥੭॥੧੧॥ ਹਰੀ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਅਟੱਲ ਕਰ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਹੈ, (ਕਿਉਂਕਿ) ਸਮਰੱਥ ਗੁਰੂ (ਅਮਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ) ਨੇ (ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ) ਸਿਰ ਉਤੇ ਹੱਥ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ" ॥੭॥੧੧॥

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