As we all know, it is a general practice at all Gurdwara Sahibs to recite Mool Mantar after the Ardaas.

A few days ago, at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Mool Mantar was being recited as usual after the Ardaas. A Hindu Veer sitting behind me, was reciting the same with full energy along with the Sangat. He read loudly ""Ik Onkaar Satnaam Karta Purakh Nirbhau Nirvear Akaal Moorakh..."" I stopped and thought I misheard. The second time, I listened more carefully and he repeated the same mistake.

After the Hukamnama, I went to this Veer and politely explained to him, the meaning and implication of what he recited. He held his ears and apologized to Guru Granth Sahib. On enquiring further, he told me that he never read a word of Gurbani, neither did he know what the word ""Akaal"" meant. Whatever Gurbani he had learnt was through listening to the Sangat at Gurdwara Sahib.

A lot of words in Guru Granth Sahib sound similar but are very different in meaning. For example :

1) Raam-Kaam-Naam
2) Sanmukh-Manmukh (just imagine if somebody recites the following lines from Anand Sahib ""Je ko Sikh Guru Seti Sanmukh Hove"" as ""Je ko Sikh Guru Seti Manmukh Hove"" the meaning would be exactly opposite to what Guru Sahib wants to tell us)


If we do not take care of their proper pronunciation, their meaning would change quite drastically. Similarly, if we don't understand what we are reading, we are bound to make such mistakes.

Gurbani has got great potential to change our lives for the good, given that we try to understand what Guru Sahib wants to tell us.

Bhulan Chukan Di Khima,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh !

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