Contemplate the Word of the Guru's Shabad, and be rid of your ego. True Yoga shall come to dwell in your mind. || 8 || He blessed you with body and soul, but you do not even think of Him. You fool! Visiting graves and cremation grounds is not Yoga. || 9 || Nanak chants the sublime, glorious Bani of the Word. Understand it, and appreciate it. || 10 || 5 || BASANT, FIRST MEHL: In duality and evil-mindedness, the mortal acts blindly. The self-willed manmukh wanders, lost in the darkness. || 1 || The blind man follows blind advice. Unless one takes the Guru's Way, his doubt is not dispelled. || 1 || Pause || The manmukh is blind; he does not like the Guru's Teachings. He has become a beast; he cannot get rid of his egotistical pride. || 2 || God created 8.4 million species of beings. My Lord and Master, by the Pleasure of His Will, creates and destroys them. || 3 || All are deluded and confused, without the Word of the Shabad and good conduct. He alone is instructed in this, who is blessed by the Guru, the Creator. || 4 || The Guru's servants are pleasing to our Lord and Master. The Lord forgives them, and they no longer fear the Messenger of Death. || 5 || Those who love the One Lord with all their heart - He dispels their doubts and unites them with Himself. || 6 || God is Independent, Endless and Infinite. The Creator Lord is pleased with Truth. || 7 || O Nanak, the Guru instructs the mistaken soul. He implants the Truth within him, and shows him the One Lord. || 8 || 6 || BASANT, FIRST MEHL: He Himself is the bumble bee, the fruit and the vine. He Himself unites us with the Sangat - the Congregation, and the Guru, our Best Friend. || 1 || O bumble bee, suck in that fragrance, which causes the trees to flower, and the woods to grow lush foliage. || 1 || Pause || He Himself is Lakshmi, and He Himself is her husband. He established the world by Word of His Shabad, and He Himself ravishes it. || 2 || He Himself is the calf, the cow and the milk. He Himself is the Support of the body-mansion. || 3 || He Himself is the Deed, and He Himself is the Doer. As Gurmukh, He contemplates Himself. || 4 || You create the creation, and gaze upon it, O Creator Lord. You give Your Support to the uncounted beings and creatures. || 5 || You are the Profound, Unfathomable Ocean of Virtue. You are the Unknowable, the Immaculate, the most Sublime Jewel. || 6 || You Yourself are the Creator, with the Potency to create. You are the Independent Ruler, whose people are at peace. || 7 || Nanak is satisfied with the subtle taste of the Lord's Name. || 8 || 7 ||

The nine regions, the seven continents, the fourteen worlds, the three qualities and the four ages - You established them all through the four sources of creation, and You seated them in Your mansions. He placed the four lamps, one by one, into the hands of the four ages. || 1 || O Merciful Lord, Destroyer of demons, Lord of Lakshmi, such is Your Power - Your Shakti. || 1 || Pause || Your army is the fire in the home of each and every heart. And Dharma - righteous living is the ruling chieftain. The earth is Your great cooking pot; Your beings receive their portions only once. Destiny is Your gate-keeper. || 2 ||

But the mortal becomes unsatisfied, and begs for more; his fickle mind brings him disgrace. Greed is the dark dungeon, and demerits are the shackles on his feet. || 3 || His wealth constantly batters him, and sin acts as the police officer. Whether the mortal is good or bad, he is as You look upon him, O Lord. || 4 || The Primal Lord God is called Allah. The Shaykh's turn has now come. The temples of the gods are subject to taxes; this is what it has come to. || 5 || The Muslim devotional pots, calls to prayer, prayers and prayer mats are everywhere; the Lord appears in blue robes. In each and every home, everyone uses Muslim greetings; your speech has changed, O people. || 6 || You, O my Lord and Master, are the King of the earth; what power do I have to challenge You? In the four directions, people bow in humble adoration to You; Your Praises are sung in each and every heart. || 7 || Making pilgrimages to sacred shrines, reading the Simritees and giving donations in charity - these do bring any profit. O Nanak, glorious greatness is obtained in an instant, remembering the Naam, the Name of the Lord. || 8 || 1 || 8 ||

Within the body-village there lives a child who cannot hold still, even for an instant. It makes so many efforts, and grows weary, but still, it wanders restlessly again and again. || 1 || O my Lord and Master, Your child has come home, to be one with You. Meeting the True Guru, he finds the Perfect Lord. Meditating and vibrating on the Name of the Lord, he receives the Insignia of the Lord. || 1 || Pause || These are dead corpses, these bodies of all the people of the world; the Name of the Lord does not dwell in them. The Guru leads us to taste the water of the Lord's Name, and then we savor and enjoy it, and our bodies are rejuvenated. || 2 || I have examined and studied and searched my entire body, and as Gurmukh, I behold a miraculous wonder. All the faithless cynics searched outside and died, but following the Guru's Teachings, I have found the Lord within the home of my own heart. || 3 || God is Merciful to the meekest of the meek; Krishna came to the house of Bidar, a devotee of low social status. Sudama loved God, who came to meet him; God sent everything to his home, and ended his poverty. || 4 || Great is the glory of the Name of the Lord. My Lord and Master Himself has enshrined it within me. Even if all the faithless cynics continue slandering me, it is not diminished by even one iota. || 5 || The Lord's Name is the praise of His humble servant. It brings him honor in the ten directions. The slanderers and the faithless cynics cannot endure it at all; they have set fire to their own houses. || 6 || The humble person meeting with another humble person obtains honor. In the glory of the Lord, their glory shines forth. The servants of my Lord and Master are loved by the Beloved. They are the slaves of His slaves. || 7 || The Creator Himself is the Water; He Himself unites us in His Union.

O Nanak, the Gurmukh is absorbed in celestial peace and poise, like water blending with water. || 8 || 1 || 9 ||

Listen to the stories of the devotees, O my mind, and meditate with love. Ajaamal uttered the Lord's Name once, and was saved. Baalmeek found the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. The Lord definitely met Dhroo. || 1 || I beg for the dust of the feet of Your Saints. Please bless me with Your Mercy, Lord, that I may apply it to my forehead. || 1 || Pause || Ganika the prostitute was saved, when her parrot uttered the Lord's Name. The elephant meditated on the Lord, and was saved. He delivered the poor Brahmin Sudama out of poverty. O my mind, you too must meditate and vibrate on the Lord of the Universe. || 2 || Even the hunter who shot an arrow at Krishna was saved. Kubija the hunchback was saved, when God placed His Feet on her thumb. Bidar was saved by his attitude of humility. O my mind, you too must meditate on the Lord. || 3 || The Lord Himself saved the honor of Prahlaad. Even when she was being disrobed in court, Dropatee's honor was preserved. Those who have served the Lord, even at the very last instant of their lives, are saved. O my mind, serve Him, and you shall be carried across to the other side. || 4 || Dhanna served the Lord, with the innocence of a child. Meeting with the Guru, Trilochan attained the perfection of the Siddhas. The Guru blessed Baynee with His Divine Illumination. O my mind, you too must be the Lord's slave. || 5 || Jai Dayv gave up his egotism. Sain the barber was saved through his selfless service. Do not let your mind waver or wander; do not let it go anywhere. O my mind, you too shall cross over; seek the Sanctuary of God. || 6 || O my Lord and Master, You have shown Your Mercy to them. You saved those devotees. You do not take their merits and demerits into account. Seeing these ways of Yours, I have dedicated my mind to Your service. || 7 || Kabeer meditated on the One Lord with love. Naam Dayv lived with the Dear Lord. Ravi Daas meditated on God, the Incomparably Beautiful. Guru Nanak Dayv is the Embodiment of the Lord of the Universe. || 8 || 1 || BASANT, FIFTH MEHL: The mortal wanders in reincarnation through countless lifetimes. Without meditating in remembrance on the Lord, he falls into hell. Without devotional worship, he is cut apart into pieces. Without understanding, he is punished by the Messenger of Death. || 1 || Meditate and vibrate forever on the Lord of the Universe, O my friend. Love forever the True Word of the Shabad. || 1 || Pause || Contentment does not come by any endeavors. All the show of Maya is just a cloud of smoke. The mortal does not hesitate to commit sins. Intoxicated with poison, he comes and goes in reincarnation. || 2 || Acting in egotism and self-conceit, his corruption only increases. The world is drowning in attachment and greed. Sexual desire and anger hold the mind in its power. Even in his dreams, he does not chant the Lord's Name. || 3 || Sometimes he is a king, and sometimes he is a beggar. The world is bound by pleasure and pain. The mortal makes no arrangements to save himself. The bondage of sin continues to hold him. || 4 || He has no beloved friends or companions.

He himself eats what he himself plants. He gathers up that which brings corruption; leaving them, the fool must depart in an instant. || 5 || He wanders in attachment to Maya. He acts in accordance with the karma of his past actions. Only the Creator Himself remains detached. God is not affected by virtue or vice. || 6 || Please save me, O Merciful Lord of the Universe! I seek Your Sanctuary, O Perfect Compassionate Lord. Without You, I have no other place of rest. Please take pity on me, God, and bless me with Your Name. || 7 || You are the Creator, and You are the Doer. You are High and Exalted, and You are totally Infinite. Please be merciful, and attach me to the hem of Your robe. Slave Nanak has entered the Sanctuary of God. || 8 || 2 ||

Meditate on the Lord's Name, and blossom forth in green abundance. By your high destiny, you have been blessed with this wondrous spring of the soul. See all the three worlds in bloom, and obtain the Fruit of Ambrosial Nectar. Meeting with the Holy Saints, peace wells up, and all sinful residues are erased. O Nanak, remember in meditation the One Name, and you shall never again be consigned to the womb of reincarnation.. || 1 || The five powerful desires are bound down, when you lean on the True Lord. The Lord Himself leads us to dwell at His Feet. He stands right in our midst. All sorrows and sicknesses are eradicated, and you become ever-fresh and rejuvenated. Night and day, meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. You shall never again die. And the One, from whom we came, O Nanak, into Him we merge once again. || 2 || Where do we come from? Where do we live? Where do we go in the end? All creatures belong to God, our Lord and Master. Who can place a value on Him? Those who meditate, listen and chant, those devotees are blessed and beautified. The Lord God is Inaccessible and Unfathomable; there is no other equal to Him. The Perfect Guru has taught this Truth. Nanak proclaims it to the world. || 3 || 1 ||

The earth is in bloom, and the sky is in bloom. Each and every heart has blossomed forth, and the soul is illumined. || 1 || My Sovereign Lord King blossoms forth in countless ways. Wherever I look, I see Him there pervading. || 1 || Pause || The four Vedas blossom forth in duality. The Simritees blossom forth, along with the Koran and the Bible. || 2 || Shiva blossoms forth in Yoga and meditation. Kabeer's Lord and Master pervades in all alike. || 3 || 1 || The Pandits, the Hindu religious scholars, are intoxicated, reading the Puraanas. The Yogis are intoxicated in Yoga and meditation. The Sannyaasees are intoxicated in egotism. The penitents are intoxicated with the mystery of penance. || 1 || All are intoxicated with the wine of Maya; no one is awake and aware. The thieves are with them, plundering their homes. || 1 || Pause || Suk Dayv and Akrur are awake and aware.

Hanuman with his tail is awake and aware. Shiva is awake, serving at the Lord's Feet. Naam Dayv and Jai Dayv are awake in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga. || 2 || There are many ways of being awake, and sleeping. To be awake as Gurmukh is the most excellent way. The most sublime of all the actions of this body, says Kabeer, is to meditate and vibrate on the Lord's Name. || 3 || 2 || The wife gives birth to her husband. The son leads his father in play. Without breasts, the mother nurses her baby. || 1 || Behold, people! This is how it is in the Dark Age of Kali Yuga. The son marries his mother. || 1 || Pause || Without feet, the mortal jumps. Without a mouth, he bursts into laughter. Without feeling sleepy, he lays down and sleeps. Without a churn, the milk is churned. || 2 || Without udders, the cow gives milk. Without travelling, a long journey is made. Without the True Guru, the path is not found. Says Kabeer, see this, and understand. || 3 || 3 || Prahlaad was sent to school. He took many of his friends along with him. He asked his teacher, "Why do you teach me about worldly affairs? Write the Name of the Dear Lord on my tablet." || 1 || O Baba, I will not forsake the Name of the Lord. I will not bother with any other lessons. || 1 || Pause || Sanda and Marka went to the king to complain. He sent for Prahlaad to come at once. He said to him, "Stop uttering the Lord's Name. I shall release you at once, if you obey my words." || 2 || Prahlaad answered, "Why do you annoy me, over and over again? God created the water, land, hills and mountains. I shall not forsake the One Lord; if I did, I would be going against my Guru. You might as well throw me into the fire and kill me." || 3 || The king became angry and drew his sword. "Show me your protector now!" So God emerged out of the pillar, and assumed a mighty form. He killed Harnaakhash, tearing him apart with his nails. || 4 || The Supreme Lord God, the Divinity of the divine, for the sake of His devotee, assumed the form of the man-lion. Says Kabeer, no one can know the Lord's limits. He saves His devotees like Prahlaad over and over again. || 5 || 4 || Within the body and mind are thieves like sexual desire, which has stolen my jewel of spiritual wisdom. I am a poor orphan, O God; unto whom should I complain? Who has not been ruined by sexual desire? What am I? || 1 || O Lord, I cannot endure this agonizing pain. What power does my fickle mind have against it? || 1 || Pause || Sanak, Sanandan, Shiva and Suk Dayv were born out of Brahma's naval chakra. The poets and the Yogis with their matted hair all lived their lives with good behavior. || 2 || You are Unfathomable; I cannot know Your depth. O God, Master of the meek, unto whom should I tell my pains? Please rid me of the pains of birth and death, and bless me with peace. Kabeer utters the Glorious Praises of God, the Ocean of peace. || 3 || 5 || There is one merchant and five traders. The twenty-five oxen carry false merchandise. There are nine poles which hold the ten bags. The body is tied by the seventy-two ropes. || 1 ||

I don't care at all about such commerce. It depletes my capital, and the interest charges only increase. || Pause || Weaving the seven threads together, they carry on their trade. They are led on by the karma of their past actions. The three tax-collectors argue with them. The traders depart empty-handed. || 2 || Their capital is exhausted, and their trade is ruined. The caravan is scattered in the ten directions. Says Kabeer, O mortal, your tasks will be accomplished, when you merge in the Celestial Lord; let your doubts run away. || 3 || 6 ||

The mother is impure, and the father is impure. The fruit they produce is impure. Impure they come, and impure they go. The unfortunate ones die in impurity. || 1 || Tell me, O Pandit, O religious scholar, which place is uncontaminated? Where should I sit to eat my meal? || 1 || Pause || The tongue is impure, and its speech is impure. The eyes and ears are totally impure. The impurity of the sexual organs does not depart; the Brahmin is burnt by the fire. || 2 || The fire is impure, and the water is impure. The place where you sit and cook is impure. Impure is the ladle which serves the food. Impure is the one who sits down to eat it. || 3 || Impure is the cow dung, and impure is the kitchen square. Impure are the lines that mark it off. Says Kabeer, they alone are pure, who have obtained pure understanding. || 4 || 1 || 7 ||

Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss. My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. || 1 || Pause || One day, a desire welled up in my mind. I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils. I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there. That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. || 1 || Wherever I go, I find water and stones. You are totally pervading and permeating in all. I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas. I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. || 2 || I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru. You have cut through all my confusion and doubt. Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God. The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. || 3 || 1 ||

If the servant runs away when his master is in trouble, he will not have a long life, and he brings shame to all his family. || 1 || I shall not abandon devotional worship of You, O Lord, even if the people laugh at me. The Lord's Lotus Feet abide within my heart. || 1 || Pause || The mortal will even die for the sake of his wealth; in the same way, the Saints do not forsake the Lord's Name. || 2 || Pilgrimages to the Ganges, the Gaya and the Godawari are merely worldly affairs.

If the Lord were totally pleased, then He would let Naam Dayv be His servant. || 3 || 1 || The tidal waves of greed constantly assault me. My body is drowning, O Lord. || 1 || Please carry me across the world-ocean, O Lord of the Universe. Carry me across, O Beloved Father. || 1 || Pause || I cannot steer my ship in this storm. I cannot find the other shore, O Beloved Lord. || 2 || Please be merciful, and unite me with the True Guru; carry me across, O Lord. || 3 || Says Naam Dayv, I do not know how to swim. Give me Your Arm, give me Your Arm, O Beloved Lord. || 4 || 2 || Slowly at first, the body-cart loaded with dust starts to move. Later, it is driven on by the stick. || 1 || The body moves along like the ball of dung, driven on by the dung-beetle. The beloved soul goes down to the pool to wash itself clean. || 1 || Pause || The washerman washes, imbued with the Lord's Love. My mind is imbued with the Lord's Lotus Feet. || 2 || Prays Naam Dayv, O Lord, You are All-pervading. Please be kind to Your devotee. || 3 || 3 ||

You know nothing. Seeing your clothes, you are so proud of yourself. The proud bride shall not find a place with the Lord. Above your head, the crow of death is cawing. || 1 || Why are you so proud? You are insane. Even the mushrooms of summer live longer than you. || 1 || Pause || The deer does not know the secret; the musk is within its own body, but it searches for it outside. Whoever reflects on his own body - the Messenger of Death does not abuse him. || 2 || The man is so proud of his sons and his wife; his Lord and Master shall call for his account. The soul suffers in pain for the actions it has committed. Afterwards, whom shall you call, "Dear, Dear." || 3 || If you seek the Support of the Holy, millions upon millions of your sins shall be totally erased. Says Ravi Daas, one who chants the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is not concerned with social class, birth and rebirth. || 4 || 1 ||