# What Does The Word Har (ਹਰਿ) Mean?



## Ishna (Mar 19, 2014)

Sat Sri Akaal

What does the word Har (ਹਰਿ) mean? Posted below is the first shabad in Guru Granth Sahib Ji where this word appears on Ang 10 (according to the search criteria used, please correct if it's not right).

SriGranth.org suggests 'diamond' from the Sanskrit noun, and English translation is 'God'.
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ॥ 
Rāg gūjrī mėhlā 4. 
Raag Goojaree, Fourth Mehl: 

ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਜਨ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਤਪੁਰਖਾ ਬਿਨਉ ਕਰਉ ਗੁਰ ਪਾਸਿ ॥ 
Har ke jan saṯgur saṯpurkẖā bina▫o kara▫o gur pās. 
O humble servant of the Lord, O True Guru, O True Primal Being: I offer my humble prayer to You, O Guru. 

ਹਮ ਕੀਰੇ ਕਿਰਮ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਾਈ ਕਰਿ ਦਇਆ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਰਗਾਸਿ ॥੧॥ 
Ham kīre kiram saṯgur sarṇā▫ī kar ḏa▫i▫ā nām pargās. ||1|| 
I am a mere insect, a worm. O True Guru, I seek Your Sanctuary. Please be merciful, and bless me with the Light of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||1|| 

ਮੇਰੇ ਮੀਤ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਰਗਾਸਿ ॥ 
Mere mīṯ gurḏev mo ka▫o rām nām pargās. 
O my Best Friend, O Divine Guru, please enlighten me with the Name of the Lord. 

ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਸਖਾਈ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਹਮਰੀ ਰਹਰਾਸਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ 
Gurmaṯ nām merā parān sakẖā▫ī har kīraṯ hamrī rahrās. ||1|| rahā▫o. 
Through the Guru's Teachings, the Naam is my breath of life. The Kirtan of the Lord's Praise is my life's occupation. ||1||Pause|| 

ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਕੇ ਵਡ ਭਾਗ ਵਡੇਰੇ ਜਿਨ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਸਰਧਾ ਹਰਿ ਪਿਆਸ ॥ 
Har jan ke vad bẖāg vadere jin har har sarḏẖā har pi▫ās. 
The servants of the Lord have the greatest good fortune; they have faith in the Lord, and a longing for the Lord. 

ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਾਸਹਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਗੁਣ ਪਰਗਾਸਿ ॥੨॥ 
Har har nām milai ṯaripṯāsahi mil sangaṯ guṇ pargās. ||2|| 
Obtaining the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, they are satisfied; joining the Sangat, the Blessed Congregation, their virtues shine forth. ||2|| 

ਜਿਨ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਰਸੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਤੇ ਭਾਗਹੀਣ ਜਮ ਪਾਸਿ ॥ 
Jin har har har ras nām na pā▫i▫ā ṯe bẖāghīṇ jam pās. 
Those who have not obtained the Sublime Essence of the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, Har, are most unfortunate; they are led away by the Messenger of Death. 

ਜੋ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਿ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਆਏ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਜੀਵੇ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਜੀਵਾਸਿ ॥੩॥ 
Jo saṯgur saraṇ sangaṯ nahī ā▫e ḏẖarig jīve ḏẖarig jīvās. ||3|| 
Those who have not sought the Sanctuary of the True Guru and the Sangat, the Holy Congregation; cursed are their lives, and cursed are their hopes of life. ||3|| 

ਜਿਨ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਪਾਈ ਤਿਨ ਧੁਰਿ ਮਸਤਕਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਲਿਖਾਸਿ ॥ 
Jin har jan saṯgur sangaṯ pā▫ī ṯin ḏẖur masṯak likẖi▫ā likẖās. 
Those humble servants of the Lord who have attained the Company of the True Guru, have such pre-ordained destiny inscribed on their foreheads. 

ਧਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਜਿਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਰਸੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਮਿਲਿ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਰਗਾਸਿ ॥੪॥੪॥ 
Ḏẖan ḏẖan saṯsangaṯ jiṯ har ras pā▫i▫ā mil jan Nānak nām pargās. ||4||4|| 
Blessed, blessed is the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation, where the Lord's Essence is obtained. Meeting with His humble servant, O Nanak, the Light of the Naam shines forth. ||4||4|| ​


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## Ishna (Mar 31, 2014)

Does the word 'Jio' change the meaning of 'Har'?

Ang 601 ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥ 
Soraṯẖ mėhlā 3. 
Sorat'h, Third Mehl: 

ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਤੁਧੁ ਨੋ ਸਦਾ ਸਾਲਾਹੀ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਜਿਚਰੁ ਘਟ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਹੈ ਸਾਸਾ ॥ 
Har jī▫o ṯuḏẖ no saḏā sālāhī pi▫āre jicẖar gẖat anṯar hai sāsā. 
Dear Beloved Lord, I praise You continually, as long as there is the breath within my body. 

ਇਕੁ ਪਲੁ ਖਿਨੁ ਵਿਸਰਹਿ ਤੂ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਜਾਣਉ ਬਰਸ ਪਚਾਸਾ ॥ 
Ik pal kẖin visrahi ṯū su▫āmī jāṇa▫o baras pacẖāsā. 
If I were to forget You, for a moment, even for an instant, O Lord Master, it would be like fifty years for me. 

ਹਮ ਮੂੜ ਮੁਗਧ ਸਦਾ ਸੇ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸਾ ॥੧॥ 
Ham mūṛ mugaḏẖ saḏā se bẖā▫ī gur kai sabaḏ pargāsā. ||1|| 
I was always such a fool and an idiot, O Siblings of Destiny, but now, through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, my mind is enlightened. ||1|| ​


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## Sherdil (Mar 31, 2014)

My personal interpretation is that "Har" is another name for God.

"Jio" directs the conversation towards Har, instead of the reader. 

Perhaps there is something more?


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## aristotle (Apr 1, 2014)

Ishna said:


> Sat Sri Akaal
> 
> What does the word Har (ਹਰਿ) mean? Posted below is the first shabad in Guru Granth Sahib Ji where this word appears on Ang 10 (according to the search criteria used, please correct if it's not right).
> 
> SriGranth.org suggests 'diamond' from the Sanskrit noun, and English translation is 'God'.



Actually Ishna Ji, ਹਰਿ is a Sanskrit/Prakrit word which has a wide spectrum of meanings and interpretations. It can be used for the tiger, the monkey, the strong party in a war, Hindu God _Vishnu_, a valuable thing or many such things based on the context and intention with which it is used. Sanskrit has a limited vocabulary and a word can be used for varied meanings in different contexts, sometimes the meanings being almost complete opposites of each other, which ends up complicating the understanding of the word.

In the particular _Shabad_ you have quoted, the meaning of ਹਰਿ is most certainly that of 'God'. The linked dictionary shows the root to be with the meaning of 'diamond' but Sanskrit scholars are yet to reach to a consensus on what exactly is the root of the word 'Har'. Hence, impled meanings are more important than the root-meaning of this word.



> Does the word 'Jio' change the meaning of 'Har'?



The use of an add-on 'Jio' with 'Har' does not change its meaning. Instead, it helps us in specifying that the 'Har' used here is in the meaning of 'God' and not any other meaning of 'Har'. 'Jio' is just the poetic form of what we use in Punjabi as 'Ji' to show respect to a noun/person (eg. Ishna Ji...) The combined meaning of ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ will be "_(my) beloved God_".

P.S. - Pardon me with the jargon of Sanskrit grammar. I have a handicap with putting an explanation into simpler terms, I always endup complicating it....:singhsippingcoffee:


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## ravneet_sb (Apr 1, 2014)

Sat Sri Akaal,

Bhul Chu Maaf,

One may ignore, accept, the contents 

It comes as

Har : The source of mind impetus

Jio : As Jio, mind as a source of body action, and sense awareness  

Naam : As mind Impetus, which Leads to expression, every expression is "Naam"

Ram Naam : But most important is when imagination of omnipresent comes to mind as awareness and as expression.

Like 
Mera Ji Nahi Kar Reha, My mind is not getting source of energy, for my body to act upon.
As : Har Jio : Moko Ram Naam Pargaas


It come as the source of origin: 
As Initiation:
When the words were not formed, alphabets were named, and words were formed, and naming of nature events was initiated.


Wheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji Ki Fateh


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## Harry Haller (Feb 3, 2020)

I am no scholar, I can barely ready Punjabi, but everytime I have heard the word 'har' in every context I have heard it, it always seems to mean everything to me, or all the time, I have always taken its meaning to be all inclusive, every all,


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## ravneet_sb (Feb 4, 2020)

Sat Sri Akaal,

*Hari*  Evergreen  which never fades or degenerates like life operative system which has never faded through ages and lifes.
*Har *Providing impetus to every life form
*Jio *Memory and Operative System for breath, mood, vision etc. accompanied and preloaded in all forms  for sustenance from inception and upto death.


Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh


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## swarn bains (Apr 26, 2020)

jio means honorble, or respected,  ਹਰਿ ਜੀਓ,  mean O beloved God or honorable God


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## ravneet_sb (Apr 26, 2020)

Sat Sri Akaal,


kaahay ray man chitvahi udam jaa aahar har jee-o pari-aa.

har bin jee-o jal bal jaa-o.

sunjee dayh daraavanee jaa jee-o vichahu jaa-ay. 19-7

naanak naam santokhee-aa jee-o pind parabh paas. ||5||16||20-9

ih maanak jee-o nirmol hai i-o ka-udee badlai jaa-ay. ||3||22-15

bhai bhaa-ay bhagat karahi din raatee har jee-o vaykhai sadaa hadoor.

jee-o pind sabh tis daa tisai daa aaDhaar. 36-8 

har jee-o sabad pachhaanee-ai saach ratay gur vaak.


Gurus Bani understanding of Text, is simple but difficult  to comprehend because of complex  MIND. 

Even simple is complex, and very complex to make it simply understand.

We have to self analyse, through WORD reflect, its MY STATE and STATEMENT or UNIVERSAL, can be a TRUTH state when applied to all.

WORD can not have DUALITY. That is for sure.

Analysis can be taken from usage, of same form of WORD, in different verses.

Its only ONE. 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh


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