BhagatSingh

You have to be careful here. Are you trying to say "He teaches me" (as in question: Who teaches you? you point at the teacher and answer "HE teaches me")
OR
are you trying to say "He IS teaching me" (that it is happening right now)? There is a difference.

ਉਹ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ l He teaches me.
ਉਹ ਮੇਨੂੰ ਪੜ੍ਹਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ l He is teaching me.

Nope it's not applicable. We can take these sentences and they would still be correct without ਮੈਨੂੰ.
ਉਹ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ l He teaches me. > ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ l He teaches.
ਉਹ ਮੇਨੂੰ ਪੜ੍ਹਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ l He is teaching me. > ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ l He is teaching.

Rabb to bhul chuk muaf karao bhaji.
Enhiyan bhullan to baad vi je banda sahi rah pe jave ta Rab sabh paap bhula dinda hai.
Guru Granth Sahib di shuruwaat Satya to hoyi hai.
Isliye Satya de rah te chalan naal hi banda apne aap nu sudhar sakda hai.
Sach bolo, ate Satya anusaar kam karo,
Aisa kam na karo jisde de baare tusi baad vich Sach bolan to daro.
 

Paper books are just so relaxing.

Koi it's not hard to read Hindi script once you get the hang of it and the words are very similar to Punjabi and Gurmukhi. So meaning can be understood without much effort.
On that note, Sanskrit can be easy to learn for someone who is familiar with Punjabi and Gurmukhi since a lot of words in Punjabi and Gurmukhi come from Sanskrit.
By Gurmukhi I mean the language of Gurus in Guru Granth Sahib.

1. Firstly, you are going off topic on your original post, which was about 9 types of Bhagti. However, since this is related to our other discussions I will continue on in points 2 and 3.

2. Secondly, Prehlaad ji (Vishnu bhagat) was the one who talked about the 9 types of Bhagti. That's how it makes its way to Guru Granth Sahib.

Vishnu means "one who resides everywhere". Prehlaad ji is his bhagat.
Kabir ji says -  ਰਾਮ ਜਪਉ ਜੀਅ ਐਸੇ ਐਸੇ ॥ ਧ੍ਰੂ ਪ੍ਰਹਿਲਾਦ ਜਪਿਓ ਹਰਿ ਜੈਸੇ ॥੧॥
Meditate on "Ram" the way, Dhruv (Vishnu bhagat) and Prehlaad (Vishnu bhagat) meditated on Hari/Vishnu.

Background -
In Vaishnav religions, Ram is another name of Vishnu/Hari. With the physical body of Ram being a vehicle of Vishnu/Hari/Ram.
Atma can unite with Vishnu/Ram - one who resides everywhere - though love.

Kabir ji says ਭੋਲੇ ਭਾਇ ਮਿਲੇ ਰਘੁਰਾਇਆ
King of Raghu Clan can only be met through innocent love.
King of Raghu Clan is an epithet of Ram Chandra ji that makes reference to his clan called the Raghus.

3. Thirdly, Dasam Granth is a compilation of multiple books, with a lot of mini books and smaller compositions, all compiled together.
A. It is a compilation of multiple books like -
-Bachittar Natak Granth
No doubts. These names are written internally in those books.
B. Each book has a different belief structure.

In Chaubis Avtar, there is worship of Bhagwati for instance.

ਅਥ ਦੇਵੀ ਜੂ ਕੀ ਉਸਤਤ ਕਥਨੰ ॥
Now I will recite praises of Devi.

Then the author goes on to worship Devi's qualities.

Is it any surprise that he later says -
ਮੈ ਨ ਗਨੇਸ਼ਹਿ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮ ਮਨਾਊਂ ॥ ਕਿਸ਼ਨ ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਕਬਹੂੰ ਨਹ ਧਿਆਊਂ ॥ I don't worship Ganesh or Krishna-Vishnu.
- Chaubis Avtar

Remember both the worship of Devi and the statement of non-worship of Ganesh and Vishnu is written in Chaubis Avtar.
ਅਥ ਦੇਵੀ ਜੂ ਕੀ ਉਸਤਤ ਕਥਨੰ ॥ and following stanzas...
ਮੈ ਨ ਗਨੇਸ਼ਹਿ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮ ਮਨਾਊਂ ॥ ਕਿਸ਼ਨ ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਕਬਹੂੰ ਨਹ ਧਿਆਊਂ ॥
Both are part of the same composition.
Is it any surprise that he doesn't worship those names but worships Devi instead?
Why does he worship Devi?
...because that is his belief system.

It is a different religion. Shakat religion (Devi) is different than Ganapatya (Ganesh) and Vaishnav (Krishna-Vishnu) religions.

In Gyan Prabodh, the author says -
ਜੋ ਇਹ ਕਥਾ ਸੁਨੈ ਅਰੁ ਗਾਵੈ ॥ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਤਿਹ ਨਿਕਟਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੀ ਏ ਫਲੁ ਹੋਈ ॥ ਆਧਿ ਬਯਾਧਿ ਛ੍ਵੈ ਸਕੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੮੫੯॥
Whoever listens to this story and sings this story (Ramayan), he will be free from the sufferings and sins. The reward of the devotion to Vishnu (and his incarnation Ram) is that no ailment of any kind will touch him.

These 9 types were taught by Bhagat Prahlaad ji and were first mentioned in the Bhaagvat Puran.

quote -
(22) Hiranyakas'ipu said. 'Now tell me Prahlâda, my son, what you, well taught as you are oh love of my life, consider the best of all that you all this time have learned from your teachers.'

(23-24) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'To listen, to sing, to remember Vishnu, to attend to the feet, to offer worship and prayers, to become a servant, to be a friend and to surrender one's heart and soul. These are the nine characteristics of the devotional service to Vishnu delivered by the devotee. This is the way one should relate to the Supreme Personality. That I consider the best that one can learn.'
 
http://bhagavata.org/canto7/chapter5.html

There's an easier way.
http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=2
In srigranth, just click on the word and the mahankosh meaning will open up along with punjabi dictionary.
You can also load Prof Sahib singh and Farid Kote teekas in there, from the top-right menu options.
There are multiple different translations.
It's a good website.

Mithar, Well he made copies of Guru Granth Sahib after he was done fighting under Banda Bahadur...

Jaikara, Even some mainstream Sikhs do havan so I wouldn't be surprised if the tradition dates back to puratan Singhs.

N30Singh, what do you mean? and where did you get this metaphor from?

The story of Kharag Singh is a work of "historical-fan-fiction", the same genre as the Assassin's Creed games.
The author imagined what would happen if God fought a battle against the strongest warlord, in order to tell an epic story of an epic battle between the two.
As far as I know, this character does not appear in Bhagwad Puran or Mahabharat.
The Name 'Kharag Singh' is a(n intentionally) modern name, compared to that Era, and should also give it away as a work of "historical-fan-fiction".

In this 'Botched Translations of Guru Granth Sahib ji' series, I want to highlight shabads, poems from Guru Granth Sahib, that have been translated incorrectly, which give the reader the wrong impression about the belief system of the author or about the message in Guru Granth Sahib ji.

When I read the English translation of Guru Granth Sahib ji. I notice that there are certain mistakes embedded in these translations that are over-looked by most sikhs, who rely on them to make out the meaning of the shabad. These incorrect beliefs then become internalized and lead to incorrect understanding. The incorrect understanding is then propagated in real life and in online forums, it seeps into discussions and the mindset.
 
One of the oft-quoted shabads of Nam Dev ji has him slowly paint a scholar into a corner, only to give him a lesson.
Each time Nam Dev ji questions him, the scholar changes his religion. Bhagat Namdev ji notices this pattern a lot in native Indians, Hindus. There is a buffet of spiritual religious traditions laid out in front of them, and they take a little here and there. They wander through multiple Indian faiths, without learning anything.
Namdev ji says, that unlike the Muslims who are strict to their faith, the Hindus are not strict on one faith. They keep tasting here and there on the buffet of faiths and this leads to their detriment. 
Nam Dev ji says it is good to stick to one religion and to practice its teachings. However this is only one eye.
He adds that the one who has gyan is better than the one who is simply following a religion. The practical, the experiential knowledge of Atma, pure consciousness, is the second eye and the one who has both eyes is the most exalted in Namdev ji's view.
 
 
He sets a high bar for Hindus and Muslims to strive for gyan and be strict to the faith they have chosen. However this shabad is twisted into something else, as told by Amardeep below. It is used to put down Hindus and Muslims, and it becomes a practice of Ahankar rather than something to strive for.
 
 
There's a lot of misinformation about Bani of Nam Dev ji in Guru Granth Sahib. His words are twisted to mean things that he is simply not saying.
The botched translation we will be looking at today is not itself botched but severely incomplete. So the meaning that is taken from the incomplete translation is often wrong.
In this thread, we will delve into Bhagat Nam Dev ji's words and uncover the correct meaning.
 
ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ ਗੋਂਡ ॥
बिलावलु गोंड ॥
Bilāval gond.
Raag Bilaval Gond

ਆਜੁ ਨਾਮੇ ਬੀਠਲੁ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਮੂਰਖ ਕੋ ਸਮਝਾਊ ਰੇ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
आजु नामे बीठलु देखिआ मूरख को समझाऊ रे ॥ रहाउ ॥
Āj nāme bīṯẖal ḏekẖi▫ā mūrakẖ ko samjẖā▫ū re. Rahā▫o.
Today, I, Namay, saw Vitthala, (another name of omni-present pure consciousness), and I will explain to those who haven't seen him.
Bhagat Nam Dev ji converses with an ignorant scholar.
ਪਾਂਡੇ ਤੁਮਰੀ ਗਾਇਤ੍ਰੀ ਲੋਧੇ ਕਾ ਖੇਤੁ ਖਾਤੀ ਥੀ ॥ ਲੈ ਕਰਿ ਠੇਗਾ ਟਗਰੀ ਤੋਰੀ ਲਾਂਗਤ ਲਾਂਗਤ ਜਾਤੀ ਥੀ ॥੧॥
पांडे तुमरी गाइत्री लोधे का खेतु खाती थी ॥ लै करि ठेगा टगरी तोरी लांगत लांगत जाती थी ॥१॥
Pāʼnde ṯumrī gā▫iṯarī loḏẖe kā kẖeṯ kẖāṯī thī. Lai kar ṯẖegā tagrī ṯorī lāʼngaṯ lāʼngaṯ jāṯī thī. ||1||
Panday, I saw your Gayatri (another name of omni-present pure consciousness), grazing in the fields.
Gayatri is a divine mantar that connects the chanter to the pure consciousness, thus it eats up negative actions, like a cow grazes a field.
Since Gayatri took away all suffering, like a mother who cuddles her child, she was later personified as a Mother Goddess.
Gayatri was also associated with the form of a cow, as the cow was a symbol for motherhood.
So the farmer, thinking, Gayatri was a stray cow, beat her and broke her leg until she limped away.
 
The scholar had no experiential knowledge of Gayatri, he did not really understand Gayatri to be able to defend her from Nam Devji criticism. So upon hearing this caricature of Gayatri, the Hindu scholar says he worships Mahadev, the God of Gods.
Surely Namdev ji couldn't caricature Mahadev?


ਪਾਂਡੇ ਤੁਮਰਾ ਮਹਾਦੇਉ ਧਉਲੇ ਬਲਦ ਚੜਿਆ ਆਵਤੁ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਥਾ ॥ ਮੋਦੀ ਕੇ ਘਰ ਖਾਣਾ ਪਾਕਾ ਵਾ ਕਾ ਲੜਕਾ ਮਾਰਿਆ ਥਾ ॥੨॥
पांडे तुमरा महादेउ धउले बलद चड़िआ आवतु देखिआ था ॥ मोदी के घर खाणा पाका वा का लड़का मारिआ था ॥२॥
Pāʼnde ṯumrā mahāḏe▫o ḏẖa▫ule balaḏ cẖaṛi▫ā āvaṯ ḏekẖi▫ā thā. Moḏī ke gẖar kẖāṇā pākā vā kā laṛkā māri▫ā thā. ||2||
Panday, I saw your Mahadev (another name of omni-present pure consciousness), who was riding the bull.
In the Parbati's house, the food was ready. She was going to take a bath. To guard her door, she took the turmeric paste applied on her body, and made a man to guard her.
Meaning - Mother Nature created man out of matter.
Then Mahadev came to the house to meet his wife. However this created man, did not recognize Mahadev and would not let him enter the home.
Meaning - Pure Consciousness as Divine Father Spirit came to meet Mother Nature. Man was ignorant of his Divine Father, he could not recognize the Divine and would not let him enter his mind, due to his ignorance, wandering mind.
Mahadev cut off his head. And later replaced with the head of an elephant, giving birth to Ganesh.
Meaning - so the Diving Father destroyed man's ignorance and gave him enlightenment, transforming him into a transcendent being.
 
The scholar had no knowledge of the deeper meanings to the stories of Mahadev. He had no actual faith in Mahadev. He thought who would kill a person for no reason? So then he says that he worships Ram.
 
ਪਾਂਡੇ ਤੁਮਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਚੰਦੁ ਸੋ ਭੀ ਆਵਤੁ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਥਾ ॥ ਰਾਵਨ ਸੇਤੀ ਸਰਬਰ ਹੋਈ ਘਰ ਕੀ ਜੋਇ ਗਵਾਈ ਥੀ ॥੩॥
पांडे तुमरा रामचंदु सो भी आवतु देखिआ था ॥ रावन सेती सरबर होई घर की जोइ गवाई थी ॥३॥
Pāʼnde ṯumrā rāmcẖanḏ so bẖī āvaṯ ḏekẖi▫ā thā. Rāvan seṯī sarbar ho▫ī gẖar kī jo▫e gavā▫ī thī. ||3||
Panday, I saw your Ram Chandra (another name of omni-present pure consciousness). His wife was kidnapped by Ravan.
The scholar had no faith in Ram either; he could respond to this. So upon hearing this, the scholar realizes he doesn't worship any of them. He never had faith to begin with. He had no experiential knowledge, no deeper knowledge about the stories he read and analyzed.
 
Bhagat Nam Dev ji then says
ਹਿੰਦੂ ਅੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਤੁਰਕੂ ਕਾਣਾ ॥ਦੁਹਾਂ ਤੇ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਸਿਆਣਾ ॥
हिंदू अंन्हा तुरकू काणा ॥ दुहां ते गिआनी सिआणा ॥
Hinḏū anĥā ṯurkū kāṇā. Ḏuhāʼn ṯe gi▫ānī si▫āṇā.
Hindu has no eyes but Muslim has at least one. However Enlightened being is the most intelligent.
This use of the word ਸਿਆਣਾ  and previous discussion gives context to what ਹਿੰਦੂ ਅੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਤੁਰਕੂ ਕਾਣਾ really means
 
What eyes, or lack thereof, is Bhagat NamDev ji talking about?

The Hindu does not have a religion, and he does not understand the deeper meaning. So the Hindu has 0 eyes.
The Muslim at least has his religion however he does not have deeper knowledge. So the Muslim as 1 eye.
However the Enlightened being, also practices religion and has deeper knowledge, that he has acquired through spiritual practice. So the enlightened one has both eyes.
 
ਦੁਹਾਂ ਤੇ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਸਿਆਣਾ ॥ Within Hindus and Muslims, those who develop deep knowledge are the most exalted.


ਹਿੰਦੂ ਪੂਜੈ ਦੇਹੁਰਾ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਮਸੀਤਿ ॥ ਨਾਮੇ ਸੋਈ ਸੇਵਿਆ ਜਹ ਦੇਹੁਰਾ ਨ ਮਸੀਤਿ ॥੪॥੩॥੭॥
हिंदू पूजै देहुरा मुसलमाणु मसीति ॥ नामे सोई सेविआ जह देहुरा न मसीति ॥४॥३॥७॥
Hinḏū pūjai ḏehurā musalmāṇ masīṯ. Nāme so▫ī sevi▫ā jah ḏehurā na masīṯ. ||4||3||7||
The Hindu worships the temple and the Muslim worships the mosque. Namay worships that where there is no temple nor mosque, meaning turiya avastha, state of pure consciousness.
 
Isn't Nam Dev ji criticizing Hindus? Isn't he slandering their religions?
Remember Namdev ji is criticizing his own people, Hindus are his own people. He has fought for them and he has represented them in front of kings. He wants to see them improve. He wants Hindus to follow a particular faith and stick to it. He wants his own followers to stick to the path that he has given them. In the previous shabad, he tells his followers to worship Ram, as instructed by the Bhagwad Gita. ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਗਹੁ ਮੀਤਾ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਣਵੈ ਨਾਮਾ ਇਉ ਕਹੈ ਗੀਤਾ ॥੫॥੨॥੬॥

So Namdev ji is not trying to slander any religions here. He is not putting down the Gaytri, Mahadev, Ram, etc, as it is often interpreted by so-called "scholars". Instead, he is trying to paint the ignorant scholar into a corner and get him to admit that he is not really worshiping anybody so that by recognizing what he lacks, he may improve himself in that area. Nam Dev ji is trying to get him to adopt a certain path and do spiritual practice to gain deeper insight.
 
Criticizing his own people? Where has Namdev ji represented Hindus?
http://www.sikhawareness.com/topic/17024-muslim-sultan-tries-to-kill-namdev-ji-for-worshipping-vishnu-ji-translation/

You pronounce the sihari as you normally would. There is no special technique here.
 
There are a lot of sassa sounds in Gurmukhi that are pronounced with sasse pair bindi. But that's besides the main point, which is that you should always pronounce Siharis when reading Guru Granth Sahib (and even Dasam Granth and Sarbloh Granth for that matter).
So ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ  is pronounced as Prashadi not Prashad. The sihari is pronounced on all words.

Kaalka is a feminine name, she is one of the forms of Devi.
I am actually poking fun at him for having Kaalka as his name. I am pretty sure he's a dude.

I have a few questions -

1. Do Guru sahibs only go to those people who can afford large space and lots of thrones?
2. Can all Guru Sahibs all sit in the same mind at once?
3. Are thrones more important than giving Guru Granth Sahib an asan in the mind?

PS
@Ragmaala10 swaroops means 10 different bodies by its very definition.

It's not an abstract idea.
It is even more fundamentally real than the physical reality.

That's why Guru Arjun Dev ji says - Satya naam tera para poorbla.
(Meta-)Truth is God's primal names.
(Meta-)Truth when it is written in a narrative form, looks like a regular old story and then it misinterpreted as a regular old story, as you are doing here.
You could ask "Is there evidence of this story actually taking place?"
Well the story actually takes place all the time. It is always occurring.
Varah ji is always holding up reality.
He is always fighting back chaos and upholding order.
You can observe him doing so as you read this post.

The fact that you can experience the post and read it, means that Varah has upheld the reality.
If he had not done so, then you would not have any experience, and there would be no reality.
You are taking that story that is taking place all the time, and reducing it to one that only takes place once.
And then you say that this above explanation (about meta-truth) does not prove that that story does not take place once.
I'll concede. I'll give you that it doesn't prove it.
But then again, I also think you are missing the point of the story if you are looking for physical occurrences.
 
Anyways
Coming back to Kharag Singh episode...
Kavi Shyam ji has taken the character of God, Krishan ji and had him fight anther opponent.
Now the question is, "is Kharag Singh a historical character?"
Before we can answer that we must ask "What establishes Krishan ji as a historical character?"
You'll find that we are mostly relying on texts like Bhagwat Puran, Mahabharat etc.
Well the texts from which we find out about Krishan ji - ie Bhagwat Puran, Mahabharat etc, do not mention Kharag Singh.
Correct me if I am wrong.
Kharag Singh is also a modern name and there are also a presence of other modern names in Kavi Shyam ji's version.
If you look at how massive this battle is, there is no way that it would not have been documented, when other much smaller skirmishes have been written down.
That is evidence enough that Kharag Singh was a character that was created by Kavi Shaym ji.

Well you could say "Kavi Shyam ji is Guru Sahib's pen name and he is all knowing. Couldn't he have brought a forgotten a historical character to the forefront?"
Sure an all-knowing person could do that.
But an all-knowing person could also make up a character,  in order to give insights, to inspire warrior spirit or simply to entertain.
An all-knowing person could also choose to not mess with previously recorded histories.
We cannot prove one way or another what an all-knowing person is doing in any particular case.
We have to look at other sources in order to infer what their intention is.

Why are you splitting this into 3 schools of thought when it is actually one school of thought.
In Gurbani, it states that there is non-dual oneness of Consciousness or Being Hari ji that appears as Hari-Maya (or Shiv-Shakti) and that everything that is perceived is coming One Universal Vibration (Aum), that is "uttered" by Hari ji.

The Oneness Advait Consciousness appears as Dual Consciousness and Energy, and it is through the vibration of the Onkar.

That is all one perspective in Guru Granth Sahib.
 
2. The second perspective comes from Chandi di Vaar because it puts Bhagawati/Adi Shakti ji, which is Energy/Power, at the top, instead of Hari ji, Consciousness. That is Shaktism's perspective.

3. The third perspective comes from Bichitra Natak, which puts Mahakal ji, which Time/Death, at the top instead of Energy or Consciousness. So you might ask how can Time be the creator of Consciousness and Energy. Well contemplate this phrase - Eternal Now.
 
Ultimately, when there is an experience of Oneness, then all these perspectives merge into one. Monotheism into Polytheism into Pantheism, and Advait into Dvait and Vaishavism into Shaktism into Shaivism.

So ultimately it simply IS.
However for the sake of understanding different approaches are there.
Different paths up the same mountain, like they say.

 

In Vaishnavism, it is Consciousness that came first.

You can see this view mirrored in Guru Granth Sahib.


In Shaktism, it is Energy or physicality that came first.

You can see this view mirrored in the opening lines of Chandi di Vaar.
 
This is the fundamental duality.

Both worldviews recognize that fundamentally consciousness and energy are the same but there is a duality there that is perceived.

That duality is referred to as Shiv-Shakti.
 
Guru sahib says - Jaha dekhan taha Ravi rahe, Shiv Shakti ka mel - wherever I look I see Ravi (Sun, light and radiance) of the union of Shiv and Shakti (Consciousness and Energy)

 
In Chandi Di Vaar, Khanda is referring to Consciousness and it dividing (Khandan) the Oneness of Energy in to distinct Khands/sections, into objects, locations, people, etc, and that's creates our world.

Bhagawati Devi (Adi Shakti, Energy) first creates the Khanda that is Consciousness and then the process of Creation, Preservation and Destruction (here Brahma-Vishnu and Mahadev are referring to processes rather than to Supreme Consciousness).


The flip version of this is expressed in Guru Granth Sahib.

Where Hari ji creates Maya (Energy), which then creates duality within the Oneness of Consciousness. Maya divides one singular consciousness in to multiple bodies, in multiple forms.
Maya entices Consciousness - Brahma Bishan Mahadev moheya - to its variety of forms and this is why the servants of Hari must learn to remain detached from Maya so that they see the Oneness. Baishno so jis upar suprasan, Bishan ki Maya te hoye bhin.

Hope that clears things up.

Sometimes I feel like England and the rest of Europe belong to gore and we should just get the admin cut out of their country.

PS
Why don't you come to Canada?

You don't choose the mantra, the mantra chooses you!
Lol

You can try both. Try kirtan and satsang as well. Try breathing and relaxation exercises also. They all help, because they support each other.

What are you sick of exactly?

Anything can have a spiritual significance if you give it spiritual significance. If you don't give any spiritual significance then no matter how spiritually significant it is, it won't have any spiritual significance.

Now about why people use them:
Dhoof smells good and when you are trying to minimize distractions then it helps to mask bad odours with good ones. Smell plays a huge part as it can subconsciously irritate us or ease us. We want to be at ease when meditating and so dhoof helps with that.

Mala is a timer. Back then they didn't have watches and clocks that went beep beep. So they counted time on their mala. They knew 108 beads with X rotations of the mala = Y hours (for them it was position of the sun). The hand can easily tell when the mala completes a rotation because of the fluffy bit or big bead depending on what mala you use. And so you can train yourself to automatically keep track of time while you meditate deeply with your eyes closed.

So are you missing out? You won't know until you try them. Do the 30-day test.

Wjkk wjkf,
Have you noticed that in Guru Granth Sahib, the poets like Kavi Kalya ji projected Guru Sahibs as avtaars of Vishnu?
Hopefully this is not too much a shock but within the context of Guru Granth Sahib - Vishnu is Akal Purakh, he is Waheguru. He is mentioned on every page of Guru Granth Sahib by his most popular name - ਹਰਿ, which many of us did not notice when we first started reading bani. Guru Arjun Dev ji clarifies this in a shabad on Page 1082 and in many other shabads. (The shabad on page 1082 is a really good one but too long to paste here.)

Bani of kavi Kalya ji -
ਸਤਜੁਗਿ ਤੈ ਮਾਣਿਓ ਛਲਿਓ ਬਲਿ ਬਾਵਨ ਭਾਇਓ ॥
In Satyug, You (Vishnu, the one who resides everywhere) enjoyed deceiving and liberating King Bali in the Vaman avtar.
ਤ੍ਰੇਤੈ ਤੈ ਮਾਣਿਓ ਰਾਮੁ ਰਘੁਵੰਸੁ ਕਹਾਇਓ ॥
In Treta, You loved being called King Ram, of the Raghu Dynasty.
ਦੁਆਪੁਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ਕੰਸੁ ਕਿਰਤਾਰਥੁ ਕੀਓ ॥
In Dwapar, You, Krishan Murara, killed Kans and saved everyone.
ਉਗ੍ਰਸੈਣ ਕਉ ਰਾਜੁ ਅਭੈ ਭਗਤਹ ਜਨ ਦੀਓ ॥
You granted Kingship to Ugrasain and elevated your devotees.
ਕਲਿਜੁਗਿ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰੁ ਅੰਗਦੁ ਅਮਰੁ ਕਹਾਇਓ ॥
In Kaliyug, You came as Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Angad Dev and Guru Amar Das.
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਜੁ ਅਬਿਚਲੁ ਅਟਲੁ ਆਦਿ ਪੁਰਖਿ ਫੁਰਮਾਇਓ ॥੭॥
The rule of Guru Sahibs is unchanging, unmovable, by His very command.
 
Look at Bhai Gurdas ji's poetic elaboration of Waheguru.

In short, he says -
"Wa - Comes from Wishnu (Vishnu)."
Wa is the first letter, it is the source, that is Vishnu, the Nirankar Jot represented by the painting of the dark-skinned, four-armed man. Then the avtaars follow -
"Hari Krishn ji, our Gurus, Ram Chandra ji. That gives you Wa - He  - Gu - Ru"
 
This fact becomes largely distorted in English translations and by certain teekas and scholars. So always read the original Gurmukhi.

Farid Kote Teeka and Mahan Kosh are a deadly combination for studying Guru Granth Sahib.

Nice find bro. Thanks for sharing.

She shares a TON of insights into the mind.

Anything can have a spiritual significance if you give it spiritual significance. If you don't give any spiritual significance then no matter how spiritually significant it is, it won't have any spiritual significance.

Now about why people use them:
Dhoof smells good and when you are trying to minimize distractions then it helps to mask bad odours with good ones. Smell plays a huge part as it can subconsciously irritate us or ease us. We want to be at ease when meditating and so dhoof helps with that.

Mala is a timer. Back then they didn't have watches and clocks that went beep beep. So they counted time on their mala. They knew 108 beads with X rotations of the mala = Y hours (for them it was position of the sun). The hand can easily tell when the mala completes a rotation because of the fluffy bit or big bead depending on what mala you use. And so you can train yourself to automatically keep track of time while you meditate deeply with your eyes closed.

So are you missing out? You won't know until you try them. Do the 30-day test.