bhai kāhū kaü det nahi nahi bhai mānat ān.
kahu nānak suni re manā giānī tāhi bakhāni.16.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1427
Guru Teghbahadar Sahib reminds beings of the purpose of life, which is to remember and reflect on the virtues of IkOankar (the Divine). The saloks describe how life is wasted in the entanglements of familial and material attachments distracting from the purpose of life. They inspire seekers to search for deeper meaning beyond the attachment to family and temporary material things and develop a relationship with IkOankar. These saloks gently nudge seekers to live in awareness of IkOankar and see the entire world from that place of realization.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
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In the sixteenth stanza, Guru Teghbahadar says, the one who does not give fear to anyone, nor accept fear from others, that person alone is wise. The first ten saloks helped us understand the importance of remembrance, the struggles we all face as humans in the world, and the available grace. The next five saloks took us through steps towards becoming free, again emphasizing that we all have this potential. In this stanza, the Guru elaborates on what is beyond just becoming free. Beyond becoming free, we can get to the next step of becoming insightful. Because of this insight, we are not afraid of anyone or anything, nor do we cause anyone to be afraid of us. The insightful individual neither accepts fear nor furthers it.
If we are caught up in happiness and sadness, enemies and friends, praise and slander, we are caught up in attachment. And it is because of that attachment that we have an endless number of fears. We fear not feeling good; we fear criticism; we fear losing what we think we have.
That fear is also due to ignorance. We don’t have this insight. We are caught up in so many immature relationships. And once the Light starts to come in, when the recognition of that presence of the 1-Light in every heart happens, once we are free, we will see that there is no fear within us, and we will not accept or further it.
Insightfulness has nothing to do with education or a checklist of qualifications or particular religious garb. It has everything to do with how we have transcended attachment and fear.
If we are caught up in happiness and sadness, enemies and friends, praise and slander, we are caught up in attachment. And it is because of that attachment that we have an endless number of fears. We fear not feeling good; we fear criticism; we fear losing what we think we have.
That fear is also due to ignorance. We don’t have this insight. We are caught up in so many immature relationships. And once the Light starts to come in, when the recognition of that presence of the 1-Light in every heart happens, once we are free, we will see that there is no fear within us, and we will not accept or further it.
Insightfulness has nothing to do with education or a checklist of qualifications or particular religious garb. It has everything to do with how we have transcended attachment and fear.
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