ਜੇ ਕਰਿ ਉਧਰੀ ਪੂਤਨਾ ਵਿਹੁ ਪੀਆਲਣੁ ਕੰਮ ਨ ਚੰਗਾ॥
ਗਨਿਕਾ ਉਧਰੀ ਆਖੀਐ ਪਰ ਘਰਿ ਜਾਇ ਨ ਲਈਐ ਪੰਗਾ॥
ਬਾਲਮੀਕੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਿਆ ਮਾਰੈ ਵਾਟ ਨ ਹੋਇ ਨਿਸੰਗਾ॥
ਫੰਧਕਿ ਉਧਰੈ ਆਖੀਅਨਿ ਫਾਹੀ ਪਾਇ ਨ ਫੜੀਐ ਟੰਗਾ॥
ਜੇ ਕਸਾਈ ਉਧਰਿਆ ਜੀਆ ਘਾਇ ਨ ਖਾਈਐ ਭੰਗਾ॥
ਪਾਰਿ ਉਤਾਰੈ ਬੋਹਿਥਾ ਸੁਇਨਾ ਲੋਹੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਇਕ ਰੰਗਾ॥
ਇਤੁ ਭਰਵਾਸੈ ਰਹਣੁ ਕੁਢੰਗਾ ॥9॥

In spiritual history of this world, there have been some incidents whereby some very fortunate people got delivered, even when their apparent Karma in their pertinent life, were not very good. They were doing bad Karma but still in the end got delivered. Some people using their life as an evidence, continue to indulge in bad Karma and expect to get salvation in the end. What they don't understand is that these people whom Bhai Gurdaas jee has mentioned, must have done some really solid good Karma in their previous lives, which enabled them to get delivered despite their bad Karma in this life.

Bhai Gurdaas jee has used several examples from the spiritual history of this world, to admonish us from doing bad Karma. Let's look at each Pankiti one by one:

ਜੇ ਕਰਿ ਉਧਰੀ ਪੂਤਨਾ ਵਿਹੁ ਪੀਆਲਣੁ ਕੰਮ ਨ ਚੰਗਾ॥
Pootna was an evil woman who tried to kill Siri Krishna by applying poison to her breasts, while milk-feeding him. She got killed by the infant Siri Krishna but since she got killed by an Avatar of that time, she went to Baikunth (abode of Siri Krishna in Gyaan Khand). Bhai Sahib jee is saying that even though Pootna got salvation despite trying to poison Siri Krishna, still we should not get indulged in the evil act of poisoning others.

ਗਨਿਕਾ ਉਧਰੀ ਆਖੀਐ ਪਰ ਘਰਿ ਜਾਇ ਨ ਲਈਐ ਪੰਗਾ॥
Ganika the prostitute got salvation because she met Sadhu Jan whom she served earnestly. They got pleased at her and gave her a parrot to teach it how to chant Naam. While teaching the parrot how to chant Naam, she herself got hooked to it and got salvation. Bhai Sahib jee is saying that because Ganika got salvation through meeting Sadhu Jan, despite her bad past, we should not get involved in such activities as her (Kaamic activities).

ਬਾਲਮੀਕੁ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਿਆ ਮਾਰੈ ਵਾਟ ਨ ਹੋਇ ਨਿਸੰਗਾ॥
Balmika used to rob travellers. Once he tried to rob Rishis (holy sages) who asked him why he was doing such evil acts. He replied that he was doing so for his family. They further inquired if his family for whom he does all the evil acts, would share his burden of bad Karma in the next world. He started wondering but was confident that his family would share his bad Karma because after all he was doing everything for his relatives. The Rishis promised not to run and asked him to confirm with his family. Balmika went home and asked his parents and wife if they would share his bad Karma of robbing people. To his surprise, they all refused to share his bad Karma and said that it was his duty to feed them but they were not obligated to share his Karma. Balmika was shocked and came back to the Rishis for guidance. They gave him updesh and in due time Balmika gave up all his evil acts and became a holy person. Bhai Sahib jee is saying that since Balmika the robber got salvation despite his bad past, it does not mean that we should shamelessly rob travellers.

ਫੰਧਕਿ ਉਧਰੈ ਆਖੀਅਨਿ ਫਾਹੀ ਪਾਇ ਨ ਫੜੀਐ ਟੰਗਾ॥
The hunter who shot at Siri Krishna accidently while he was hunting for a deer, got salvation for his act. Siri Krishna had a Padam in his foot and he was lying down in the jungle with his one leg on his other knee. From far away, the Padam in his foot seemed like an eye of the deer as it was shining. The hunter shot at his foot, injuring Siri Krishna. When he came to Siri Krishna, he was horrified at what he had done. He apologised. Siri Krishna pardoned him and took him to his abode in Baikunth (Gyaan Khand). Bhai Sahib jee is saying that just because one hunter got salvation while hunting, it does not mean that we should indulge in the act of hunting and killing creatures.

ਜੇ ਕਸਾਈ ਉਧਰਿਆ ਜੀਆ ਘਾਇ ਨ ਖਾਈਐ ਭੰਗਾ॥

I think this reference is for Sadhna the butcher. Once Sadhna got a customer late in the evening. The customer wanted meat but Sadhna had run out of stock. He did not want to lose the customer but at the same time he did not want to slaughter a goat for little meat because if he slaughtered the goat in the evening, the remaining meat would get spoiled by the next day since in those days they did not used to have fridges and freezers to store meat. So he thought of just cutting off a leg of the goat and slaughter the animal, the next day. As he was about to cut of the leg of the goat, the goat instead of crying, started laughing. Sadhna could not believe what he was seeing. He inadvertently asked the goat why it was laughing. The goat to his surprise spoke and said that for many lives they had been killing each other as they switched roles i.e. became goat in some lives and butcher in other but that in this life, Sadhna was starting a new Karma by just cutting of the leg of the goat. Sadhna was surprised to hear this and right away threw away the knife, gave up the work of butcher and started doing Bhagti. In due time, he became a great Bhagat. Bhai Sahib jee is saying that just because Sadhna the butcher got salvation, it does not mean that we should kill creatures and eat them. This Pankiti of Bhai Gurdaas jee is a formidable proof against eating meat.

Basically the purpose of this Pauri is to discourage us from leading a life of sin. The sins mentioned in this Pauri are as follows:

1. Poisoning people i.e. killing people. This is a huge sin that should be avoided at all cost. Taking a life is a huge negative Karma.

2. Indulging in Kaamic activities. Kaam is the main reason why Jeevs come in countless life-forms and take birth again and again. By indulging in Kaam with anyone, it creates a lot of Karmic debt for both parties and both have to come back again and again to exhaust this Karmic debt. While exhausting old Kaamic Karmic debt, they create much new debt and the cycle can never end on it's own. Only Naam Abhyaas can cleanse one of this debt.

3. Robbing people is a sin. Under this category cheating and stealing too is covered.

4. Hunting is a bad Karma. People hunt for thrill and fun. Just for entertainment, they take numerous lives. It is a very bad Karma and should be avoided.

5. The profession of a butcher involves many bad Karma. A butcher kills countless creatures all his life and imagine how many times will the butcher himself get killed in the same way. One should avoid this bad Karma in all forms i.e. one should not be involved in butchering directly or indirectly. Even if one is not directly killing the animal but is selling meat or transporting meat, one would incur bad Karma to some extent. Similarly eating meat too is a sin and should be avoided at all cost. If we can survive with plants and milk etc. why should we do the bad Karma of slaughtering animals and eating them?

Kulbir Singh