The Path of Dharam Khand — Japji Sahib Paurī 34

Based on Maskeen Ji’s Discourse on Japji Sahib

In Japji Sahib, Guru Nanak Dev Ji describes the soul’s journey through the five spiritual realms, called khands. These are not physical places but stages of consciousness, levels through which the seeker’s awareness ascends. The earlier paurīs have prepared the mind for this understanding, and from Paurī 34 onwards, Guru Nanak begins to explain these spiritual stages.

He calls the first stage Dharam Khand — the realm of righteousness, where one’s life is aligned with cosmic order, principles, and law.

The Five Khands: Steps of Spiritual Evolution

Maskeen Ji reminds us that Guru Nanak describes five khands:

1. Dharam Khand – the realm of righteous living.
2. Giān Khand – the realm of knowledge.
3. Saram Khand – the realm of effort, discipline, and refinement.
4. Karam Khand – the realm of divine grace and power.
5. Sach Khand – the final destination, the realm of Truth, where the soul becomes one with Nirankar (the Formless).

This framework mirrors the way many spiritual traditions map the path. The Upanishadic sages spoke of karma-kāṇḍa (ritual action), upāsanā-kāṇḍa (devotion), and jñāna-kāṇḍa (knowledge), with the last being union with the Divine. Islam too describes four stages — sharī‘at (law), tarīqat (path), ma‘rifat (gnosis), and haqīqat (Truth). Different traditions, yet the essence is the same: the path begins with discipline and culminates in Truth.

Guru Nanak’s language, however, is rooted in direct spiritual experience. He begins with Dharam Khand, the foundation.

Dharam is a Path of the Mind

Religion, Guru Nanak teaches, is not about physical practices of the body but the discipline of the mind and awareness (surat). The journey to the higher realms is not walked with feet but with consciousness. Therefore, Dharam Khand is not about external rituals but about giving life a structure of principles, order, and righteousness.

The Cosmic Order: Laws that Never Fail

Guru Nanak begins the paurī with:

“rātī rutī thitī vār, pavaṇ pāṇī aganī pātāl”
Nights, seasons, lunar dates, days, air, water, fire, and the underworld —

All move in perfect order. Just as traffic accidents occur despite man-made rules, yet among countless planets, stars, and galaxies, not a single collision occurs. The universe moves in infinite speed and vastness, yet everything holds its orbit. This itself proves that there is a cosmic law, a hukam, established by the Perfect One.

Just as fire cannot cool, ice cannot burn, the sun cannot give darkness, and the moon cannot radiate heat — every element is bound to its divine law.

Earth: A School of Righteous Living

“tis vic dharatī thāp rakhī dharam sāl”
Within this cosmic order, the earth was established as a dharamsāl, a place of righteousness.

Maskeen Ji says Guru Nanak describes earth as a school of dharam. Here, life is the classroom, and death is the examination. If the soul fails, it must return to the same class. Repeated rebirth on earth means the soul has not graduated.

Bhagat Kabir says: “Many times I have failed this test, O Lord, have mercy now.”

Thus, earth is not a permanent home but a training ground, a temporary place to learn and rise higher.

The Many Forms of Life

“tis vic jīa jugat ke raṅg, tin ke nām anek anant”
In this earth, creatures of countless forms live, each with unique ways of life.

A cow cannot eat meat, and a lion cannot eat grass. Each has a fixed way of life. Animals live within their natural instincts, but humans are different: man has the freedom to choose. What to eat, where to live, how to live — man decides. That is why man is called karma-yoni (the womb of action), while animals are bhoga-yoni (the womb of experience).

The Judgment of Actions

“karmī karmī hoi vīcār”
Deeds are judged by deeds.

In the True Court, what matters is not how much one has consumed or enjoyed, but what actions one has done. The question is: did my actions build others’ lives, uplift my own mind, bring joy to others, and peace to myself? Such actions are virtuous. Actions that harm others, disturb the conscience, or create guilt are unvirtuous.

Thus, Dharam Khand makes one aware: life must be structured by dharam, by righteous law.

The True Court

“sacā āp sacā darabār”
The True One Himself, His Court is True.

This Court is not a myth, it is the realm where every deed is weighed in Truth. Here, no deception works.

“tithai sohan pañc parvāṇ”
There, the accepted ones, the perfect beings, shine in glory.

Who are these “pañch”? Saints, devotees, and the spiritually mature — those who have transcended ego and merged with Truth. Their presence in the Court is radiant.

“nadrī karam pavai nīsāṇ”
By His Grace, they bear the mark of acceptance.

Just as anger, greed, or lust show on the forehead and eyes, so too love, devotion, and divine grace shine visibly. The true saint’s face reveals the inner light.

Who is Ripe, Who is Unripe?

“kac pakāī othai pāi”
There it is determined who is unripe and who is ripe.

A raw fruit is bitter; a ripe fruit is sweet. Similarly, a raw saint is harsh, narrow, and bound to rituals. A ripe saint is broad-hearted, filled with sweetness, and open to all. Only the Divine Court can judge who is truly ripe. Humans cannot decide.

The Final Realization

“nānak gahiā jāpai jāi”
O Nanak, when one departs, then one comes to know.

At death, all disguises fall away. The truth of life is revealed. One cannot pretend before the Divine Court. To live a life of dharam, one must structure every action, every moment, in harmony with Truth.

Essence of Paurī 34

• The universe moves in perfect law and order — this is the reflection of Divine Hukam.
• Earth is a dharamsāl, a place to learn righteousness and sit for the test of death.
• Life forms are countless, each with their fixed ways, but man has the freedom of karma.
• Deeds are judged in the True Court, not appearances.
• Saints and devotees shine there with marks of Grace.
• It is decided there who is unripe and who is ripe.
• When man dies, he realizes the truth of his journey.

Thus begins the journey through the five khands, with Dharam Khand as the foundation. It is here that life is disciplined, structured, and aligned with Divine Law. Without passing this stage, one cannot progress to higher realms.