ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥

ਜੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਚੈ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਲੋਚੀਐ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਮੇਟਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥

I personally got stuck at these Pankitis many years ago because outwardly, it seems as if even Naam Abhyaas cannot erase the debt of past Karma but fact of the matter is that there is no such thing that is impossible to attain through Naam Abhyaas. Let's explore these Pankitis more deeply.

Quote

ਜੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਚੈ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਲੋਚੀਐ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਮੇਟਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
Even if you chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, with great longing, your past actions are still not erased.
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਭਾਣਾ ਭਗਤੀ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਸੇ ਭਗਤ ਪਏ ਦਰਿ ਥਾਇ ॥੩॥
The Lord's devotees surrender to His Will; those devotees are accepted at His Door. ||3||
I always thought naam is what erases our past actions. I'm confused.


The English translation is wrong and very misleading. Gurbani is full of praise and glory of Naam and Naami Vaheguru. The translation of the first Pankiti comes in direct contradiction with countless Gurbani Pankitis that state that all sorrows and Karmic debts get erased through Naam Abhyaas.

The first Pankiti is geared towards Manmukhs and their subject is continuing from the previous stanza:

ਵਿਣੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪਰਤੀਤਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਨਾਮਿ ਨ ਲਾਗੋ ਭਾਉ ॥
ਸੁਪਨੈ ਸੁਖੁ ਨ ਪਾਵਈ ਦੁਖ ਮਹਿ ਸਵੈ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੨॥


In the above stanza which precedes the stanza in question, Guru Sahib is stating that without Satguru, faith does not come and love/devotion in Naam is not attained. Such person (who is devoid of Satguru) does not get comfort even in dream and sleeps and eventualy dies in sorrow. The next two Pankitis are the Pankitis in question:


ਜੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਚੈ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਲੋਚੀਐ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਮੇਟਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਭਾਣਾ ਭਗਤੀ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਸੇ ਭਗਤ ਪਏ ਦਰਿ ਥਾਇ ॥੩॥


The first Pankiti states that if someone wishes very much (ਬਹੁਤੁ ਲੋਚੀਐ) that such Manmukh person (as stated in the previous stanza) may indulge in doing Har Har (ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਚੈ) i.e. Naam Abhyaas, still such wish does not come out true because destiny (written as per past Karma) does not get erased. On the other hand, Bhagat jan, who obey the Will of Vaheguru, they get accepted at the doorstep of Vaheguru.

The Pankiti does not say that by doing Naam Abhyaas the Karmic debt is not erased but the Pankiti is saying that no matter how much you wish for an incorrigible Manmukh to get engaged in Naam Simran, still Manmukhs don't become Naam Abhyaasis if they don't have this Pralabadh-Karma written in their destiny. Only such people who are destined to meet Satguru can become Gurmukhs. Others live and die as Manmuks.

Gurbani is Agam Agaadh Bodh.

Kulbir Singh

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I personally got stuck at these Pankitis many years ago because outwardly, it seems as if even Naam Abhyaas cannot erase the debt of past Karma but fact of the matter is that there is no such thing that is impossible to attain through Naam Abhyaas. Let's explore these Pankitis more deeply.

Quote

ਜੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਚੈ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਲੋਚੀਐ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਮੇਟਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
Even if you chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, with great longing, your past actions are still not erased.
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਭਾਣਾ ਭਗਤੀ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਸੇ ਭਗਤ ਪਏ ਦਰਿ ਥਾਇ ॥੩॥
The Lord's devotees surrender to His Will; those devotees are accepted at His Door. ||3||
I always thought naam is what erases our past actions. I'm confused.


The English translation is wrong and very misleading. Gurbani is full of praise and glory of Naam and Naami Vaheguru. The translation of the first Pankiti comes in direct contradiction with countless Gurbani Pankitis that state that all sorrows and Karmic debts get erased through Naam Abhyaas.

The first Pankiti is geared towards Manmukhs and their subject is continuing from the previous stanza:

ਵਿਣੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪਰਤੀਤਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਨਾਮਿ ਨ ਲਾਗੋ ਭਾਉ ॥
ਸੁਪਨੈ ਸੁਖੁ ਨ ਪਾਵਈ ਦੁਖ ਮਹਿ ਸਵੈ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੨॥


In the above stanza which precedes the stanza in question, Guru Sahib is stating that without Satguru, faith does not come and love/devotion in Naam is not attained. Such person (who is devoid of Satguru) does not get comfort even in dream and sleeps and eventualy dies in sorrow. The next two Pankitis are the Pankitis in question:


ਜੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਚੈ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਲੋਚੀਐ ਕਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਮੇਟਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਭਾਣਾ ਭਗਤੀ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਸੇ ਭਗਤ ਪਏ ਦਰਿ ਥਾਇ ॥੩॥


The first Pankiti states that if someone wishes very much (ਬਹੁਤੁ ਲੋਚੀਐ) that such Manmukh person (as stated in the previous stanza) may indulge in doing Har Har (ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਚੈ) i.e. Naam Abhyaas, still such wish does not come out true because destiny (written as per past Karma) does not get erased. On the other hand, Bhagat jan, who obey the Will of Vaheguru, they get accepted at the doorstep of Vaheguru.

The Pankiti does not say that by doing Naam Abhyaas the Karmic debt is not erased but the Pankiti is saying that no matter how much you wish for an incorrigible Manmukh to get engaged in Naam Simran, still Manmukhs don't become Naam Abhyaasis if they don't have this Pralabadh-Karma written in their destiny. Only such people who are destined to meet Satguru can become Gurmukhs. Others live and die as Manmuks.

Gurbani is Agam Agaadh Bodh.

Kulbir Singh

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