Just wondering, are there any ginans that talk about Nafs?
Thanks
Nafs
The notion of the nafs (lower-self) is important in all esoteric traditions. Overcoming the nafs is a vital requirement for the elevation of the soul and indeed is one of the parameters/determinants of success in life. Our Ginanic tradition being an expression par excellence of Sufism/esotericism, expresses the concept in various ways. In some Ginans, nafs is expressed directly as in the following verses.
Buj Niranjan 33:1:
jo nafsaaniyat ku(n) naakhe
sab rozhe ramzhaan ke raakhe......................................1
When a person gains control over his/her lower-self (nafs-e-amaaraa), he/she is to be regarded as having fasted the whole month of Ramadhan.
Kalame Mowla:
aap nafasthee jo koee bhaage, lobh laalach usathee jaae;
ke vae to sove aaraamse, or vae kabee dukh na paae;
chhoddo bhaaee lobh laalach, or chhoddo sab manakaa chaavaa,
to rab farmaave ke us ba(n)deku(n), mae du(n)gaa jan-natul mevaa.56
Whoever runs away from his lower-self, greed and temptation leave this person. He then sleeps peacefully and never experiences unhappiness. Brothers give up greed and temptation and give up all your mind's desires. Then the Lord says that for such a slave He will grant the fruits of paradise.
bhaagnnaa teraa tuj nafsase, so nafaa tuj bakshe adakaa;
usathee tu(n) aap bachaakar bhaage, to tuje na laage jakham usakaa;
vaaghase bhaagaa ne tan bachaayaa, to duneeyaame(n) doe deen karasee karaar;
teeyu(n) aap nafsathee jo koee bhaagaa, une apanee beddee utaaree paar............57
Run away from your lower self, then the Lord will shower many benefits to you. If you run away from it for the sake of saving yourself, then you will not be hurt by it. If you come across a tiger, you run away and save your material body. Then you will continue with your business affairs. Similarly, anyone who keeps away from his lower self, will have his ship reach safely across from all the troubled waters.
In other Ginans, the concept is expressed as man which comprises the five passions viz a viz, lust, anger, greed, pride and attraction to illusion. These are also called the panj bhu (the five vices). The following are examples.
Kalame Mowla:
aap manakaa kahyaa na karee-e, to bohot raahataj hove;
aesaa kaam jo koee kare, so apanee balaa khove;
ke man to laddaaee ne sakhatee chaave, jo na kare to sukhasu(n) sove;
baddaa nafaa to e huaa, or khudaa us upar mohove.................50
You will find much peace if you heed not to the instincts of your lower self. If you do this, you will avoid adversity. A person's lower self is inclined to fighting and to oppression, if it did not, one would sleep soundly. That would benefit a person, and, what is more, God's blessings would be upon him.
Ginan: Satgur Padharya Tame Jagjo
ejee man ne maaro to gur kahe mane malo,
raakhu(n) maaraa tanaddaa maa(n)he ttaa(n)kee jee;
heeralo aaveo taaraa haath maa(n),
jo jo veeraa ginaan veechaaree;
vannaj kare te vehevaareeo,
laeene na aape te deevaaree-o................................4
The Guide says: if you subdue your passions, you may come to Me, and I shall keep you close to My side. A diamond comes into your hands, brother, when you reflect upon His wisdom: he who deals with it is an honest trader, but he who does not deliver what he has borrowed becomes bankrupt.
Ginan: Ava Gurnar Sami ne Sreviye
ejee aavaa pa(n)j bhu vas karee,
chaare jug ni kalaa gur nee joelaa;
karoddee tetrees devataa naa melaa maa(n)he hoelaa...tam su(n)....3
By thus subduing the five passions, the Guide's marvellous power that endures through the four ages is seen, and one enters the company of the thirty-three crores of deities.
Buj Niranjan 33:1:
jo nafsaaniyat ku(n) naakhe
sab rozhe ramzhaan ke raakhe......................................1
When a person gains control over his/her lower-self (nafs-e-amaaraa), he/she is to be regarded as having fasted the whole month of Ramadhan.
Kalame Mowla:
aap nafasthee jo koee bhaage, lobh laalach usathee jaae;
ke vae to sove aaraamse, or vae kabee dukh na paae;
chhoddo bhaaee lobh laalach, or chhoddo sab manakaa chaavaa,
to rab farmaave ke us ba(n)deku(n), mae du(n)gaa jan-natul mevaa.56
Whoever runs away from his lower-self, greed and temptation leave this person. He then sleeps peacefully and never experiences unhappiness. Brothers give up greed and temptation and give up all your mind's desires. Then the Lord says that for such a slave He will grant the fruits of paradise.
bhaagnnaa teraa tuj nafsase, so nafaa tuj bakshe adakaa;
usathee tu(n) aap bachaakar bhaage, to tuje na laage jakham usakaa;
vaaghase bhaagaa ne tan bachaayaa, to duneeyaame(n) doe deen karasee karaar;
teeyu(n) aap nafsathee jo koee bhaagaa, une apanee beddee utaaree paar............57
Run away from your lower self, then the Lord will shower many benefits to you. If you run away from it for the sake of saving yourself, then you will not be hurt by it. If you come across a tiger, you run away and save your material body. Then you will continue with your business affairs. Similarly, anyone who keeps away from his lower self, will have his ship reach safely across from all the troubled waters.
In other Ginans, the concept is expressed as man which comprises the five passions viz a viz, lust, anger, greed, pride and attraction to illusion. These are also called the panj bhu (the five vices). The following are examples.
Kalame Mowla:
aap manakaa kahyaa na karee-e, to bohot raahataj hove;
aesaa kaam jo koee kare, so apanee balaa khove;
ke man to laddaaee ne sakhatee chaave, jo na kare to sukhasu(n) sove;
baddaa nafaa to e huaa, or khudaa us upar mohove.................50
You will find much peace if you heed not to the instincts of your lower self. If you do this, you will avoid adversity. A person's lower self is inclined to fighting and to oppression, if it did not, one would sleep soundly. That would benefit a person, and, what is more, God's blessings would be upon him.
Ginan: Satgur Padharya Tame Jagjo
ejee man ne maaro to gur kahe mane malo,
raakhu(n) maaraa tanaddaa maa(n)he ttaa(n)kee jee;
heeralo aaveo taaraa haath maa(n),
jo jo veeraa ginaan veechaaree;
vannaj kare te vehevaareeo,
laeene na aape te deevaaree-o................................4
The Guide says: if you subdue your passions, you may come to Me, and I shall keep you close to My side. A diamond comes into your hands, brother, when you reflect upon His wisdom: he who deals with it is an honest trader, but he who does not deliver what he has borrowed becomes bankrupt.
Ginan: Ava Gurnar Sami ne Sreviye
ejee aavaa pa(n)j bhu vas karee,
chaare jug ni kalaa gur nee joelaa;
karoddee tetrees devataa naa melaa maa(n)he hoelaa...tam su(n)....3
By thus subduing the five passions, the Guide's marvellous power that endures through the four ages is seen, and one enters the company of the thirty-three crores of deities.