Japji Sahib Pauree 28
- Jan 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 27
Japji Sahib Pauree 28
Original Gurmukhi
ਮੰਨੈ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਮਨਿ ਬੁਧਿ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਸਗਲ ਭਵਣ ਕੀ ਸੁਧਿ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਮੁਹਿ ਚੋਟਾ ਨਾ ਖਾਇ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਜਮ ਕੈ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਏਹੁ ਮਨਿ ਮੰਨੇ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਕਹੀ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਜੇ ਕੋ ਕਹੈ ਪਿਛੈ ਪਛੁਤਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਾ ਮਨਿ ਮੰਨੈ ॥੨੮॥
Transliteration
Mannai suraṯ hovai man buḏẖ.
Mannai sagal bhavaṇ kī suḏẖ.
Mannai muh choṭā nā khāe.
Mannai jam kai sāth nā jāe.
Ehu man mannai kī gaṯ kahī na jāe.
Je ko kahai pichhai pachhṯāe.
Nanak gurmukhā man mannai.
Straight Meaning (Sikh-accurate)
Guru Nanak teaches:
Through deep inner trust (mannai), awareness awakens and understanding becomes clear.
Through this trust, one comprehends the nature of all worlds.
Through this trust, one does not suffer humiliation or spiritual harm.
Through this trust, one does not fear the realm of death.
The state of one who truly trusts cannot be fully described, whoever tries will only regret the attempt.
Nanak says: this trust arises in the heart aligned with the Guru.
Sacred Commentary
Pauree 28 opens the Mannai (trust) cluster, the mirror of the Suniai verses.
Where Suniai was inner listening,
Mannai is inner willingness,
a deep yes that rises from the soul,
not the mind.
This trust is not belief.
It is not blind faith.
It is not obedience.
It is the quiet inner shift where the heart stops resisting Reality and begins to flow with it.
From that shift:
Awareness sharpens.
Understanding deepens.
The architecture of existence becomes intuitively known.
The soul becomes unshakeable, untouched by shame, fear, or the illusions of death.
Nanak insists:
The state of one who trusts cannot be explained.
It can only be lived.
Trying to describe it is like trying to hold moonlight in your hands,
beautiful, impossible, and ultimately misleading.
This trust is not self-generated
It arises when the inner Teacher, the Guru principle,
touches the heart,
turning it toward what is true.
IFS Lens
In IFS, mannai resembles the moment when parts relax enough to allow Self-energy forward.
It is not belief.
It is not certainty.
It is the protector-led system loosening its grip just enough for Self to shine through.
When this trust arises:
Awareness awakens → parts stop scrambling and clarity emerges.
Understanding of all worlds → the system perceives its inner multiplicity with compassion.
No humiliation → parts no longer fear being shamed or exposed.
No fear of death → the system senses an inner continuity beyond roles and burdens.
Indescribability → the Self-led state cannot be captured by language or technique.
This trust cannot be forced on parts.
It arises naturally when they feel safe, seen, and not pushed.
Trauma-Informed Practice (Curiosity Only)
As you sit with this pauree, explore gently:
Is there a part of me that longs to trust something larger than itself?
Is there a part that fears trust, because trust once led to harm?
What happens inside when I imagine trust that doesn’t demand anything?
Is there a part that softens at the idea of not needing to resist the whole world?
Is there a part that isn’t ready for trust yet?
All responses are valid.
Some parts open.
Some close.
Some sit quietly, watching.
Your system is allowed to move at the pace of safety.
This is the practice.
Closing Reflection
Pauree 28 is an invitation into the mystery of inner willingness, that subtle shift where the heart stops bracing and begins to breathe again.
Trust, here, is not something you manufacture.
It is something that emerges when the soul feels the warmth of Reality and leans toward it instinctively.
May your parts feel the gentleness of this invitation.
May trust arise only where safety makes space for it.
And may the indescribable sweetness Nanak points to touch your system in its own perfect timing.
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