Bhagat Parmanand ji
BHAGAT
PARMANAND,
a Mahãrashtrian saint-poet,
one of whose hymns is included in
the
Guru Granth Sãhib. Born
probably in 1483, he is believed
to have
resided at Bãrsi, situated
to the north of Pandharpur, in
present-day
Sholãpur district of Mahãrãshtra.
Parmãnand
was a devotee of Vishnu and used
in his songs the nom de plume Sarañg,
the name of a bird ever thirsty
for the raindrop. He always
longed
for God whom he worshipped in the
Vaisnavite manifestation of Krsna.
He
used to make, it is said, seven
hundred genuflexions daiy to God
on his
uncovered, often bleeding, knees.
He believe for a long time that
God
could be worshipped as an Image
only, but later he had the
realization
that the nirguna Supreme, God
unmanifest, could also be loved
and prayed
to.Parminand’s one hymn
incorporated in the Guru Granth
Sahib (p.
1253) subscribes to this view. In
this hymn, he disapproves of the
ritualistic
reading and hearing of the sacred
books If that has not disposed to
the
service of fellow beings.He
commends sincere devotion which
could be imbibed
from the company of holy saints.
Lust,wrath, avarice, slander have
to
be expunged for they render all
seva, ie. service, fruitless
Shabad from Parmanand in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib
So what have you accomplished by listening to the Puraanas?
Faithful devotion has not welled up within you,
and you have not been inspired to give to the hungry. || 1 || Pause ||
You have not forgotten sexual desire,
and you have not forgotten anger; greed has not left you either.
Your mouth has not stopped slandering and gossiping about others.
Your service is useless and fruitless. || 1 ||
By breaking into the houses of others and robbing them,
you fill your belly, you sinner.
But when you go to the world beyond, your guilt will be well known,
by the acts of ignorance which you committed. || 2 ||
Cruelty has not left your mind;
you have not cherished kindness for other living beings.
Parmaanand has joined the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy.
Why have you not followed the sacred teachings? || 3 || 1 || 6 ||
O mind, do not even associate with those who have turned their backs on the Lord.
Extracted from Gurbani
De Racheta by S Abnashi
Singh and Gurvinder Singh.
Published by: Gaganmai Thaal
International,Jandiala
Guru,Amritsar