The Sanskrit word Amrit literally means “no death”, “without death” or “immortal”. It is frequently referred in the ancient religious literature of India as Nectar. It originates from the Greek word ambrosia, from where we get our English word ambrosial that has often been used along with Nectar in Shri Guru Granth Sahib. This word is associated with many other doctrines of Sikhism such as Nectar is the Naam (ਨਾਮੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ), Nectar is nothing but the mediation of sweet Word (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਮੀਠਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ), Nectar is Divine Wisdom (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ), Nectar is the treasure of the Divine Virtues (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗੁਣੀ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ), Nectar is the Word (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਬਦੁ), and likewise. In the thinking of Sikh’s Gurus (ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗਿਆਨੁ), Nectar finds important place for it is Nectar that can bring unwavering Spiritual Life. In other words a person will never face death if he or she has found Nectar.
The job of ambrosial Nectar is to bring spiritual or divine life, to bring awareness of self and self-condition, awareness of Reality, awareness of abiding in Almighty (Akal Purkh). It further brings status of liberated one (Jivanmukta or Gurmukh-hood) in a truth seeker’s life. According to Guru Granth the best time to seek ambrosial Nectar is during morning hours,
“In the Amrit Vaylaa, the ambrosial hours before dawn, chant the True Name, and contemplate His Glorious Greatness”
SGGS, p.2
.[i] Reflecting upon the glories and greatness of The Almighty who cannot be fathom out by limited human mind helps a devotee to purify his or her mind which is full with filth,
“Deep within the mind is the disease of ego; the self-willed manmukhs, the evil beings, are deluded by doubt” .[ii]
SGGS, p. 301
A truth seeker’s mind or consciousness (Surat) is healed and it becomes pure (Khalas) or in other words his mind has now taken a bath (Amritdhaaree) in the ocean of Lord’s grace (nadar). Hereafter he need not to go for an emancipatory pilgrimage bath, “One who bathes in the Ambrosial Water of spiritual wisdom takes with him the virtues of the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage” (SGGS, p.1328).[iii] He keeps drinking from Ambrosial Nectar, “The mind drinks it in, hearing and reflecting on the Word of the Shabad” (SGGS, p.102).[iv] The drinking or contemplation of the mind is takes place on Word (Shabad) who is Guru himself, “Nectar-sweet is the Word, 0 Nectar-sweet is the Lord’s Word” (SGGS, p.119).[v]
Why?
Because, “Reflective meditation upon the Shabad is such sweet nectar” (SGGS, p.424)[vi] and it is always granted by Guru (Gur-prasad),
“The Ambrosial Nectar of the Naam is always sweet to me; through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, I come to taste it”.[vii]
SGGS, p.559
Satguru not only has the Nectar, rather he plants the very Nectar-Name of himself in a devotee’s heart for he himself is Nectar, “He enshrines the Nectar-Name within his mind” (SGGS, p.1184).[viii] Therefore, the call is given to humankind to come and drink from this Nectar, “Guru’s Word is Nectar by drinking which thirst is quenched” (SGGS, p.35).[ix]
To put our discussion in nutshell, Nectar belongs to Satguru, in fact Satguru himself is the Nectar. A devotee has to draw near to Him to find this Nectar. Nectar has the power not only to clean the mind, purifying it from dirt, but also to heal it. Thus, it can contemplate on the glories and wonders of God. Nectar also helps a devotee to see his worldly and spiritual condition and then enables him to reflect on the Words of Satguru (Bani) to find bliss that is heavenly joy. However, this pushes us to seek the answers of some important questions that may change the destiny of our life. Who is the Word of God? Who has the ambrosial Nectar? Where to find the Nectar of Satguru? What does one have to do to find Nectar that brings life? Which brings bliss and finally liberates?
If a devotee is serious about his worldly and spiritual condition then he should seek the answer in Granth Bible for Granth Bible is the only scripture in this world which gives answers to these questions without any ambiguity. Thousands of people in the past have found the answers from it and have changed their life and the destiny. One such disciple (Sikh) after finding the answer spoke in exclamation like this, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Granth Bible unequivocally says that,
“In the beginning was the Word [Satguru Jesus Christ], and the Word [Satguru Jesus Christ] was with God, and the Word [Satguru Jesus Christ] was God. He [Satguru Jesus Christ] was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”
John 1:1-3
Satguru Jesus Christ said it like this,
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock”
Matthew 7:24
Here the house depicts one’s life that does not hesitate when the storms of life come for it has already achieved tranquility (Chain) and bliss (Param-anand). It is already in the state of stability and immovability. Nobody now can hinder its growth since it is in rooted in the pool of Nectar. That is why a disciple (Sikh) of Satguru Jesus Christ has written about the state of mind after taking the dip in the Nectar of life in this manner,
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Satguru Jesus Christ”
Philippians 4:7
When once Satguru Jesus Christ was giving discourse about God (ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗਿਆਨੁ) he said it like this,
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (Ambrosial Nectar)”
John 7:37-38
He called every seeker of the truth, who is empty in his heart, who is broken in his heart, who feels alone, who thinks that he or she is abandoned and no one cares about him or her. He calls them to abide in Him or drink from the Nectar of his river. A devotee must note that he or she is coming to Him with a heavy load and this burden is of world and worldly desire that are persecuting him or her, “All those, that are seen; they, they are disease-stricken” (SGGS, p.1140),[x] but the condition of this state changes when a devotees comes to Satguru Jesus Christ for he said like this,
“I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn’t like the peace this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid” (John 14:27), He further said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”
John 16:33
Therefore, the very moment a devotee dives in the river of Ambrosial Nectar of Satguru Jesus Christ, his or her heart fills with bless or in other words heavenly joy and peace (Suchkand-da-aanand), “my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure” (Psalm 16:9). He shouts with merry heart, “for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:9-10). A devotee’s whole personality changes and he becomes new, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17). He or she is no more now belongs to this earth (John 15:19; Philippians 3:20). In facts he touches the very pinnacle of blessedness (Sahaj-bhaav) or emancipation (Jivan-mukta) since he is ‘abiding in Him’ (John 15:4). He is changed from a self-willed person (Manmukh) to a person who is ‘coming from the persona of the Guru’ or a person who has ‘the character or personality of the Guru’ (Gurmukh).
Thus, to disobey the call of Satguru Jesus Christ is making himself or herself a fool because, “Nanak the Name Nectar is ever the peace-giver. By drinking the Name Nectar all the hunger is satiated” (SGGS, p.119),[xi] and it is Satguru Jesus Christ alone who can bring peace and joy, “The True Guru is the True Pool of Nectar; bathing in it, the mind is washed clean of all filth” (SGGS, p.113).[xii]
[i] ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵੇਲਾ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਉ ਵਡਿਆਈ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
[ii] ਮਨ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਭੂਲੇ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਦੁਰਜਨਾ ॥
[iii] ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਨੀਰੁ ਗਿਆਨਿ ਮਨ ਮਜਨੁ ਅਠਸਠਿ ਤੀਰਥ ਸੰਗਿ ਗਹੇ ॥
[iv] ਝਿਮਿ ਝਿਮਿ ਵਰਸੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਧਾਰਾ ॥ ਮਨੁ ਪੀਵੈ ਸੁਨਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੀਚਾਰਾ ॥
[v] ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਬਦੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਹਰਿ ਬਾਣੀ ॥
[vi] ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਮੀਠਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥
[vii] ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਦ ਮੀਠਾ ਲਾਗਾ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਸਾਦੁ ਆਇਆ ॥
[viii] ਗੁਰਿ ਪੂਰੈ ਸਭੁ ਪੂਰਾ ਕੀਆ ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦ ਮਹਿ ਦੀਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
[ix] ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਹੈ ਜਿਤੁ ਪੀਤੈ ਤਿਖ ਜਾਇ ॥
[x] ਜੋ ਜੋ ਦੀਸੈ ਸੋ ਸੋ ਰੋਗੀ ॥
[xi] ਨਾਨਕ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖਦਾਤਾ ਪੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਸਭ ਭੁਖ ਲਹਿ ਜਾਵਣਿਆ ॥
[xii] ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਹੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਰੁ ਸਾਚਾ ਮਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਮੈਲੁ ਚੁਕਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥