Category: Sikh Art

The Ninth Guru of the Sikhs and the Protector of the world, Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, was born today. The portrait of Guru ji that you see below is part of a larger painting. I have made some small improvements to this piece and have made it available to purchase just Guru ji’s portrait.

Guru Tegh Bahadur ji had many great insights to share with us. I have been contemplating his teachings for quite some time. Today I want to share one of his hymns with you.

Guru ji says –

ਜਾਗ ਲੇਹੁ ਰੇ ਮਨਾ ਜਾਗ ਲੇਹੁ ਕਹਾ ਗਾਫਲ ਸੋਇਆ ॥
Wake up!
O mind, wake up!
Why are you asleep unconsciously?

ਜੋ ਤਨੁ ਉਪਜਿਆ ਸੰਗ ਹੀ ਸੋ ਭੀ ਸੰਗਿ ਨ ਹੋਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Your body which has been with you till now, will not stay with you in the end.

ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਸੁਤ ਬੰਧ ਜਨ ਹਿਤੁ ਜਾ ਸਿਉ ਕੀਨਾ ॥ ਜੀਉ ਛੂਟਿਓ ਜਬ ਦੇਹ ਤੇ ਡਾਰਿ ਅਗਨਿ ਮੈ ਦੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
Your mother, father, children and relatives, whom you love, will throw your body into fire, when you pass away.

ਜੀਵਤ ਲਉ ਬਿਉਹਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਜਗ ਕਉ ਤੁਮ ਜਾਨਉ ॥
These relationships are there only while you are alive, know them [as an activity of the body, which will perish].

ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਇ ਲੈ ਸਭ ਸੁਫਨ ਸਮਾਨਉ ॥੨॥੨॥
Guru Tegh Bahadur ji says – sing the praises of Consciousness, all these things [body and its relationships] are a dream [within consciousness].

– Guru Granth Sahib, 726

Your parents, your aunts and uncles, your children, your other relatives, your teachers, your religious leaders, your employers, your governments, none of these are going to remain.

They cannot support you forever. They will either change with time or pass away.

Your body too, will pass away.

There is only one authority in the world that will support you till the end.

The only thing that will support you is Consciousness.

Consciousness is the screen where the story of your life is being played out.

If everything in your life was a lie, if all that you knew was fake, if everything you held dear turned out to be a smoke show, the only thing real in all this is Consciousness.

The experience may be false but the awareness of the experience can never be false. What you see may be fake, but the fact that you are seeing it, is not fake.

If you don’t think the world is fake, just give it some time, the world will show you its fakeness. People will reveal themselves to you in due time.

But Consciousness – This is the one thing you can rely on as 100% real in all instances of your life.

Along with the option to purchase prints, there is a longer contemplation in the link below, which you can listen to, as you watch the painting unfold.