Air = Guru...how So?

[Guest GuesT]

Salok:

Pavan Guru, Pani Pitaa, Mataa Dharat Maahat...

Pani Pitaa, Mataa Dharat Maahat, okay, I kind of understand.

But how is Pavan Guru?

Please enlighten me. I'm eager to know. Thank you.

[Revolutionary]

Any living being, including us humans, can:

- live without food for up to a month (Dharti = Earth, where food comes from)

- live without water for a couple of days (Paani = water)

- live without air..? Never (Pawan = air)

So Guru Ji is showing the importance of Guru..

A Gursikh cannot exist at all without the true Guru.

That's one translation of it.. I'm sure there are many that vidhvaan's amongst us can share with us.

[.- Prabhjot Singh -.]

Wjkk Wjkf Jeo,

This is how Sant Singh Ji Maskeen explains it (just finished posting a translation, so just going to copy/paste the bit here, sorry )

The tongue is doing the JAP of Waheguru, but the thought of uttering Waheguru mantra takes place in the mind. The navel is natively referred to as Dhunni because it is this place where sound (dhun) emerges from. The air strikes the Dhuni when a thought of saying something takes place in the mind. Naabhi (Navel) is like a wind instrument - For example, a harmonium, flute, shainai, etc. can only produce sound if it is pumped with some air, otherwise one cannot produce any sound out of them. Naabhi is one such instrument Waheguru has planted in our body that only produces sound if wind is applied to it. It is the wind that is an important element in the whole procedure. That is why, Guru Nanak Dev Ji has called wind a Guru because it is the Guru that creates associations for us. Wind produces speech, and with speech we are able to make associations with others. In the worldly affairs, we first see and then speak about it. In the case of Waheguru, we will HAVE to speak to create the association.

Sorry if this didnt help, baaki some gyaanvaan member will be able to elaborate more!

Gurfateh Jeo

[Sukhdeep Singhh]

Wjkk Wjkf Jeo,

This is how Sant Singh Ji Maskeen explains it (just finished posting a translation, so just going to copy/paste the bit here, sorry )

The tongue is doing the JAP of Waheguru, but the thought of uttering Waheguru mantra takes place in the mind. The navel is natively referred to as Dhunni because it is this place where sound (dhun) emerges from. The air strikes the Dhuni when a thought of saying something takes place in the mind. Naabhi (Navel) is like a wind instrument - For example, a harmonium, flute, shainai, etc. can only produce sound if it is pumped with some air, otherwise one cannot produce any sound out of them. Naabhi is one such instrument Waheguru has planted in our body that only produces sound if wind is applied to it. It is the wind that is an important element in the whole procedure. That is why, Guru Nanak Dev Ji has called wind a Guru because it is the Guru that creates associations for us. Wind produces speech, and with speech we are able to make associations with others. In the worldly affairs, we first see and then speak about it. In the case of Waheguru, we will HAVE to speak to create the association.

Sorry if this didnt help, baaki some gyaanvaan member will be able to elaborate more!

Gurfateh Jeo

Waaheguru Ji this is some great stuff. This is the best explaination I have ever heard of Pavan Guru.

[chatanga]

dont get caught in the trap that gurbani is always a literal translation. metaphors and imagery are used extensivley. Guru Ji has used air as a symbol for Guru, by giving some of the qualities of air that are in line with gurmat.

one example, Guru ji says " man kunchar peelak guru" the mind is an elephant and the guru is holding the reins. But obviously we know that our mind is not an actual elephant. Guru is using the qualities of the elephant ie power and destructiveness if put to the wrong use to describe the mind.

This is the main problem when using sttm as is gives only a very literal meaning of shabad, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

if your understanding of panjabi is good then listen to Giani Thakur Singhs katha of Japji Sahib, it is amazing.

[Bijla Singh]

ਸੱਚਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੌਣ ਹੈ? ਜੋ ਪਵਨ ਵਾਂਗੂ ਨਿਰਲੇਪ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਾਂਗੂ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਧਰਤੀ ਜਿੰਨਾ ਉਸਦਾ ਧੀਰਜ ਹੋਵੇ । ਦਿਨ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਤ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਾਲਨਾ ਕਰੇ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕੋਈ ਦਾਈ ਬੱਚੇ ਨੂੰ ਖਿਡਾਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ।.....

Bhai Gurdas Ji has used similar metaphor in Vaars. I suggest reading Bhai Veer Singh Ji's teeka for more information. I found his interpretation by far the best.