dasan bihūn bhuyaṅgaṅ mantraṅ gāruṛī nivāraṅ.
byādhi upāṛaṇ santaṅ. nānak labadh karmaṇah.16.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1361
Guru Arjan Sahib describes a flaw-riddled body and the futile nature of pride in material attachment to the physical world. The seeker is encouraged to connect with the eternal IkOankar (the Divine), who removes diseases, sorrows, and sufferings, making way for a fruitful life. The precious gift of Nam is received in the company of virtuous beings and makes the seekers’ lives fruitful. This saloks encourages seekers to welcome the company of virtuous beings to unite with the all-pervasive IkOankar and find eternal comfort and happiness.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the sixteenth salok, Guru Arjan says that just as the snake charmer defangs the snake through the chanting of a designated mantra and removes its poison, similarly, the truth-oriented ones remove all of our ailments through the Wisdom. But again, this company is found through great fortune and effort. And that mantra is the Wisdom!
What does it mean to defang a thing? It takes away the ability for that thing to hurt us; it means that what caused us pain once cannot cause us to pain anymore. The snake charmers who can do this to the snake must be very familiar with every element of the snake. They must know how to break the specific teeth which produce venom. The truth-oriented beings, too, are familiar with the mind’s teeth, the things that inflict pain, the cleverness, the stubbornness, the forgetfulness. They are aware of what the mind likes and does not like and how to tame it. They are aware of what ails the mind and how to remove it. They can rid us of our pains and give us grace. But sometimes, we are not ready for that venom to be taken out. Sometimes we are comfortable in our sorrows and pains, and we do not want any help. But when we are ready to stop being caught up in those pains, to meet these kinds of truth-exemplars who are so intimately familiar with what ails us, who are so compassionate because they know what it is like, this is a thing that happens through great fortune, through grace. There is grace in this meeting and grace in this understanding, and grace in this healing. It is rare, and it happens with great effort. Are we ready for this meeting, or are we still enjoying the poisons of the mind?
What does it mean to defang a thing? It takes away the ability for that thing to hurt us; it means that what caused us pain once cannot cause us to pain anymore. The snake charmers who can do this to the snake must be very familiar with every element of the snake. They must know how to break the specific teeth which produce venom. The truth-oriented beings, too, are familiar with the mind’s teeth, the things that inflict pain, the cleverness, the stubbornness, the forgetfulness. They are aware of what the mind likes and does not like and how to tame it. They are aware of what ails the mind and how to remove it. They can rid us of our pains and give us grace. But sometimes, we are not ready for that venom to be taken out. Sometimes we are comfortable in our sorrows and pains, and we do not want any help. But when we are ready to stop being caught up in those pains, to meet these kinds of truth-exemplars who are so intimately familiar with what ails us, who are so compassionate because they know what it is like, this is a thing that happens through great fortune, through grace. There is grace in this meeting and grace in this understanding, and grace in this healing. It is rare, and it happens with great effort. Are we ready for this meeting, or are we still enjoying the poisons of the mind?
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