The word Anand means sublime bliss.
Anand Sahib is a composition of Guru Amar Das, the third guru of the Sikhs. It describes the strains of melodious ecstasies which fill the inner meditative mind intent on contemplation of the divine.
Anand Sahib is recited in part or whole:
- During the Amrit ceremony of Sikh initiation.
- As one of the five required bani, the daily prayers of Nitnem.
- At the close of a gurdwara service, in conjunction with the serving of Prashad, the sanctified offering of a sweet delicacy.
- In conjuction with a Akhand or Sidharan paath, complete readings of the Guru Granth.
Anand Sahib, the Song of Bliss, has 40 stanzas of which this is the first:
"Anand bha-i-aa meree maa-ae satiguroo mai paa-i-aa||
I am in ecstasy, O my mother, for I have found my True Guru.
Satigur ta paa-i-aa sehaj saetee man vajee-aa vaadhaa-ee-aa||
I have found the True Guru, with intuitive ease, and my mind resounds with the melodies of bliss.
Raag ratan parvaar paree-aa sabad gaavan aa-ee-aa||
The jeweled melodies and their related celestial harmonies have come to sing divine hymns.
Sabado ta gaavhu haree kaeraa man jinee vasaa-i-aa||
Singing divine hymns, the Lord is enshrined within the mind.
Kehai naanak anand hoaa satiguroo mai paa-i-aa||1||
Says Nanak, I am in ecstasy, for I have found my True Guru." ||1|| SGGS||917
