tanu dhanu jih to kaü dīo tāṁ siu nehu na kīn.
kahu nānak nar bāvare ab kiu ḍolat dīn.7.
-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.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the seventh stanza, Guru Teghbahadar says, the One who has given this body and this wealth to you, these assets that are not yours, you have not developed love for that One. We love our things, but we are unable to see past them, to find that we are neglecting to remember the One who gave them to us. For this reason, the Guru addresses us again as mad ones and asks, why do you now waver like a helpless being? Why are you trembling now? The madness of all of it is that we aren’t able to see the big picture. The madness of it is that we have focused only on our gifts and not on the Giver. The madness of it all is that we live in constant fear of losing those gifts. And when we do lose those gifts, we run around helpless and in a frenzy.
If we would have understood in the first place, if we would have practiced remembrance when we were first urged to, we would have understood that those things were never ours, to begin with. And so there is no reason to fear the loss of them. We would have known that the focus is the Giver, not the gift. When we accomplish or gain, we feel proud, and that pride increases with each thing we accumulate — whether that is a relationship, money, clothes, property — whether that thing is big or small. And if we do not allow the Wisdom to enter our minds, if we do not allow the Wisdom to remind us that these beautiful things are a part of The Beautiful, we will end up in fear and stress. The body is our vehicle. We are supposed to be in control of it; it is not supposed to control us. When vanity takes over, so does the body.
When we receive anything, we ought to be thankful to the One who gave it. When we are not thankful, we run into trouble — our behavior changes. The things given to us for comfort become reasons for pride and indulgence, and when that pride gets hurt, we go mad. But if we have that remembrance we know that none of these things are ours, and we will not be so sad or worried at the thought of losing them.
If we would have understood in the first place, if we would have practiced remembrance when we were first urged to, we would have understood that those things were never ours, to begin with. And so there is no reason to fear the loss of them. We would have known that the focus is the Giver, not the gift. When we accomplish or gain, we feel proud, and that pride increases with each thing we accumulate — whether that is a relationship, money, clothes, property — whether that thing is big or small. And if we do not allow the Wisdom to enter our minds, if we do not allow the Wisdom to remind us that these beautiful things are a part of The Beautiful, we will end up in fear and stress. The body is our vehicle. We are supposed to be in control of it; it is not supposed to control us. When vanity takes over, so does the body.
When we receive anything, we ought to be thankful to the One who gave it. When we are not thankful, we run into trouble — our behavior changes. The things given to us for comfort become reasons for pride and indulgence, and when that pride gets hurt, we go mad. But if we have that remembrance we know that none of these things are ours, and we will not be so sad or worried at the thought of losing them.
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