by SS Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa, La Jolla CA
Winter 2012
I have just finished recording the first in a series of four Gurbani CDs called Beloved. While I was looking for shabads to put to music, I wanted to find one that would specifically talk about saints. The shabad I found was Bhinee Rainareeai, written by Guru Arjan.
The night is wet with dew and the stars sparkle in the heavens.
The saints remain wakeful; they’re the Beloveds of My Lord.
The Beloveds of God remain ever wakeful, remembering the Nam, the Name of God, night and day.
In their hearts they meditate on the lotus feet of God; they do not forget Him, even for a moment.
They renounce self-pride, not attached nor corrupt. No suffering, no errors, all are burned away.
Prays Nanak, the Saints, the Beloved Ones of God, remain ever wakeful.
The Siri Singh Sahib once said that when you listen to Gurbani, you are supposed to “choreograph in your mind what the Gurbani is saying.” This shabad offers ample opportunity for that. I imagine Guru Arjan and all the Gurus and saints as stars in heaven, shining their light down upon the earth.
How peaceful and subtle the night is, with the soft moisture wetting the ground, as we meditate on God. Looking up at the stars, ever constant, always there for us to spark our imagination.
I think about the reverence Guru Arjan held for Guru Ram Das. I think of the Mera Man Lochai poems, which expressed his longing, and how all that love and dedication led him to the greatest sacrifice of all time, when he was tortured on the hot plate for five long days and nights.
I think about the Siri Singh Sahib being liberated by the Gurbani while washing the floors at the Golden Temple. He said it gave him an experience like “that of a million rays from the sun.”
So many things to reflect upon while I sing this shabad. What a wonderful gift to have sat in Siri Singh Sahib’s presence and sung the Name of God. We are all so blessed, we have no idea. God bless the saints of this world and the sacrifices they make for the benefit of mankind.
About the Author
SS Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa is an ordained Sikh Dharma Minister. He is a musician and has recorded Sikh shabads and is a pioneer of musically recording Kundalini Yoga mantras. In the 1990s, the Siri Singh Sahib instructed Guru Shabad Singh to compose music to the verses of the Jaap Sahib, one of the central Sikh prayers. He has inspired thousands for over 27 years with his long line of heartfelt spiritual songs, yogic chants and sacred mantras.