"De Le GeRaa... ਦੇ ਲੈ ਗੇੜਾ..."

Last Monday, on Boxing Day, my family and I went to London to meet my brother's in-laws (as he will be getting married) to give "sagan" (a token) to show that we accept the girl and will stop the marital search. Similarly, the Saturday before, the girl's family came to our house and gave "sagan".

They are a nice family. While we were there they played a DVD of the song "De Le GeRaa" by Balvir Boparai. Waheguru! The song was played like three or four times! Everyone apart from me, my bhua and one or two other people got up and started to dance to the song. It seemed the song was a favourite for everyone and so everytime the song finished, it was replayed. I must admit the song did have a catchy tune. lol.


I didn't think much at the time. The next day I got up at Amrit-vela (early morning before sunrise) and combed my hair, and made my way to the bathroom to wash my hair and have a shower. Guess what happens? Is "Vaahe-Guroo, Vaahe-Guroo, Vaahe-Guroo..." going through my head? Is there a shabad going through my head? Or am I contemplating on Mool Mantr? No! "ਦੇ ਲੈ ਗੇੜਾ... ਦੇ ਲੈ ਗੇੜਾ... DE LE GERAA... DE LE GERAA..." is thumping out of my head. Sat Naam. (If you don't know what I am talking about, you can hear the song here: Nanane Goriye)

It was really disturbing! Autmatically the song, which I heard the evening before was going through my head at AMRIT-VELA. Thank God that while having a cold shower my mind was focused on Naam and I was loudly saying "VAAHE-GUROO, VAAHE-GUROO..."

Even throughout the day the song seemed to pop up in my head. It just shows the POWER OF LISTENING. It made me think why Guru jee places so much emphasis on "listening". In Japjee Sahib, pauree (stanza) 8 to 11 is all about "Listening" and the blessings one can recieve if he or she listens to Naam.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਿਧ ਪੀਰ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਾਥ ॥
suNi-ai siDh peer sur naath.
Listening - one obtains the status of the Siddhas, the spiritual teachers, the heroic warriors, the yogic masters.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਧਰਤਿ ਧਵਲ ਆਕਾਸ ॥
suNi-ai Dharat Dhaval aakaash.
Listening - one understand that the earth and skies are supported by Waheguru.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੀਪ ਲੋਅ ਪਾਤਾਲ ॥
suNi-ai deep lo-a paataal.
Listening - one realises that Waheguru prevades in the oceans, the lands of the world and the nether regions of the underworld.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਪੋਹਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਕਾਲੁ ॥
suNi-ai pohi na sakai kaal.
Listening- the fear of death cannot even touch you.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
naanak bhagtaa sadaa vigaas.
O Nanak, the devotees (whose consciousness is joined to Naam) are forever in bliss,

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੮॥
suNi-ai dookh paap kaa naas. 8.
(Because) listening (to the Lord's Glorious Praises) one's pains and sins are erased. 8.

In a nutshell the Pauree tells us that by listening and attuning oneself to Waheguru's Praises and Naam, a "normal" person can obtain a high spiritual state. Through listening and attuning oneself to Waheguru one experiences that Waheguru is prevading in all the realms and galaxies, and is the support of the the land and sky. Through listening and attuning onself to Waheguru who is prevading everywhere one no longer has fear of death. These are the blessing of "Listening."

Gurbaani says:

ਸੁਰਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਜਸੁ ਸੁਨਤਾ ॥
surat sat, sat jas suntaa.
Those ears are True, and True are those who listen to Waheguru's Praises.

Why are our ears and listening so important? Note that a child which cannot hear, whose hearing is impaired or who is not able to listen, that child cannot speak. A child who cannot hear cannot speak. This a medical fact. A child may be born with a perfect mouth and tognue, yet if he or she cannot hear then they cannot speak.

A child, which has never heard someone speaking German, that child will not be able to speak German.
A child, which is raised hearing his mother, father or friends swearing and speaking foul language, that child also picks up to speak foul language and swear.
A child, which hears Naam and the Praises of Waheguru, that child is able to speak and sing the Praises of Waheguru.

The ears are connected to the brain (mind) and mouth. For this reason Guru Nanak Sahib jee in Japjee Sahib first emphasises "SunNaa," (listening) then Guru Sahib talks about "ManNaa," (obeying and following).

For this reason hearing Baani, listening to Kirtan and opening our ears to the truth is a fundamental part of Sikhi.


I was reflecting on the affect of the song "De Le GeRaa..." had on me. How blissful must the Beloved Gurmukhs who only listen to Gurbaani and Naam be? How peaceful and contentful must the Beloved Gurmukhs be, in whose mind only Gurbaani and Naam vibrates? How happy and radiant must the Beloved Gurmukhs be whose minds dance to the Praises of Waheguru through only listening to the Truth.

ਜੇਨ ਕੇਨ ਪਰਕਾਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਸੁ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਸ੍ਰਵਨ ॥
jen ken parkaare har har jas sunhu sravan.
By every means possible, listen to the Praises of the Lord with your ears.

ਸੁਨਿ ਸ੍ਰਵਨ ਬਾਨੀ ਪੁਰਖ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਮਨਿ ਨਿਧਾਨਾ ਪਾਵਹੇ ॥
sun sravan baanee purakh giaanee man niDhaanaa paavehe.
Listen with your ears to the Word of the Lord's Bani, the hymns of spiritual wisdom; thus you shall obtain the treasure in your mind.

Once my mum and I went to a Rainsbayee Kirtan. My mum told me that where she was sitting there was a 9-12 month year old boy. He got up and staggered towards my mum and sat in her laps. Every time the baby heard "Waheguru" the toddler would start smiling and moving his body and say "Waa-he-Gu-Roo". My mum was astonished at how the child was so radiant and with a smile on his face he was saying "Waahe-Guru... Waahe-Guroo..."

After a while the child's mother came over to my mum. My mum told the mother's child that this child is blessed and that everytime he hears "Waheguru" he starts to ecstatically move his arms, legs and head and repeating "Waheguru" as well. The mother was an Amritdhari SinghNee. She said that while she was pregnant she would play loud Simran on the tape player as well as do loud Naam Abhiyaas and Simran so that the child could hear and enjoy as well. When my mum told me this I was pleasantly shocked and thought how blessed that child must be to have a mother who gave the baby in the womb a chance to listen to Gurbaani, Keertan and Simran.

ਨੈਨੀ ਦੇਖਿ ਦਰਸੁ ਮਨੁ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤੈ ਸ੍ਰਵਨ ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣਈਆ ॥
nainee dekh daras man triptai, sravan baaNee gur shabad suNa-ee-aa.
Gazing upon the Blessed Vision of His Darshan with my eyes, my mind is satisfied; with my ears, I listen to the Guru's Bani, and the Word of His Shabad.

ਸੁਨਿ ਸੁਨਿ ਆਤਮ ਦੇਵ ਹੈ ਭੀਨੇ ਰਸਿ ਰਸਿ ਰਾਮ ਗੋਪਾਲ ਰਵਈਆ ॥੬॥
sun sun aatam dev hai, bheene ras ras raam gopaal rav-ee-aa. 6.
Listening, listening, my soul is softened, delighted by His subtle essence, chanting the Name of the Lord of the Universe. 6.

To end with on Wednesday night I got ready to go to bed. I recited Sohilaa Sahib (bed-time prayer) and did small Ardaas. Then I went to bed. As I laid in bed a shabad kept going through mind. Shabad Kirtan is addictive and intoxicating. The shabad kept vibrating in my mind. I ended up getting up and going downstairs to get my vaaja out and play that shabad. Even in the morning, the next day, I woke up at Amrit-vela with the shabad vibrated my mind and came off my lips. The shabad was:

ਰਾਜੁ ਨ ਚਾਹਉ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਚਾਹਉ ਮਨਿ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲਾਰੇ ॥
raaj na chaaho, mukat na chaaho, man preet charan kamlaare.
I do not seek power, and I do not seek liberation. My mind is in love with Your Lotus Feet.
(Ang 534, SGGS)

Read Full Shabad

You can download and listen to this shabad below:
Raaj Na Chaaho, Mukat Na Chaao
Sung by: Bhai Satwinder Singh & Bhai Harvinder Singh


I can definately say it is way better to wake up hearing Gurbaani and Simran in your mind rather than Bhangra or any other songs. :)