subh bacan ramṇaṅ gavṇaṅ sādh saṅgeṇ udharṇah.
sansār sāgaraṅ nānak punrapi janam na labhyate.19.
-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 nineteenth salok, Guru Arjan says that by joining the company of the virtuous beings and uttering the auspicious words of the Wisdom (Guru), one departs from this world, having made their lives fruitful. It is through this that the cycle of birth and death ends.
What is meant by auspiciousness? The auspicious words are those of the Wisdom, through which the truth-exemplars are able to free themselves. These are the words that we say in the company of the virtuous beings, the praise that we collectively sing, and the words that pierce our minds with devotion and remembrance of the One. Through this, we become like the One, and because of this transformation, we no longer have to continue to make that disciplined effort. We no longer have to live through multiple lives within one lifetime, entering new cycles of different behaviors and ways of living so often that it exhausts us. We do not have to continue being caught up in the world's dualities and taken this way and that. Are we seeking that auspiciousness that frees us? Or are we busy with solely external displays of auspiciousness?
What is meant by auspiciousness? The auspicious words are those of the Wisdom, through which the truth-exemplars are able to free themselves. These are the words that we say in the company of the virtuous beings, the praise that we collectively sing, and the words that pierce our minds with devotion and remembrance of the One. Through this, we become like the One, and because of this transformation, we no longer have to continue to make that disciplined effort. We no longer have to live through multiple lives within one lifetime, entering new cycles of different behaviors and ways of living so often that it exhausts us. We do not have to continue being caught up in the world's dualities and taken this way and that. Are we seeking that auspiciousness that frees us? Or are we busy with solely external displays of auspiciousness?
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