22.

TEERATH ESHNAAN

Going to holy places for pilgrimage and teerath eshnaan / esnaan is a

common practice among our Hindu brothers. Sikhs too indulge in it. When going to
Amritsar many Sikhs feel their pilgrimage is not complete without a dip in the
sarovar / sar – pool. A dip seems to be a must for many, whereas listening to the
inspiring Gurbani kirtan is not given that much importance. Let us see what Gurbani
says about teerath esnaan.
Guru Nanak Dev says that bathing at teeraths is futile – teerath naata kea
karay, because it gives rise to mail – filth – in the mind. It makes one feel proud of
the fact that he is a teerath esnaani – one who regularly resorts to bathing at
teeraths. The mail of this gumaan – pride – makes the mind filthy.
Teerath naata kea karay man meh mail gumaan. P.61
qIrQ nwqw ikAw kry mn mih mYlu gumwnu Ò
Guru Ji maintains that there is no other teerath like the guru – gur smaan
teerath nahi koi. The guru is the Lord’s roop and hence He is deemed to be the
embodiment of the Lord.
Nanak gur smaan teerath nahi koi saacay gur Gopala. P.437
nwnk gur smwin qIrQu nhI koeI swcy gur gopwlw Ò
Guru Ram Das also regards the perfect guru – poora satguru – as the proper
teerath, as He worships the Lord’s naam night and day – anden.
Teerath poora satguru jo anden Har Har naam dhea-ay. P.l40
qIrQu pUrw siqgurU jo Anidnu hir hir nwmu iDAwey Ò
Guru Nanak Dev maintains that there is no other teerath like the guru and He
goes on to say that the Guru is the sarovar of santokh – pool of contentment. Guru is
the river –dariau, the waters of which are always pure. By bathing in the guru river
the dirt of durmat is removed – mail harai. Bathing in the waters of the guru river is a
perfect bath – poora naavan, and even people with animal and devilish like
tendencies become demigods – devtas.
Gur smaan teerath nahi koe. Sar santokh taas gur hoe. Gur dariau sada jal
nermal melea durmat mail harai. Satgur pae-ai poora naavan pasoo praytuh dev
karai. P.1328
gur smwin qIrQu nhI koie Ò sru sMqoKu qwsu guru hoie Ò guru drIAwau sdw jlu
inrmlu imilAw durmiq mYlu hrY Ò siqguir pwieAY pUrw nwvxu psU pryqhu dyv krY Ò
Since the guru is regarded as a teerath, Guru Ji goes on to say that the Lord’s
name is the teerath, and if one needs to bathe at a teerath he should bathe in the naam
jal of the guru teerath. He further says that understanding the gur sabad is tantamount
to a teerath esnaan – teerath sabad bicaar, and such teerath esnaan gives rise to gyan
– knowledge. Guru’s gyan is the indestructible teerath. Guru Ji goes on to say that the
meeting of the mind and the Lord in sat sangat is a complete teerath esnaan – sangat
meet melaap poora naavno.
Teerath naavan jau teerath naam hai. Teerath sabad bicaar antar gyan hai.
Gur gyan saaca thaan teerath……Sangat meet melaap poora naavno. P.687
qIriQ nwvx jwau qIrQu nwmu hY Ò qIrQu sbd bIcwru AMqir igAwnu hY Ò gur
igAwnu swcw Qwnu qIrQu …… Ò sMgiq mIq imlwpu pUrw nwvxo Ò
In Japji Saheb Guru Ji says that by sunea, mannea, man keeta bhaau –
listening, believing, having a love for the guru’s teaching in the mind – one can have a
thorough bath in the teerath within us i.e. the heart and mind – antargat teerath mal
nau.
 Sunea mannea man keeta bhaau. Antargat teerath mal nau. P.4
suixAw mMinAw min kIqw Bwau Ò AMqrgiq qIriQ mil nwau Ò
At the beginning of Japji Guru Ji points out that one cannot purify oneself by
bathing, even if one tries a lakh times.
Socai soc na hova-i jay soci lakh vaar. P.1
socY soic n hoveI jy socI lK vwr Ò
Guru Ji mentions that those who wash their bodies – penda – are not pavetar /
soocay. Those in whose minds the Lord dwells – jen man vasea, are the ones who are
clean – pavetar.
Soocay ayhe na aakhieh behan jay penda dhoe. Soocay sayee Nanka jen man
vasea soe. P.472
sUcy eyih n AwKIAih bhin ij ipMfw Doie Ò sUcy syeI nwnkw ijn@ min visAw
soie Ò
Guru Ji warns us against wandering about at teeraths – teerath bharmas, as
this does not eliminate the vekaar ailments – beadh – which give rise to mail in the
mind.
Teerath bharmas beadh na jaavai. P.906
qIriQ Brmis ibAwiD n jwvY Ò
In Japji Guru Ji says that He would bathe at teeraths if it were the Lord’s Will.
Without His Will there is no use of such teerath esnaan – ven bhaanay ke nae kari.
Teerath naava(n) jay tes bhaava(n) ven bhaanay ke nae kari. P.2
qIriQ nwvw jy iqsu Bwvw ivxu Bwxy ik nwie krI Ò
According to Guru Ji the constant love link with the Lord day and night –
ehnes laagai bhaau – is the real esnaan. Guru Ji says, “Oh Lord, for me your sefat
salaah is esnaan in the Ganges and at teeraths such as Benares. It is in your sefat
salaah that my aatma bathes.”
Gang Banares sefat tumaari naavai aatam rau. Saca naavan ta(n) thee-ai
ja(n) ehnes laagai bhaau. P.358
gMg bnwris isPiq qumwrI nwvY Awqm rwau Ò scw nwvxu qw QIAY jW Aihins
lwgY Bwau Ò
Guru Arjan Dev in Sukhmani Saheb states that by washing the body day and
night – dens ar raat - the impurities of the mind do not go.
Soc karai dens ar raat. Man ki mail na tan tay jaat. P.265
soc krY idnsu Aru rwiq Ò mn kI mYlu n qn qy jwiq Ò
Guru Amar Das maintains that if the mind is filthy – man mailay, then
whatever one does will be filthy – sabh kech maila. A filthy mind will result in
resorting to vekaars. By washing the body – tan dhotai, the mind will not be cleansed
– man hacha na hoe.
Man mailay sabh kech maila tan dhotai man hacha na hoe. P.558
min mYly sBu ikCu mYlw qin DoqY mnu hCw n hoie Ò.
According to Guru Ram Das the true guru is a satvaadi – one who meditates
on the eternal Lord always. Such a guru is the pool of nectar – Amret sar / sarovar
and by bathing in the naam waters of this pool even a crow – ka-oo-a - can become
a swan like hans. This means that non believers and manmukhs can become gurmukhs
just as a black crow, which eats rubbish , can become a hans which is said to consume
pearls.A gurmukh who resorts to naam semran is regarded as a hans whilst a
manmukh is a ka-oo-a. The mind of a manmukh gets blackened with the filth of
vekaars and by bathing in the Amret sar the blackened mind becomes pure like that of
a hans which is white in colour as opposed to a ka-oo-a which is black.
 Amret sar satgur satvaadi jet naatai ka-oo-a hans hohai. P.493
AMimRq sru siqguru siqvwdI ijqu nwqY kaUAw hMsu hohY Ò
Guru Nanak Dev describes the guru as the pool of nectar - Amret sar,
something bigger than a pool. He says the guru is like a sea – saagar. Those who
come to this sea and bathe their minds in it will have all their desires fulfilled.
Gur saagar Amret sar jo echay so fal paa-ay. P.1011
guru swgru AMimRq sru jo ieCy so Pl pwey Ò
Guru Arjan Dev points out that the impurities of the mind do not disappear
even if one has the desire - kaamna - to reside at teeraths - teerath jae baseo. Nor
does placing a karvat – saw – on the head to saw oneself help. Such, and lakhs of
other endeavours - lakh jatan - do not in any way help to purify the mind.
Man kaamna teerath jae baseo ser karvat dharaa-ay. Man ki mail na utreh eh
bedh jay lakh jatan karaa-ay. P.642
mn kwmnw qIrQ jwie bisE isir krvq Drwey Ò mn kI mYlu n auqrY ieh
ibiD jy lK jqn krwey Ò
Guru Nanak Dev says that we tend to wash the exterior of the body – bahruh
mal mal dhovai, but we are ignorant of the dirt inside.
Antar mail lagi nahi jaanai baahruh mal mal dhovai. P.139
AMqir mYlu lgI nhI jwxY bwhrhu mil mil DovY Ò
Guru Amar Das mentions that the world suffers because of the impurities of
haumai resulting from the love for maya. This gives rise to vekaars which make the
mind dirty. This dirt of haumai cannot be washed away – mal haumai dhoti kevai(n)
na utrai, even if one bathes at hundreds of teeraths.
Jag haumai mail dukh paea mal laagi doojai bhaae. Mal haumai dhoti
kevai(n) na utrai jay sau teerath nae. P.39
jig haumY mYlu duKu pwieAw mlu lwgI dUjY Bwie Ò mlu haumY DoqI ikvY n auqrY
jy sau qIrQ nwie Ò
Guru Ji says that by washing the exterior the impurities of the mind – man ki
jooth – do not go.
Baahar mal dhovai man ki jooth na jaa-ay. P.88
bwhir mlu DovY mn kI jUiT n jwey Ò
The impurities of the mind, according to Guru Ji, will go when a person seeks
the saran of the guru and resorts to gur sayva..
Satgur sayvay ta(n) mal jaa-ay. P.116
siqguru syvy qw mlu jwey Ò
In another place Guru Ji says the mind gets pure – nermal, when one bathes in
the Amret sar – amret sar naa-ay. Here the amret sar does not refer to the sarovar at
the Golden Temple city of Amritsar.
Antar nermal amret sar naa-ay P.363
AMqru inrmlu AMimRqsir nwey Ò
Guru Ji further says that without the guru sehaj avastha cannot be attained and
the dirt of greed – lobh – cannot be washed away from the mind. If one can resort to
naam semran wholeheartedly , even for a short while – khen pal, he can be regarded
as having had teerath esnaan at all the sixty-eight teeraths – athsath teerath. When
the Lord dwells in the mind it remains pure without filth. The mind gets filthy as a
result of our attachment to dooja bhaau i.e. maya.
 Gur ven sehaj na aava-i lobh mail na vecuh jae. Khen pal Har naam man
vasai sabh athsath teerath nae. Sacay mail na laga-i mal laagai doojai bhaae. P.87
gur ivxu shju n AwveI loBu mYlu n ivchu jwie Ò iKnu plu hir nwmu min vsY
sB ATsiT qIrQ nwie Ò scy mYlu n lgeI mlu lwgY dUjY Bwie Ò
Guru Ji says that one whose body is clean on the outside, but has a filthy mind
– jee-ahu mailay, gambles his life away - janm joo-ai haarea, just as a gambler
incurs losses in gambling.
Baahruh nermal jee-ahu ta(n) mailay teni janm joo-ai haarea. P.919
bwhrhu inrml jIAhu q mYly iqnI jnmu jUAY hwirAw Ò
Bhagat Ravedas criticises the pundits for their emphasis on teerath eshnaan
and says that washing the exterior with water – baahar udak pakhaari-ai, does not in
any way help to wash away the various vekaars in the mind. This purification – suc /
sudh – is, according to Bhagat Ji, like the bath of an elephant – kuncar, which can
never keep itself free from dust.
Baahar udak pakhaari-ai ghat bheetar bebedh bekaar. Sudh kavn par hoebo
suc kuncar bedh beuhaar. P.346
bwhru audik pKwrIAY Gt BIqir ibibD ibkwr Ò suD kvn pr hoiebo suc
kMucr ibiD ibauhwr Ò
Bhagat Kabir remarks that those who bathe every evening and morning –
sandhea praat, and regard themselves as pure, are like frogs – daadar – living in
water. Living in water does not in any way improve the spiritual situation of the
frogs.
Sandhea praat esnaan kraahi. Jeu(n) bha-ay daadar paani maahi. P.324
sMiDAw pRwq iesnwnu krwhI Ò ijau Bey dwdur pwnI mwhI Ò
Bhagat Ji compares the body to a fruit known as lauki which is also known as
tummi / toomri and is very bitter. The lauki can be washed at all the sixty-eight
teeraths, but its bitterness –kaurapan – will not go. Likewise Bhagat Ji questions the
purpose of washing the body – kaea(n) maanjas kaun guna(n), if the filth remains
inside – jau ghat bheetar hai malna.
Kaea(n) maanjas kaun guna(n). Jau ghat bheetar hai malna. Lauki athsath
teerath na-ee. Kaurapan ta-oo na ja-ee. P.656
kWieAw mWjis kaun gunw Ò jau Gt BIqir hY mlnW Ò laukI ATsiT qIrQ
n@weI Ò kaurwpnu qaU n jweI Ò
Guru Nanak Dev mentions that a person with a perverted mind –man khotay,
in whom the five kaamadaks hold sway will be able to wash away one part - ek bhaau
- of the dirt i.e. from the body by teerath esnaan, but the mind will accumulate the
dirt of haumai two fold – due bhaa carias. This happens because of his egoistic
attitude of being a teerath esnaani. It is like washing the bitter tummi. The bitter
tummi retains its ves – poison like bitterness, however much it is washed from the
outside. Guru Ji says that good people retain their good virtues even without resorting
to teerath esnaan – saadh bhalay annaatea. But thieves and robbers remain what they
are – cor se cora cor, even though they might resort to bathing at teeraths..
Naavan calay teerthi man khotay tan cor. Ek bhaau lathi naatea(n) due bhaa
carias hor. Baahar dhoti toomri andar ves nekor. Saadh bhalay annaatea cor se cora
cor. P.789
nwvx cly qIrQI min Koty qin cor Ò ieku Bwau lQI nwiqAw duie Bw cVIAsu
hor Ò bwhir DoqI qUmVI AMdir ivsu inkor Ò swD Bly AxnwiqAw cor is corw cor Ò
Bhagat Kabir says that real esnaan – saaca naavan – is gur sayva by
following the teaching of the guru. He goes on to say that if one can attain mukti –
salvation – by bathing in water – jal kai majan, then the frogs too should become
mukat as they are always bathing – net net mayndak naaveh. People who believe in
teerath esnaan and frogs – mayndak – are alike in that they will face numerous births
over and over again – fer fer joni aaveh.
Saaca naavan gur ki sayva. Jal kai majan jay gat hovai net net mayndak
naaveh. Jaisay mayndak taisay oe nar fer fer joni aaveh. P.484
swcw nwvxu gur kI syvw Ò jl kY mjin jy giq hovY inq inq myˆfuk nwvih Ò
jYsy myˆfuk qYsy Eie nr iPir iPir jonI Awvih Ò
To do gur sayva and bathe in the waters of naam it is imperative that one joins
in saadh sangat. Guru Ram Das states that he who participates in saadh sangat
bathes in the pure waters of the Lord’s name which purifies the mind of the dirt of
vekaars and cleanses the body – bha-ay pavet sareera.
Sangat sant melaa-ay. Har sar nermal naa-ay. Nermal jal naa-ay mail gvaa-
ay bha-ay pavet sareera. P.774
sMgiq sMq imlwey Ò hir sir inrmil nwey Ò inrmil jil nwey mYlu gvwey
Bey pivqu srIrw Ò
Guru Arjan Dev says that those persons who sing the praises of the Lord in
saadh sang succeed in making themselves pure – nermal. On the other hand, by
bathing at crores of teeraths, one becomes full of dirt – mail bhareejai – because of
vekaars.
Kot teerath majan esnaana es kal meh mail bhareejai. Saadh sang jo Har gun
gaavai so nermal kar leejai. P.747
koit qIrQ mjn iesnwnw iesu kil mih mYlu BrIjY Ò swD sMig jo hir gux
gwvY so inrmlu kir lIjY Ò
Participating in saadh sangat gives an added benefit in that the dust of the feet
– carn dhoor / rayn – of those participating helps to wash away sins. Guru Arjan Dev
says, that by always bathing in the carn dhoor of sant jan – sant rayn net majan karai,
the accumulated sins of numerous lives get washed away – janm janm kay kelbekh
harai.
Sant rayn net majan karai. Janm janm kay kelbekh harai. P.1300
sMqu rynu iniq mjnu krY Ò jnm jnm ky iklibK hrY Ò
Talking about the rayn of the servants of the Lord, Guru Ji says that those who
get this rayn on their foreheads – mastak, when they resort to saadh sangat, acquire
internal purity and cleanliness of numerous teeraths – anek teerath sucai.
Rayn jan ki lagi mastak anek teerath sucai. P.1122
rynu jn kI lgI msqik Aink qIrQ sucY Ò
Guru Ji mentions that those people who bathe in the naam waters of the pool
of the servants of the Lord Ram i.e. saadh sangat sarovar, have all their sins washed
away.
Ram Das sarovar naatay, sabh laathay paap kmaatay. P.624
rwmdwis srovr nwqy Ò sB lwQy pwp kmwqy Ò
In conclusion it can be pointed out that Sikhism does not believe in the
ritualistic practice of bathing at holy places to wash away sins. But a gurmukh who
resorts to gur sayva and has thereby removed the impurities of the mind cannot be
deemed to be resorting to a ritual to wash away his sins if he happens to have a dip in
such a sarovar.
The holy sarovars connected with Sikhism were established by the Sikh Gurus
to cater for the growing need for water of the increasing number of new Sikh
settlements that were coming into existence during that period. No one was barred
from these sarovars and this wise measure contributed a great deal in the elimination
of discrimination against members of the lower castes.
The pool at the city of Amritsar was in fact originally a small pool of nectar –
amret sar, where Bibi Rajni’s husband, a leper, was miraculously cured of his
ailment, when he had a dip in the pool. Whilst waiting under the shade of a berry tree
beside the pool for his wife Rajni to return with some food from a nearby village, he
had seen black crows entering the pool and emerging with their colour changed into
white. Fascinated by this he too entered the pool and emerged as a handsome young
man. When Rajni returned she accused the young man of murdering her husband. To
settle their quarrel a sikh devotee, passing that way, took them to Guru Ram Das, who
was supervising the development of a new settlement nearby. Guru Ji told Rajni that
the handsome youngster was indeed her husband who had been cured by the amret
waters of the pool. It was after this that Guru Ji decided to have the small pool
extended to a bigger sarovar which then developed into what it is today. The place
was not originally called Amritsar. It was first known as Guru Ka Cak and
subsequently as Ram Das Pura before taking on the name of Amritsar.