Prince Dara Shikoh Longing for Guru Ji's Darshan
Dara Shikoh Receives Darshan of Guru Ji & his Plea
As some time passed, after losing the battle against his brother Aurangzeb, he travelled out of Delhi and finally came to the sanctuary of Guru Har Rai Ji Maharaj. When Dara Shikoh had the holy glimpse of Guru Ji, he humbly pleaded to Guru Mahraj to give him a teaching so he gets free from the worldly entanglements and to realise his true self (Brahm) which shall liberate him from sufferings of reincarnations. It is to be noted that at this time, Dara Shikoh was a saintly person himself having endured a life of spirituality and this was his final step to get his veil of duality removed by Guru Maharaj so that he attains Brahm Gyan leading to liberation.
Related article on mind impurities: https://aspiringbegampuri.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-mind-and-its-impurities.html
Guru Ji's Teachings
Importance of Satguru Assistance (Sahaita)
Looking at how the devotion and genuineness of the son of the emperor, Guru Mahraj was impressed with the purity of his thinking despite being born in the house of Mughals royalty. Guru Mahraj praised him of having the desire to merge into Parmatma and all the efforts he has been putting in to accomplish this desire as there is no higher effort than the effort put to meet Parmatma. Guru Mahraj said everyone is finding some sort of Sukh in life, and none of this Sukh is obtained without assistance from someone. Even though we have the strength to do something ourself, having assistance gives us the confidence of achieveing the goal. In the same way, in your goal of attaining Brahm Gyan, having the assistance of the true Naam will help you achieve it easier. Whoever Guru Nanak Dev ji blesses with the true Naam, he gains Brahm Gyan easily as all the obstacles are removed. This path of Bhagti cannot be walked upon without having a Guru. Guru Ji then procedeed to recite shabad of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Mahraj of Raag Aasa (in Aasa di Vaar) to further emphasise the importance of assistance of Guru Mahraj:
ਮ꞉ ੧ ॥
First Mehl:
ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰੂ ਨ ਚੇਤਨੑੀ ਮਨਿ ਆਪਣੈ ਸੁਚੇਤ ॥
O Nanak, those who do not think of the Guru (or in the form of the Sanggat), and who think of themselves as clever (to attain enlightenment on their own),
ਛੁਟੇ ਤਿਲ ਬੂਆੜ ਜਿਉ ਸੁੰਞੇ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਖੇਤ ॥
Shall be left abandoned in the field, like the scattered sesame.
ਖੇਤੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਛੁਟਿਆ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਉ ਨਾਹ ॥
They are abandoned in the field, says Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and they have no master.
ਫਲੀਅਹਿ ਫੁਲੀਅਹਿ ਬਪੁੜੇ ਭੀ ਤਨ ਵਿਚਿ ਸੁਆਹ ॥੩॥
The wretches bear fruit and flower, but within their bodies, they are filled with ashes. ||3||
Guru Mahraj also recited another shabad of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Mahraj from Salok Varaan Te Vadeek:
ਜੇ ਤੂੰ ਤਾਰੂ ਪਾਣਿ ਤਾਹੂ ਪੁਛੁ ਤਿੜੰਨ ਕਲ ॥
Even if you know how to swim across the water, still consult those who know how to swim (or stay near to the water knowing its nature well)
ਤਾਹੂ ਖਰੇ ਸੁਜਾਣ ਵੰਞਾਏਨੑੀ ਕਪਰੀ ॥੩॥
Those who have survived these treacherous waves are very wise. ||3||
In the above shabad, Guru Mahraj advised that even if you have the Gyan, still always consult the Gursikhs who is walking on this path of Satguru or else one shall be drowned by the waves of vices. Guru Mahraj further said that there are those who read a lot of scriptures but they do not come into the sanctuary of Guru Mahraj and do Simran of the true Naam. All the knowledge they gain from the scriptures are therefore worthless and at the end of their life, they shall not have anyone to hold their hand. Those that Satguru ji gives assistance to, attain Brahm Gyan regardless being educated or uneducated. Guru Mahraj not only takes care of them in this world by giving assistance in hard times but also in the world hereafter.
Threefold of Sravan, Manan, Nididhyasan (hear-contemplate-implement)
Guru Ji further explains even if one puts in effort to listen (to teachings of Guru Mahraj/Gurbani) but is without Vairaag (dispassion), it is doubtful if the person can attain liberation. It is possible that the fruits of listening is destroyed by the vicious (ਵਿਕਾਰ) state of mind (ਬਿਰਥੀ) which keeps one to continuously be in the cycle of birth and death. It is in this point of time that one needs to seek for assistance from Guru Mahraj so that one can listen without having any vicious thoughts in between or the mind wavering away to maintain the focus. Only Guru Mahraj can help one struggling in this situation.
Guru Ji then said "So Dara Shikoh listen to my teaching that shall aid you in your spiritual journey". Firstly, meditate on the supreme Parmatma who being pleased shall bless you. One should also without any doubt listen to the teaching that the Parmatma is without any duality.
3 Types of Warriors Example
Guru Ji proceeded to give the example of three types of warriors - Rathi Soorma (one that can fight 100 opponents), Maha Rathi Soorma (one that can fight 10 000 opponents) and Ath Rathi Soorma (one that fight any number of opponents). In this way, a listener is like a Rathi Soorma who has the strength to face a certain amount (100 opponents) of vices but while listening when one faces more vices, then he will need assistance of Satguru ji to face them. In this way, a listener listens to Gurbani with Guru Ji's assistance in form of their true Naam. The strength one gains from meditating on the true Naam reduces the strength of vices trying to disrupt our mind focus.
After listening, one moves to another level which is to believe. One should firmly believe that he is not a separate entity from Parmatma; that his Aatma is in the form of Brahm. Other than believing, one also needs to practise this belief in his daily actions and life. Such person is equivalent to a Maha Rathi soorma who can fight 10 000 opponents. But when the opponents are more than 10 000, he will also need assistance to face them. In the same way, those that believes and implements can control their 10 senses (5 Gyan Indriye and 5 Karam Indriye) but shall still need assistance when trying to control the mind. Guru Mahraj then removes all their obstacles and the veil of ignorance that is preventing them to realise their true self. Such blessed person is then known as a Ath Rathi soorma; one that can fight any number of opponents (vices) by himself and is without duality. His mind then does waver away with any thoughts and remains firmly focused on Parmatma.
3 Types of Fire Example
Guru Har Rai Ji Mahraj in their ever benevolent nature gives another example to Dara Shikoh to properly explain the threefold of sravan, manan, nididhyasan (hear-contemplate-implement) concept. Guru Ji gave him the example of three types of fires - ਦਾਵਾਗਨਿ wildfire (can be extinguished by rain), ਬਿਜਰੀ lightning (living in clouds of water yet not extinguished) and ਬੜਵਾਗਨ underwater fire (cannot be extinguished and burns water instead).
A listener of Gurbani is like a wildfire which can be extinguished by rain of thoughts that disrupts the focus and Anand of a listener. A believer and implementer is like lightning where just like how the lightning is sometimes visible and sometimes veiled by clouds, when his mind is connected in steadfast, he gains blidd and loses it as soon as he loses his steadfastness. The believer does not lose the Anand but sometimes it is more and sometimes less. While believing and implementing, when one gains Brahm Gyan, then consider the person to be like an underwater fire which burns away any vices that comes in its way. The person attains an unwavering state of mind and cannot be extinguished in any way. It burns the ocean of ignorance (Agyan) in which no waves of desires can exist.
Guru Ji’s Advises Dara Shikoh
Guru Ji then advised Dara Shikoh - focus all your attention on meditating on the true Naam simran to receive the assistance of Parmatma to realise your true self. Let got the Hangta (ego) of your human body and worldly possessions by seeing them all as temporary. Accept the will (Bhana) of Parmatma as sweet. Look of the present possessions you have and think if they were not true in past or will not be true in present, how can they be true or permanent now? Your true self is beyond your physical body, senses, mind, and intellect (Budhi). Mahraj then said I have told you the way to attain Parmatma through which you will realise your true self so contemplate on it. Keep self detached by looking at all worldly possessions as false as they are all fruits of preordained Karam and keep self unaffected by happiness and sadness from attaining or losing this possessions. The only true entity in this world is the Aatma being form of Brahm and without realising this one can never be free from bondages of the world. Realising it one gets free from cycle of birth and death. Listening to teachings of Guru Mahraj, Dara Shikoh was moved and immersed himself in deep meditation of the true Naam.
Adhyai 17, Ras 9, Sri Gurpartap Suraj Parkash Granth
Katha Links:
Sant Gyani Inderjeet Singh Ji Raqbe vale
Gyani Sher Singh Ji
Gyani Harbhajan Singh Ji Dhudikey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wQt6aqVNjg&t=3100s