(Seeking mercy in passing through 19 checkpoints)
Pir Sadardin in his Granth "Vis Tol" explains about the path that the soul has to take, after leaving the body, to arrive at its final destination. This path has 19 checkpoint where the soul could be detained or its further progress slowed down depending on its deeds in the past life. This Chanta is taken to ease this journey. It also reminds us that once we die it is not the end, rather the beginning of a long journey.
(Seeking mercy during the journey leading to the second destination)
Having discarded its attachments to earthly possessions and desires, the soul enters the second leg of its journey forward. Here the results of its past deeds become vividly manifest and bad deeds now become a burden. This Chanta is taken to make this part of the journey easier. It also reminds us that what we do in this world will come with us, good or bad.
(Seeking mercy during the journey leading to the first destination)
Having accounted for it's actions, the soul begins what is termed the first leg of its journey forward. During this time the soul is still attached to many earthly possessions and desires. These now become a burden which slow him down or may even prevent him from moving forward. This Chanta is taken to enable the soul to realize quickly the futility of carrying this burden and to discard it. It also reminds us that we cannot carry any of our possessions with us when we leave this world.
(Seeking mercy at the time of accountability)
When we die, we will once again become aware of our spiritual existence and will be required to account for our behavior on earth before the soul can free itself from the worldly entanglements (which is referred to as the "grave"). This Chanta is taken to seek mercy during this time of accountability and to enable the soul to move forward quickly. It also reminds us that in the end we have to account for every act that we commit, good or bad.
(Seeking mercy from the pain of exiting from the body)
None of us knows when our life will come to an end. When our time is up, the soul has to exit from the body. The more a person is attached to this world, the more difficult it is for the soul to come out. This process has been compared to being squeezed out. Depending on a persons attachments, this process can be very painful to the soul. This Chanta is taken to seek mercy from this pain and to ease this passage. This Chanta also reminds us that death is certain and it can strike us at any moment.
(Seeking forgiveness for acts which prevent us from experiencing Noor)
We may have committed acts which now stand as obstacles in our quest to get close to the Noor of Imamat. Mowlana Hazar Imam in many of His farmans has said that it is His wish that we should, at least once in our lifetime, experience the Noor. This Chanta is taken to seek forgiveness for the removal of such obstacles. It also reminds us of the need and importance of performing bandagi.
(Seeking forgiveness for having deviated from the straight path)
Mowlana Sultan Mohammed Shah, in many of his farmans, has used the analogy of life on earth as a bridge - the successful crossing of which leads one to the other shore, i.e. to the destination. We cross this bridge or Pul Sirat by living a life according to the tenets of our faith. Unfortunately, we sometimes commit acts which are against the tenets of our faith, and if left unchecked, such acts would slowly deviate us from the straight path. This Chanta is taken to seek forgiveness for such transgressions and to keep us on the straight path. It also reminds us of the importance of living a righteous life.
(Seeking forgiveness for promises made prior to birth)
When a child is conceived in a mothers womb it has a soul. In this state the soul is fully aware of its origin, its destination and the purpose of its life on earth, i.e. what it has to do in this life to advance to the next stage in its quest for salvation. Prior to birth, the soul promises to live according to the farmans of Hazar Imam. As we grow up, we become engulfed in worldly affairs and tend to forget our purpose in this life. Moreover, we do not always live according to the farmans. This Chanta is taken to seek forgiveness for not having fulfilled our original promise. It also reminds us of the importance of living our lives according to the teachings of our faith and the farmans of Hazar Imam.
(Seeking forgiveness for sins from past lives)
While our life on earth is limited, our soul is eternal. Our soul has passed through many physical forms in the last four ages (Char Joog) in its quest for salvation. The fact that it has not attained salvation yet is due to the burden of sins (Karma) that it is still carrying from past lives. Some of these sins can be such that they may be hampering our current efforts for spiritual progress. This Chanta is taken to seek forgiveness to lighten this burden. It is also a reminder for us that what we are today is a result of many past lives and what we become in the next life will depend a lot on what we do now.
(Seeking forgiveness for secret sins)
Secret sins can be committed through impure thoughts in our mind, even though there is no physical act seen or felt by others. Examples of secret sins are: carrying ill will or jealousy in ones heart towards someone, thinking lustfully, having evil desires etc. From time to time we fall into committing such sins. This Chanta is taken to seek forgiveness for these secret sins. It is also a reminder to us on the importance of keeping our thoughts pure.
