Rakhe Rakhanhar
Hymn of the Protective Lord
Guru Arjan Dev's Gujri slok (Ang 517), also recited in Rehras Sahib: the Lord the Protector saves His devotees and destroys the slanderers.
Verses
The protecting Lord Himself rescued them; placing them at the Guru's feet, He resolved all their affairs.
Verse 1
The Merciful Lord came, and they never forgot Him from their minds; through the company of the holy, they were carried across the world-ocean.
Verse 2
The slanderers, the wicked, and the evil were destroyed in an instant; Nanak, they kept their minds steadfast on the support of that Master.
Verse 3
They meditated on the Giver, forever and ever; in the company of His devotees, God preserved their honor.
Verse 4
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
This piece is a slok of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (Mahala 5), the fifth Sikh Guru, in Raag Gujri at Ang 517 of the Guru Granth Sahib. The same slok is part of Rehras Sahib, the evening prayer, where it is recited as a prayer of protection. Honest reading note: the wording on this page matches the scripture's "rakhe rakhanhar aap ubarian" and the next four lines closely, but the later lines and the fourth couplet ("sada sada dataar...") do not appear at Ang 517, whose slok ends "tis sahib ki tek Nanak manai mahi, jis simrat sukh hoe sagle dukh jahi".
About this Text
Composed by: Guru Arjan Dev Ji · Sikh Guru (Fifth of the Ten) · 1563–1606 CE, Punjab
The fifth Sikh Guru, who compiled the Adi Granth (the core of what became the Guru Granth Sahib) in 1604, gathering the writings of previous Gurus and various Bhagats. He also composed the Sukhmani Sahib, a long hymn on inner peace, and oversaw the completion of the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar.
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Author and location
The slok is by Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563 to 1606), the fifth Guru, headed Mahala 5 in Raag Gujri at Ang 517 of the Guru Granth Sahib. Earlier notes naming Guru Nanak, Raag Asa and Ang 392 were incorrect.
In daily prayer
The same slok appears in Rehras Sahib, the evening prayer of the Sikh daily rule, where it is recited as an invocation of divine protection.
Core message
The Lord, the sole protector, saves His devotees, places them at the Guru's feet, and carries them across the world-ocean (bhavjal) in the company of the holy (sadh sangat), while slanderers and the wicked are undone in an instant.
The Guru's feet and the company of the holy
The slok ties protection to two supports of Sikh life, the Guru's guidance ("gur ki pairi pai") and sadh sangat, the fellowship in which the Name is remembered.
Reading note on the wording
The text on this page follows Ang 517 for its first five lines and then diverges ("man dharian" in place of the scripture's "manai mahi", and a fourth couplet not found in the slok). For the verbatim slok, read Ang 517.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
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