The reader is left in no doubt that Naam japna requires both, mental and physical activism/effort. That requires daily/timely sustained effort. Is Naam japna just inactive parrot-fashion repetition of some holy Word or is it suggestive of a life of Sikhi activism. If so how? Do we climb the Paurris (steps) of Japji without effort or does that step-by-step climb require daily mental and physical effort? The author clarifies that living by Naam means emulating Divine virtues/attributes and living by divine commands. Naam is the main theme of Japji and it is important to fully grasp what Naam means in Sikh thought. The road-map is now complete with clear directions for travel on the Guru’s road. The Paurris are interpreted and explained sequentially like steps leading from the temporal to the highest spiritual levels. It takes the reader from the prologue, through the 38 Paurris to the epilogue. The second part is a detailed “Paurri-wise Interpretation of Japji”. Starting with an overview, the Synopsis, Japji topics and themes are cross-referenced in the Japji Paurris under the headings of Naam, Cosmology, Karma, Re-incarnation and Liberation, Divine Grace and Avoiding Rituals and complying with Naam. The chapter on, Development of Thought in Japji, takes the reader on a guided tour of the Japji at the next level to the introductory Synopsis. If this is followed in translation/interpretation, it helps in relying on the Guru’s guidance rather than on personal understanding.” This is an objective and fresh approach to the understanding of Japji.
He writes, “A careful study of Japji shows that Guru Nanak first covers a topic in a Paurri and elaborates/verifies it in later Paurris. The author has mostly relied on Japji itself for his interpretation. Yet, the author’s research and presentation offer much more than his modest claim, “It is one more English interpretation of Japji but with a different format giving meanings of most individual words in parentheses.” His introductory essays leading up to “Paurri-wise Interpretation of Japji” are of great value in clarifying Guru Nanak’s nirala Panth (unique path). There is no shortage of exegeses of Japji by erudite Sikh scholars. The extent to which the author has succeeded in establishing the sovereignty of Sikh theology and confirming Guru Nanak Sahib’s Japji as its root-source, has been used as the benchmark for this review of his book, Understanding Japji Sahib. religious controversy when the independent existence of one established religion is challenged by another, it becomes vital that the uniqueness of its ideology is explained with clarity. Therefore, exposition of the unique and sovereign theology of Guru Nanak depends on the correct understanding of the main themes of Japji. It would lead to many diverse conclusions, thereby, giving rise to many sects, cults, gurudoms and derawadi traditions, all claiming Sikhi centre-ground! Otherwise, inevitably, the interpretation would be misleading. It is not possible to interpret the Bani (the Shabad or Word-Guru) in Guru Granth Sahib without continually cross-referencing back to the Source Bani, Japji. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is an exposition of Japji.
JAPJI SAHIB PATH WRITTEN IN PUNJABI FULL
The second part is an interpretation of each Paurri or stanza of Japji in the same format as the author’s magnum opus, the full translation of the Sikh holy Scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The first part comprises short essays which expound the main themes of Japji. The book, Understanding Japji Sahib, is in two parts.
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