Jivat maray

Manjeet Singh | OPINION |

Question from a Satsanggi: You quoted this line from Bani. What does it mean? And when does one live then?

Gur parsadi jivat maray hukmay bujhay soi

ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਜੀਵਤੁ ਮਰੈ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਬੂਝੈ ਸੋਇ ॥

With the Guru’s grace if one dies whilst still living one understands His hukam.

Nanak aisi marnee jo maray ta sadh jivan hoi

ਨਾਨਕ ਐਸੀ ਮਰਨੀ ਜੋ ਮਰੈ ਤਾ ਸਦ ਜੀਵਣੁ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

Nanak – one who dies such a death lives forever.

(SGGS Ang 555, Raag Bihagra M.3.)

Jivat maray is a very important concept in Gurbani.

We all have inner passions. They drive us to act and such actions result in karmic baggage.

As one takes to Gurbani, lives his life in accordance with the wisdom of Bani, he attracts the grace of the Guru. His avastha becomes so high that maya has no effect on him and he is no longer ruled by his passions (kaam, krodh, etc).

Such a person becomes jivat maray or jivan mukat i.e liberated whilst still alive. Such a person carries on living but he is no longer selfish. He lives with the realization that he is part of a huge order and every act of his is selfless. Rather, every act of his is in the sewa of the Guru.

Such a person gets release from aava gavan i.e janam maran as his liv is absorbed in the Lord with himself. As he leaves the body, the transition is seamless since he is already merged.

Those who do not merge while alive i.e do not become jivan mukat…

At SGGS Ang 648. Mehala.1.

Ek dajjay ek dabiye eikna kuttay khaiye.

ਇਕ ਦਝਹਿ ਇਕ ਦਬੀਅਹਿ ਇਕਨਾ ਕੁਤੇ ਖਾਹਿ ॥

Some are cremated, and some are buried; some are eaten by dogs.

Ek paani vich usatiye ek bhi fir hassan paiye.

ਇਕਿ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਿਚਿ ਉਸਟੀਅਹਿ ਇਕਿ ਭੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਹਸਣਿ ਪਾਹਿ ॥

Some are thrown into water, while others are thrown into wells

Nanak eev na jaapeye kithay jaai samaiye’ .”

ਨਾਨਕ ਏਵ ਨ ਜਾਪਈ ਕਿਥੈ ਜਾਇ ਸਮਾਹਿ ॥੨॥

O Nanak, it is not known, where they go and into what they merge. ||2||

Guruji says it is impossible to say where such jeev will go because an infinite number of things are taken into account. But in many other places in Gurbani we are told such jeevs suffer terribly.

Nanga dozak chaliya ta dissay khara daravnaa..

ਨੰਗਾ ਦੋਜਕਿ ਚਾਲਿਆ ਤਾ ਦਿਸੈ ਖਰਾ ਡਰਾਵਣਾ ॥

(He goes to hell naked, and he looks hideous then).

Bhai Manjeet Singh, now retired, started Shabad Veechar discussion groups in 2002 while running law firm in Kuala Lumpur. You can find his writings and audio recordings here. This article first appeared here.