patit udhāran bhai haran hari anāth ke nāth.
kahu nānak tih jānīai sadā basatu tum sāthi.6.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1426
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.
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In the sixth stanza, Guru Teghbahadar offers comfort: The 1-Light is the Emancipator of the fallen, the Dispeller of fears, the Helper of the helpless. The 1-Light is the One who frees us, who takes care of the orphans, those who have strayed from the path. Even if we feel our lives have come to an end, even if we feel that it is too late for us to change our course and get back on the path, it is not. There is always room for grace. The 1-Light is the one who is with us, forever and ever. So yes, we do not take any of our things or relationships with us when we go. But we do not end up alone. When we start seeing and feeling the presence of this 1-Light, that 1-Light takes care of us, that 1-Light is the father and mother of everyone. That 1-Light is able to destroy all the negativities within us and around us. We need not worry about what the world says we are, what we are labeled as, whether it be fallen or apostate or heathen, bastard or untouchable, infidel or heretic. If we feel the presence of the 1-Light, even if our journeys have brought us to the point of regretting wasting time, we do not need to worry. The Guru says that the objective of remembrance is to feel the presence. We ought to know that the 1-Light is eternally within us and will always be with us, even if we have no one and no worldly status. If we feel that presence, indulgence in the temporary stops and otherness stops. There is no need to spend time pitying ourselves for having come into this understanding ‘late.’ This is about whether we can transform ourselves even when we think our time is up, whether we can make an effort towards feeling the presence.
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