The Miser

There is a very close relationship between vices/Bikaar greed and attachment. Perhaps this is the reason why ‘greed’ and ‘attachment’ are mentioned so often in Gurbani enshrined within the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS).

• ਹਉ ਹਉ ਕਰਤ ਬਧੇ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥ ਮੋਹ ਲੋਭ ਡੂਬੌ ਸੰਸਾਰ ॥ : Vices/Bikaar of that person multiply who is obsessed with selfishness (the feeling of ‘I, me. mine’). He/she remains drowned in suffering due to worldly attachment and greed. (sggs 1192).
• ਲੋਭਿ ਮੋਹਿ ਬਾਧੀ ਦੇਹ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਭਜਨ ਹੋਵਤ ਖੇਹ ॥ : The human body is in the grip of greed and attachment. Without realizing God, it is becomes useless like dust. (sggs 838).
• ਲੋਭਿ ਮੋਹਿ ਮਗਨ ਅਪਰਾਧੀ ॥ : We mortals are guilty of being engrossed in greed and attachment. (sggs 740).
• ਇਸੁ ਦੇਹੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਪੰਚ ਚੋਰ ਵਸਹਿ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਅਹੰਕਾਰਾ ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਲੂਟਹਿ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਨਹੀ ਬੂਝਹਿ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਸੁਣੈ ਪੂਕਾਰਾ ॥: Within this body dwell the five thieves (i.e lust, anger, greed, attachment and egotistical pride. They plunder the Amrit (of Naam from within the body), but the Manmukhs (UN-enlightened, oblivious of Naam…) persons do not realize it; (but once they suffer the consequences and are plundered) there is no one to listen to their calls for help. (sggs 600).

A miser person is essentially a greedy person. A miser person (Soom-ਸੂਮ, Kanjoos-ਕੰਜੂਸ) is also called “Kirpan-ਕਿਰਪਨ, Kripan-ਕ੍ਰਿਪਨ” in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS). As a miser serves only Maya, consequently, the “Kirpan” is a repository of all vice/Bikaar. A miser dose not know giving; for giving or sharing is not his/her nature. As a result, he/she only knows taking, stealing, squandering, misappropriating, and so on.

• ਕਿਰਪਨ ਤਨ ਮਨ ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਭਰੇ ॥ : O miser, your body and mind are full of sin (sggs 714).
• ਕਾਮਿ ਕਰੋਧਿ ਮੋਹਿ ਵਸਿ ਕੀਆ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਲੋਭਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥ : Uunder the power of lust, anger and worldly attachment, a miser is in love with greed (sggs 70).
• ਸੂਮਹਿ ਧਨੁ ਰਾਖਨ ਕਉ ਦੀਆ ਮੁਗਧੁ ਕਹੈ ਧਨੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥ : The miser is busy in amaasing wealth, and the fool (miser) calls it his own (sggs 479).
• ਰੋਵਹਿ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਸੰਚਹਿ ਧਨੁ ਜਾਇ ॥ : The miser amasses wealth, but cries when it is gone (sggs 954).

It is a common saying about a miser that he considers accumulating as much wealth as possible as his/her life’s purpose, even after enduring the pain of staying hungry, lack or clothes or bare lifestyle. A miser spends his entire life accumulating wealth. But he neither derives any happiness from it nor can he bear to loose it to someone else. Such a worshiper of Maya is never of any use to anyone.

• ਗੋਬਿਦ ਭਜਨ ਬਿਨੁ ਬ੍ਰਿਥੇ ਸਭ ਕਾਮ ॥ ਜਿਉ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਕੇ ਨਿਰਾਰਥ ਦਾਮ ॥ : Without uniting with the Creator, all worldly deeds are in vain, It is like the wealth of a miser, which is of no use to him (or anyone else). (sggs 269).
• ਧਾਇ ਧਾਇ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਨ ਸ੍ਰਮੁ ਕੀਨੋ ਇਕਤ੍ਰ ਕਰੀ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਦਾਨੁ ਪੁੰਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਸੰਤਨ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਿਤ ਹੀ ਕਾਜਿ ਨ ਆਇਆ ॥੧॥ : (Without understanding the purpose of life) with great effort and exertion, the miser works to gather in the riches of Maya. (But from that riches) he does not give anything in charity or generosity, and he does not serve the seekers of truth; his wealth does not do him any good at all. ||1|| (sggs 712).

Thus the miser person is said to be the lowest of the low. He is like that of the dog in the manger. Any society where misers are prevalent will suffer; for misers can only increase the suffering of others in the world. A miser cannot be the support of anybody. He is unaware of the truth that to gain real happiness one has to selflessly give. Hence, he creates hellish existence on this earth for himself as well as for others to live in.

In fact, the miser and Maya are synonymous, Maya is labeled in the Gurbani as daughter of the miser!

• ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਕੀ ਪੂਤੀ ॥ ਸੇਵਕ ਤਜਿ ਜਗਤ ਸਿਉ ਸੂਤੀ ॥ : Maya, the ‘Suhaagan’-bride, is like the daughter of misers. Except for the Divine’s Sevak or those who live by Hukam (Bhagat, Daas, Jan, Gurmukh…), she has taken control of the entire world – she has takes the materially oriented people under her control). (sggs 872).

Influenced by the money, we become greedy. In turn, greed gives rise to corruption, selfishness and stealing. Accordingly, the SGGS indicates that the greedy persons cannot be trusted. Such people are compared to the mad dog with rabies. “Their madness ruins everything”, states the Gurbani.

• ਲੋਭੀ ਕਾ ਵੇਸਾਹੁ ਨ ਕੀਜੈ ਜੇ ਕਾ ਪਾਰਿ ਵਸਾਇ ॥: Lobhee kaa vesaahu na keejai je kaa paar vasaai: If you can avoid doing so, do not trust the greedy person (sggs 1417).
• ਲੋਭ ਲਹਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਸੁਆਨੁ ਹਲਕੁ ਹੈ ਹਲਕਿਓ ਸਭਹਿ ਬਿਗਾਰੇ ॥: Lobh lahari sabh suaan halak hai halkio sabhai bigaare: The waves of greed are like mad dogs with rabies. Ttheir madness ruins all (those whom they bite – ਵੱਢ ਵੱਢ ਕੇ) (sggs 983).
• And the miser — his instruments ‘are’ evil … (Bible, Isaiah 32:7).
• But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient, and gives the lie to the best,- we will indeed make smooth for him the path to Misery; nor will his wealth profit him when he falls headlong (into the Pit). (Quran, chapter 92, verses 8-11).
• “Become not a miser” (Veda).

The SGGS urges us to conquer relativist consciousness and fix the Maya-ridden mind in the Divine Counsel. However, in selfishness and greed, the miser does not live by the Divine virtues and see the Omnipresent Reality — seeing the same One God in all beings.

The Guru’s decree (ਫੁਰਮਾਨ) is that all the religious deeds of a person devoid of the remembrance of the Creator become useless just as the wealth of a miser is of no use to anyone.

• ਸਿੰਘ ਰੁਚੈ ਸਦ ਭੋਜਨੁ ਮਾਸ ॥ ਰਣੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਸੂਰੇ ਚਿਤ ਉਲਾਸ ॥ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਕਉ ਅਤਿ ਧਨ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਕਉ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਆਧਾਰੁ ॥੩॥ : Just as a lion is pleased upon eating meat; the mind of a warrior is inspired upon seeing the battle field; the miser is totally in love with the wealth; similarly a seeker of truth depends on the support of God’s Naam (abidance in Divine Giyan-Wisdom / Virtues / Hukam). ||3|| (sggs 1180).
• ਕਿਰਪਨ ਤਨ ਮਨ ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਭਰੇ ॥ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਿ ਭਜਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਢਾਕਨ ਕਉ ਇਕੁ ਹਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥: A miser’s body and mind are full of evil inclinations (because he/she does not live by the wealth of the Divine Naam). Connect with the Guru’s Giyan-Wisdom and abide in God’s Naam (i.e. Divine Giyan-Wisdom / Virtues / Hukam) that alone can protect from evil inclinations. ||1||Pause|| (sggs 714).
• ਬਹੁਤੇ ਫੇਰ ਪਏ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਕਉ ਅਬ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕੀਜੈ ॥ ਹੋਹੁ ਦਇਆਲ ਦਰਸਨੁ ਦੇਹੁ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਐਸੀ ਬਖਸ ਕਰੀਜੈ ॥੨॥ : O God, this miser has wandered a lot in life; now, please bless me with Your Grace (so that I have better sense). O God, be merciful and grant me Awareness of Your Naam (abidance in Divine Giyan-Wisdom / Virtues / Hukam); please grant me such a gift. ||2||(sggs 666).
• ਮੋਹਿ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਕਉ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਜਾਨਤ ਸਗਲ ਭਵਨ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਈ ॥ : (After attaining the Awareness of God’s Naam (abidance in Divine Giyan-Wisdom / Virtues / Hukam), I, the miserly one, whom no one knew, have become famous all over the world. (sggs 402).

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• Core of Gurmat Spirituality – Becoming Sachiaar – ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ
• Guru Nanak’s concept of ‘God’
• One Dog and Two Bitches
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• Flow of Desires
• Slave of the Senses
• Make Ten Senses Widows
• Bhav Sagar – the Ocean of Worldly Life…
• Gurbani Defines Ghost – Bhoot Pret
• Realize Enlightening Message Embedded within Shabad
• Become the Gurbani
• Gurmat and Shabad Vichaar