Japji Sahib — Pauree 29
- Jan 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 27
Japji Sahib — Pauree 29
Mannai: The Courage That Opens Beyond Fear
Original Gurmukhi
ਮੰਨੈ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਠੱਕ ਨ ਪਾਇ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਪਤਿ ਸਿਉ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਮਗੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਪੰਥ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਧਰਮ ਸੇਤੀ ਸਨਬੰਧ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਮੋਖੁ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥
ਮੰਨੈ ਪਰਵਾਰੈ ਸਾਧਾਰੁ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨੈ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਜਾਣੈ ਮਨਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨੈ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਜਾਣੈ ਮਨਿ ਹੋਇ ॥੨੯॥
Transliteration
Mannai mārag ṯẖak na pāe.
Mannai paṯ siou pargaṭ jāe.
Mannai mag na chalai panth.
Mannai ḏẖaram seṯī sanbanḏẖ.
Mannai pāveh mokẖ ḏuār.
Mannai parvārai sāḏẖār.
Nanak manai je ko jāṇai man hoe.
Nanak manai je ko jāṇai man hoe.
Straight Meaning (Sikh-accurate)
Guru Nanak teaches:
Through deep trust (mannai), one never tires on the spiritual path.
Through this trust, one walks with dignity and becomes known in honor.
Through this trust, one does not lose the way or wander off the path.
Through this trust, one becomes connected with Dharma — righteous living.
Through this trust, the gate of liberation is found.
Through this trust, the whole family — the whole community — is supported.
Nanak says: only the one who truly understands this inner trust will know what it means in their own heart.
Sacred Commentary
Devotional, clear, non-didactic
Pauree 29 deepens the mannai river.
Not trust as belief.
Trust as an inner stance.
A soul-posture.
This trust does not make the path easy.
It makes the walker unshakeable.
“Never tired on the path.”
Not because life becomes smooth,
but because trust gives the heart endurance.
A quiet resilience that does not depend on circumstances.
“Becomes known in honor.”
This is not reputation.
It is the radiance of a life aligned with truth.
“Does not wander off the path.”
Trust becomes an inner compass.
Even when the terrain is confusing,
the heart stays oriented.
“Becomes connected with Dharma.”
Not bound to rules,
but bound to the living fabric of justice, compassion, and right relationship.
“Finds the gate of liberation.”
Not escape from the world,
but freedom within it.
Freedom from inner chains.
Freedom from distortion and fear.
“Supports the whole family.”
A person rooted in mannai stabilizes the field around them.
Their coherence becomes shelter.
Their presence becomes nourishment.
And yet Nanak repeats himself:
This cannot be understood by hearing about it.
Only when trust blooms in your own chest
will you know what this pauree means.
The IFS Lens
Where Sikh wisdom meets inner systems
In IFS, Pauree 29 describes what happens when protectors truly begin to trust Self-energy.
“Never tired on the path”
→ the system no longer burns energy fighting itself.
“Honor appears”
→ parts feel coherent, integrated, dignified.
“Does not wander”
→ Self becomes the inner center.
“Connected with Dharma”
→ parts find their true roles and natural balance.
“Gate of liberation”
→ exiles unburden, protectors soften.
“Supports the whole family”
→ when one part trusts Self, others begin to relax.
The whole inner system stabilizes.
Trust in IFS is not obedience.
It is the moment a part realizes:
“I do not have to carry everything alone.”
This is the heart of Pauree 29.
Trauma-Informed Practice
Curiosity only, non-directive
As you rest with this pauree, you might gently explore:
Is there a part of me that is tired from walking alone?
Is there a part that longs to trust, but fears being hurt again?
What happens inside when I imagine not losing the way, even if the path is unclear?
Is there a part that softens at the idea of the whole system being supported?
Is there a part that is not ready for trust, and needs respect and space?
Each response, softening, tightening, confusion, stillness, is welcome.
Your system knows its own timing.
This is the practice.
Closing Reflection
Pauree 29 sings of a trust that can hold a life.
Not naïve.
Not blind.
Not obedient.
A trust born of deep inner contact.
When trust arises,
the heart walks farther than it thought possible.
The path steadies under your feet.
Your life harmonizes with something ancient and right.
And the freedom you sought outside
begins to bloom from within.
May your parts feel the safety needed for trust to emerge.
May you walk with the dignity Nanak names.
And may this pauree remind you:
True trust is never imposed.
It awakens like a dawn
already rising in your chest.
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