ANAND (Aanand)
Anand (also written as Aanand) literally means joy/delight/bliss. In Sikhism, Anand is state of harmony, equipoise and bliss. This bliss is not the bliss of body (or matter) but this is the “pure” bliss (of consciousness). It is like being in the company of God.
Anand is liberation from self and Maya (delusion). It is a state where one’s self and the world do not matter to one’s being. It is like achieving complete fulfilment. It is a state of perceptual consciousness, which cannot be described in words, and, it is a matter of experience only.
Anand Sahib is also the name of a long poem written by Guru Amar Das Sahib. This too explains the state of Anand.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)