Submitted by: S. Kaur

Today I took a random hukamnama from www.sikhitothemax.com and the shabad that came up is by Bhagat Fareed Ji, a renown and devout Bhagat whose Bani (songs, poems, and/or writings) is included in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. This is the shabad:

(This Shabad is by Bhagat Sheikh Fareed Ji in Salok Fareed Jee on Pannaa 1380)

PrIdwkoTyDukxukyqVwiprnIdVIinvwir ]
fareedhaa kot(h)ae dhhukan kaetharraa pir needharree nivaar ||
Fareed, how long can you run on the rooftop? You are asleep to your Husband Lord - give it up!

joidhlDygwxvygeyivlwiVivlwiV ]56]
jo dhih ladhhae gaanavae geae vilaarr vilaarr ||56||
The days which were allotted to you are numbered, and they are passing, passing away. ||56||

Usually when I take a Hukamnama I expect a shabad about God, or love, or the Guru. This time it was something very serious and I was quite shocked by it. I realized, however, that Guru Sahib shows us these shabads to make us realize that we often take our lives for granted. I recall being reminded recently about how with every passing day, our death is coming closer, and our youth is slowly sliding away. Many people ignore this topic because they consider it to be depressing, but I think it is essential to wake up and realize how quickly our lives are passing, and what we need to do about it.

In the past two years, 2004 and 2005, the sangat in Canada and elsewhere has seen several amazing Gursikhs pass away, for example, Charnjit Singh, Parminder Singh, Rena Kaur, Baba Thakur Singh, Giani Amolak Singh, Gyani Sant Singh Maskeen, Yogi Bhajan, and the list goes on. These people were all jewels of the Khalsa Panth and losing each of them, one by one, should make us realize something. We all expect to live forever, we all expect to get married, have children, age, and live our lives according to worldly standards. We never realize that our fortunes (karam) and God’s plan for us may be different. We are missing out on the key component of Sikhism or the basic element of being a holy person -

pihlwmrxukbUiljIvxkICifAws ]
pehilaa maran kabool jeevan kee shhadd aas ||
First, accept death, and give up any hope of life

hohusBnwkIryxukwqauAwauhmwrYpwis ]1]
hohu sabhanaa kee raenukaa tho aao hamaarai paas ||1||
Become the dust of the feet of all, and then, you may come to me. ||1||

Rather than walking onto the Guru’s Path by following His teachings, keeping our hair, reciting the daily prayers with love and devotion, rising up at Amrit Vela, taking Amrit from the Panj Pyare, and without surrendering ourselves to the Guru’s divine Will, how will we expect to get anywhere in this life? What is the purpose of a life without devotion to one cause, especially for the youth that are given Sikhi as an option to follow? If we can be in peace forever by serving the Guru, why do we choose to surrender to Maya and laziness rather than work hard to be soldiers of God?

I do not know about you, the person reading this short article, but I know that I personally must realize how short my life may be. I know that I must start doing simran and Paat as often as I can. I know that I must hold on to Guru Nanak Dev Ji, hoping that He will always keep me absorbed in His Charan (lotus feet). I know I need to create a home for myself in Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s abode. I know I need to become a true and strong, fearless and beautiful, forever virtuous and pure, independent and humble Warrior Princess Daughter of Guru Gobind Singh Ji - before my time runs out.

What about you?