manu māiā mai phadhi rahio bisrio gobind nāmu.
kahu nānak binu hari bhajan jīvan kaüne kām.30.
-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
Calligraphy
In the thirtieth stanza, Guru Teghbahadar says, the mind is trapped in material attachment, Identification of the Earth-Knower has been forgotten. Without praise of the 1-Light, what use is this life?
The Guru says, when we are entangled in attachment, we forget the Earth-knower, the Creation-Force. We are without Remembrance and without praise. The Guru asks us what use life is without these things. This rhetorical question shakes us out of our dreaming or out of our entanglement. The Guru tells us that we are so immersed in attachment that we have forgotten the real objective of life. We have spent our time enjoying the flavors of attachment, sweet and satisfying, consuming us as we consume them. And because we are consumed by them, we do not feel the other sweet flavors — of praise and Identification and Remembrance. We only feel happy with our attachment to the temporary. We are so immersed in it that we do not understand that it only causes pain.
If we are not connected to the root, IkOankar, we fall into attachment, and life fades away, useless. If we are connected to IkOankar, we are able to avoid getting caught up in attachment and selfhood, and we spend this time well — we make good use of this life.
Are we trapped in material attachment? Have we forgotten Identification of the Earth-knower, the Creation-Force? Have we neglected to engage in praise of the 1-Light? Are we making this gift of life a thing that is well-spent?
The Guru says, when we are entangled in attachment, we forget the Earth-knower, the Creation-Force. We are without Remembrance and without praise. The Guru asks us what use life is without these things. This rhetorical question shakes us out of our dreaming or out of our entanglement. The Guru tells us that we are so immersed in attachment that we have forgotten the real objective of life. We have spent our time enjoying the flavors of attachment, sweet and satisfying, consuming us as we consume them. And because we are consumed by them, we do not feel the other sweet flavors — of praise and Identification and Remembrance. We only feel happy with our attachment to the temporary. We are so immersed in it that we do not understand that it only causes pain.
If we are not connected to the root, IkOankar, we fall into attachment, and life fades away, useless. If we are connected to IkOankar, we are able to avoid getting caught up in attachment and selfhood, and we spend this time well — we make good use of this life.
Are we trapped in material attachment? Have we forgotten Identification of the Earth-knower, the Creation-Force? Have we neglected to engage in praise of the 1-Light? Are we making this gift of life a thing that is well-spent?
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