Nitnem (Gurmukhi Roman) Gutka

Introduction To 'Nitnem (Gurmukhi Roman) Gutka'

The sacred hymns in the form of Gurbani, uttered by the Ten Gurus have come to us preserved through the ages. They teach us a way of life giving us the key to a successful life redefining the meaning of success in life.

They have the capacity to bring a transformation that can uplift our souls and take them to unconquered spiritual heights. A wealth lies hidden in the Divine word, 'Shabad', which we regard as our Guru as ordained by the Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The "Guru Granth Sahib" contains the instructions from the Ten Gurus as well as other divine souls, saints and elevated beings. Nitnem, the daily prayer of the Sikhs, is in itself an encyclopaedia of true knowledge with a capacity to teach us the sacred way of life and the essence of Sikhism. Unfortunately, the younger generation that is unaware of the Gurmukhi script, the original language in which the Gurbani has been recorded, finds this pool of knowledge inaccessible. For them and all others who are better versed in English, a humble effort has been made to bring them this masterpiece from our Gurus in the form of a transliteration in English. Every effort has been made to make the pronunciations very simple and crystal clear and avoid every possible mistake. Despite that, a humble request is made to pardon us for any unknown errors that might have crept in and we would be indebted to those kind knowledgeable souls who bring them to our notice. 

About Nitnem : Nitnem contains prayers for the morning, evening and night Jap Ji Sahib (composed by Guru Nanak Dev Ji), Jaap Sahib, Tav Prasaad Savaeeyae and Chaupaee (composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji) and Anand Sahib (composed by Guru Amardas) are the morning prayers, while Raihraas Sahib containing Guru Nanak's Sloks and Shabads (verses and hymns) from Guru Granth Sahib alongwith a Chaupaee, a Savaiyaa and a Dohra (composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji), first five stanzas and the last stanza from Anand Sahib is recited at the sunset followed by the Ardaas (the general supplication). Kirtan Sohila, as aforementioned, is recited before going to sleep which is again followed by Ardaas. It is every Sikh's sacred duty to recite all these banis daily without fail.

Japuji Sahib: The foundation of Japuji, rather of all teachings embodied in the Guru Granth Sahib is Mool, Mantra, which occurs at the start of the Japji, followed by a slok and thirty eight stanzas again followed by a slok. Guru Nanak begins by proclaiming that there is one God, who is all Truth, most Potent, Fearless, sans, Enmity, Deathless, without Birth, Self Illumined, ever true before existence, since existence; now and for times to come. To attain Eternal Bliss and union one must abide by His Command. His Will governs and controls the entire creation. People keep on describing ' His Will but they can only make a futile attempt. Pilgrimages, charity, penances, rituals, taking baths at holy places are useless, whereas worshipping with extreme Love for God and meditating God will enable realizing Him but only with His grace. Hearing God's Name; His Hymns and Songs of His praise enables one to leave evil habits, realize secrets of the worlds, immunize from sins and attain Divinity. Abiding by God's Will with affection enables attachment with Him; such person becomes indescribable, his mental darkness removed, obstructions to Godly path broken and He also enables his relations to the true path to enlightenment. The Godly status of devotees enables them to get big honours and know God's secrets; however ignorance of some leads them to think that a bull supports the earth. There are innumerable ways to worship Him. Some engage in meditation, some read scripts and others follow virtuous methods. On the other hand are countless evil doers, murderers, cruel and sinful. There are countless living beings and innumerable worlds. Languages provide media to utter His praises and describe limits of His Creation, but it is foolish to even make an effort to detail His Creation.

The bani of the Satgurus possesses an incredible capacity to bring about the most useful transformation in the lives of ordinary mortals through a moral upgradation of the suffering souls wandering in this world of innumerable allurements which engage their senses in fruitless pursuits. So lets start reading the bani with a prayer for holistic reformation of our soul.