Tav Prasad Savaiye English Translation
Tav Prasad means with the grace of God. This composition vehemently condemns idolatry, pilgrimages, grave worship, yogi samadhis, and other ceremonial beliefs of Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam as being useless in achieving God is carried out in the absence of love for God and all his creations.
The Nitnem is a Daily Spiritual Cleanse prescribed for Sikhs. It prepares us for any obstacles we may come across and helps us react in the best way. As part of the daily prayers (Nitnem), the Tav Prasad Savaiye by Guru Gobind Singh is usually recited after Japji and Jaap Sahib in the mornings. In the Dasam Granth, the collection of writings by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, this Bani appears on pages 13 to 15, starting with Stanza 21. Guru Gobind Singh explains in it the futility of rituals and blind faith without sincere worship of God.
Tav Prasad Savaiye English Translation
Holy men of many stripes have I encountered in my wanderings
Warriors, demons, and demigods; ‘saints’ of various orders
Many countries have I seen, but none is truly His
Without the Lord’s blessing, all these are utterly worthless
Tall, richly caparisoned, and bejeweled elephants, swaying majestically
Countless horses, faster than the wind, prancing like deer
Kings, strong of arm; saluted by all; their power incomprehensible
Of what consequence these trappings? For they too depart barefoot from this world
Triumphant they march through many lands; kettle drums extolling their glory
To the cacophonous trumpeting of their elephants and the neighing of their horses
Countless proud kings there have been and will be
Unmindful of the Lord, they go to their final resting place, these trappings, left behind
Pilgrimages, ablutions, restraint, charity, and mercy
The diligent study of the Hindu and Muslim holy texts
Abstinence from food; celibacy; all this I have seen
Without contemplating the Lord, all this is futile
Brave warriors, clad in shining armor who crush their enemies
Proud and steadfast; even more than the mountains
Shattering their enemies; crushing rebels; humbling elephants
Bereft of His grace, they too shall depart from the world
Multitudes of fearless heroes, who face steel unhesitatingly
Conquer nations and crush rebels, subduing proud elephants
With threats alone, cause impregnable forts everywhere to surrender
They too are naught but beggars at His doorstep
Demons, demigods, serpents, and ghosts; forever have and will submit to God
As will all creatures in sea and land that He created in the twinkling of an eye
And thus will their good deeds multiply and their sins will be erased
The holy will roam the world in ecstasy and their enemies will be subdued
Powerful kings of men and demigods, with powerful elephants in their command
Men who perform ritual ablutions, believe in charity, and have many splendid weddings
They too, along with the Gods of the Hindu Pantheon, shall not escape death
But those that are truly aligned with Him, shall escape the cycle of rebirth
Pointless it is to shut your eyes and meditate silently as if you were a crane
To wander seeking holy places to bathe at, rather than contemplating the Lord
Or to waste one’s life in the pursuit of pleasure
God can be obtained only by loving Him and his creation
Some venerate and worship stones; others are attached to idols (like Shivalingams)
Some seek him in the South (Dwarka); others in the West (Mecca)
Some fools worship idols and others pray at gravestones
The world is tangled in pointless rituals; none have fathomed the inscrutable Lord
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