Rehatnama Bhai Nand Laal Ji

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

The following is a translation of Rehatnama Bhai Nand Lal Ji. It's written as a conversation between Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Bhai Nand Lal Ji, which took place in 1695 C.E. (four years before the creation of the Khalsa). The translations still need some work, but it gives you a fairly good idea of what Guru Jee and Bhai Nand Lal Jee are saying. :)

Speech of Sri Guru Jee
Chaupeyi

Sikhs of the Guru, listen, My Companions,
Getting up early in the morning, conceive God in the mind.(1)
Then recite the incantation of Waheguru, the Supreme Being,
And after ishaan, read and recount Jap Jaap.(2)
Then come and have the Darshan (glimpse) of mine,
And sit there reverentially with profound attention to the Guru.(3)
When the three watches of the day have gone past,
Listen to the exposition by of the Guru with complete attention.(4)
In the evening listen to the Rehras,
And pay attention to the Kirtan (singing of Hymns) and Katha(Sermons).(5)
One who practices such a way,
Will attain the eternal bliss.(6)
The Sikh who revels in five routines,
He secures the emancipation for his twenty-one generations.(7)
Not only he achieves family’s emancipation, but also eternal bliss.
He saves his soul from transmigration.(8)

Speech of Bhai Nand Lal
Dohira

What you have stated, Oh My Gurdev Master, ‘come to seek my vision,’
Please enable me to understand, how we can pursue the same.(9)

Speech of Sri Guru Jee
Dohira

Carefully listen Nand, there are three entities of mine,
And these, you comprehend, are Transcendental, Attributive and the
Guru’s Shabad, the Celestial Word.(10)

Chaupeyi

There is one Perception, which is beyond all the three attributes,
Which has been expounded many a time in Vedas,(11)
The Almighty invests every heart
And is indivisible as water in the pitcher,(12)
Deem (that) written on each of your body-hair,
And the factual pronouncement I make to you for veracity:(13)
The Sikh desirous of Guru’s Darshan,
Should go and have the Darshan of Granth Jee,(14)
After ishnaan early in the morning,
he should judiciously do parkarma (of Guru Granth Sahib Ji) three times (?),(15)

Dohira

With folded hands he should do Ardaas, before sitting,
And after bowing to Guru Granth Jee, listen to the celestial
exposition.(16)

Chaupeyi

Hearing the Shabad with concentration, and by putting mind into the Guru,
He should listen and make others heed the Guru’s enlightening Shabad.(17)
One who wants to communicate with me,
He may read, listen to and ponder over Granth Jee.(18)
Ones who aspires to listen to my sermons,
Diligently, should he read and recite Granth Jee.(19)
Deem Granth Jee as my embodiment,
And concede to no other perception.(20)
My Sikh is my third embodiment,
Who remains imbued in the essence of Gurbani day and night.(21)
One who puts confidence in and affection upon the Guru’s Shabad.
He, always and ever, achieves the vision of the Guru.(22)
He should revel in listening and recounting Guru’s Shabad,
And with full concentration read Jap Jee Jaap.(23)
He should go and have darshan of the Gurudwara (The Guru's Door),
And should abandon all other doors.(24)
With zeal, he should serve the Sikhs of the Guru,
After relinquish all ego from his mind.(25)
One who tends towards these actions,
Recognises my manifestation.(26)

Dohira

That Sikh of the Guru gets acceptance, who performs the service,
And the one who surrenders through mind, body and soul, and becomes prominent server of mine.(27)
The service of such a Sikh of the Guru is approved by me,
And listen, Nand, earnestly, this is the way, the heaven is secured.(28)

Speech of Nand Lal

You have expounded that Transcendental, Corporeal and Guru’s Shabad
are your three attributes.
Transcendental is not visible and Corporeal is through the Sikh.(29)

Chaupeyi

Your Transcendental Attribute is infinite,
And who can have that vision, Oh My Benevolent-one.(30)
Oh, My Master, you remain the Guru of the temporal world,
And, Knowing-all, you prevail on all the minds.(31)

Speech of Sri Guru Jee

Listen, Sikh Brother, Nand Lal,
Listen earnestly to my sweet words,(32)
Guru’s Sikh becomes auspiciously corporeal,
If he is, primarily and diligently, engaged in the service of Guru.(33)
Guru’s Sikh, who conceives Guru’s Shabad,
Obtains the blessings through the embodiment of the Shabad.(34)
One who adheres to the explication through the manifestation of the Shabad,
Leads others to the Infinite one.(35)
Brother, I have narrated to you this discourse,
And the ones who read and listen to it thoughtfully,(36)
Their attributes will be beyond description,
And, through my honour, the lights will merge into the light.(37)
It is Samwat Seventeen hundred and fifty-two*,
Auspicious Ninth day of first half of moon in the month of Maghar*.(38)
On a Friday at the bank of (river) Satluj,
The hero expounded these solemn verses to Nand Lal.(39)
Those Sikhs of the guru who remember Waheguru attentively,
Are endowed with salvation, remember, O Gursikh! (40)
(*December 1695CE)