Radhasoamis and Yogis claim that the Anhad Shabad are 5 in number and they use Gurbani Shabads containing "Panch Shabad" to prove their point that there are 5 kinds of Anhad Shabad. The word "Panch" also means superior or great. "Panch Shabad" actually means superior or celestial Shabads that Gurmukhs hear when their Dasam Duaar opens up. Below is a very interesting story from Bhai Sahib's life, and that sheds a great deal on Anhad Shabads. This Saakhi has been taken from Bhai Sahib's book "Anhad Shabad Dasam Duaar". It's not a direct translation.

Once a gursikh came to Bhai Sahib and started talking about Anhad Shabad. He said that he could now clearly hear the bell ring, sometimes the roaring of clouds and even a flute. He wanted to confirm his spiritual state with Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib in response to his question said that he did not hear any of these voices and sounds i.e. instrumental sounds. At this he got greatly disheartened.

Bhai Sahib asked him what exactly he was doing while doing abhyaas. He said that he had a black dot on the wall for dhyaan (concentration) and he does one Siri Sukhmani Sahib paath looking at the dot. Then he kept his mind quiet and tried to listen to the five kinds of celestial sounds (as written by Yogis and Radhasoamis). After a while he started hearing faint sounds of ringing bells, waterfall, flute etc. The black dot too illuminated and this really motivated him and he started thinking that he was listening to Anhad Shabad.

Bhai Sahib did not doubt what he was telling because Bhai Sahib knew that this person was telling the truth. Bhai Sahib told him that they would discuss this again the next day. That day at night Bhai Sahib sat in Smadhi and tried to hear the five sounds this person was mentioning. He could not hear anything other than Gurmat Anhad Shabad (Sifat Salaah that occurs in Sachkhand). From this high spiritual state, Bhai Sahib brought down his surtee to a much lower level and he was surprised to hear that all five sounds that the Gursikh had mentioned could be heard at different levels. Bhai Sahib has written that there was not even 1/millionth anand or bliss in these instrumental sounds as compared to the Gurmat Anhad Shabad. Bhai Sahib had never delved in these mystical realms since they were at a much lower level as compared to Gurmat Dasam Duar.

Bhai Sahib came out of smadhi and immediately went to that gursikh who had asked this question from Bhai Sahib and told him that he was totally engaged in wrong anti-Gurmat practices. Bhai Sahib narrated to him about his experience and told him that little bit of concentration that he had was a result of Siri Sukhmani Sahib paath and he started hearing those instrumental sounds. Bhai Sahib said that these spiritual realms were lower than the lofty spiritual realms of Gurmat. Bhai Sahib told him that Gurmat Anhad Shabad is way superior to the 5 so called Anhad Shabads.

From this saakhi of Bhai Sahib we learn that these five shabads that Radhasoamis talk about do exist but they are not attained by the way they work in it. Actually these five shabads are the invention or discovery of Yogis and RS has just adopted their theory. Gurmat does not believe in limited 5 shabads. Panch Shabad in Gurbani does not mean 5 Shabad but Panch means superior or greatest shabads. Gurmat believes in “Vajae Shabad Ghanaray” i.e. countless shabads and not only 5.

Bhul Chuk dee Maafi jee. The above is based on Bhai Sahib's book - Anhad Shabad Dasam Duaar.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh