The Divine Versifiers

In the present book, the first two lectures were delivered by Dr. Mohinder Pal Kohli, the retired Professor from Punjabi University, Patiala in 1998-99 concerning the Bani and life of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur.  In the first lecture “Divine Versifier” he has opined, “the Guru’s poetry is the expression of the illumined soul written with flexible ease. His verses, in the main are concerned with, what is called, the spiritual knowledge of the matter or of the material world. Written with a transcendental poise, in an infinite silence of self-liberation and in inner withdrawal of mystic experience and contains glimpses into deep truths of spiritual world.  The intense content of his verses is concerned with the emancipation of the individual from the bondage of ignorance and limitations.” We know Bani is not a simple poetry it is divine revelation inspired by the realization of God. Poetry is just the medium for the expression of that realization of the Infinite.  In the second lecture, he has opined on the basic concepts in Guru Tegh Bahadur’s bani as Vairage, Bhagati, Gian, impermanence, suffering, maya, desire, ego, trishna and jiwan-mukti. He opines, “vairag or dispassion is the prominent theme of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s compositions. Vairag is the state of mind, where an individual by controlling his passion and desires, becomes indifferent to the fleeting pleasures of the senses and develops in him an urge to ascend the spiritual ladder by constantly fixing his eyes on the Absolute.” Therefore, the concept of Vairag is quite unique from the Vairag found in other religious traditions of India. Dr. Kohili further says, “Bhagati and Gian have got no separate entity and in Vairag, they complement and harmonize each other.” The Process of spiritual attainment propounded by Guru Tegh Bahadur, according to the scholar, is “Simran, or Samran, the meditation on the virtuous attributes of the Lord and the laudation of love of Him, self-purification, through self-discipline and prayer under the guidance of the Guru or the Master are the sure guides towards spiritual ascension. Naam in the Bani of Guru Tegh Bahadur signifies that power of the Absolute God which prevails in His Creation.” Therefore, we can see that the finite creation is from the Infinite and the Infinite prevails in the finite creations.