nij kari dekhio jagatu mai ko kāhū ko nāhi.
nānak thiru hari bhagati hai tih rākho man māhi.48.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1428
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 forty-eighth stanza, Guru Tegbahadar says, I have personally seen that no one is anyone’s support in this world. Only the devotion of the 1-Light is eternal; always keep this devotion in the mind.
The Guru tells us from personal experience that no one is anyone’s support. No one is of anyone. No one is anyone’s companion. The only thing that remains, the only Eternal thing, is the devotion of the 1-Light. So why not bring that into our minds, the thing that is forever, stable and eternal? This is not just an abstract idea that is being presented to us. This is what the Guru is saying from personal observations and experiences, that there is no eternal friend or relative, that everything is perishable and temporary.
The only eternal thing is our devotion to the 1-Light, so if we make that part of our presence and part of our consciousness, we will be able to understand the temporariness of the world, and it will not feel so devastating. What is devotion? Is it just love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for the 1-Light? Is it a love without score-keeping? Is it a love that is full of humility? Devotion is something beyond just love. It is a kind of transcendence of individual ‘self’ and individual needs. Devotion is when we are no longer driven by our own physical, emotional, and mental needs and cravings, because we are so rooted in love for and service of the one to whom we are devoted. A relationship rooted in devotion is one where we do things without having to stop and think about it — where we love because we are called to love, where we serve because we are called to serve. If we practice devotion to the 1-Light, we will be able to have our human relationships, and we will not worry about losing. We will be able to live in the world without pride, free. How are we keeping devotion in our minds? How are we keeping devotion in our hearts?
The Guru tells us from personal experience that no one is anyone’s support. No one is of anyone. No one is anyone’s companion. The only thing that remains, the only Eternal thing, is the devotion of the 1-Light. So why not bring that into our minds, the thing that is forever, stable and eternal? This is not just an abstract idea that is being presented to us. This is what the Guru is saying from personal observations and experiences, that there is no eternal friend or relative, that everything is perishable and temporary.
The only eternal thing is our devotion to the 1-Light, so if we make that part of our presence and part of our consciousness, we will be able to understand the temporariness of the world, and it will not feel so devastating. What is devotion? Is it just love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for the 1-Light? Is it a love without score-keeping? Is it a love that is full of humility? Devotion is something beyond just love. It is a kind of transcendence of individual ‘self’ and individual needs. Devotion is when we are no longer driven by our own physical, emotional, and mental needs and cravings, because we are so rooted in love for and service of the one to whom we are devoted. A relationship rooted in devotion is one where we do things without having to stop and think about it — where we love because we are called to love, where we serve because we are called to serve. If we practice devotion to the 1-Light, we will be able to have our human relationships, and we will not worry about losing. We will be able to live in the world without pride, free. How are we keeping devotion in our minds? How are we keeping devotion in our hearts?
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