mahalā 2.
haümai ehā jāti hai haümai karam kamāhi.
haümai eī bandhanā phiri phiri jonī pāhi.
haümai kithahu ūpajai kitu sañjami ih jāi.
haümai eho hukamu hai paiai kirti phirāhi.
haümai dīragh rogu hai dārū bhī isu māhi.
kirpā kare je āpaṇī tā gur ka sabadu kamāhi.
nānaku kahai suṇahu janahu itu sañjami dukh jāhi.2.
This pauri, revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib, is accompanied by two saloks. The first salok comprises eighteen lines, and the second contains seven lines. Both saloks are concerned with the ‘disease’ of haumai (ego). The first salok depicts the overarching influence of ego on human life as the primary cause behind all human action, from birth to death. The second salok describes the Order as the source of this disease that can be cured by Grace alone. This pauri conveys that only those disciplined and content individuals engaged in upright endeavors while remembering true Nam, who do not involve themselves in ego and corrupt actions, find the great Master of boundless treasures.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
Guru Angad speaks about how things are born and where they are born from, saying that the genesis of creation, or the actual birth, is the I-ness itself, and in that birth of I-ness, we are all doing our deeds. This is important because the Guru is saying that it does not matter when or where we are born, but instead what we do once we have come into this world. What deeds are we doing? And what version or dimension of I-ness are we doing those deeds in?
The statement is repeated that whatever we see is happening in the Command. We ask rhetorical questions all the time about this I-ness, like where it came from and how to restrain it, but it is not that simple or easy to figure out. The Guru says that this I-ness is a disease that lasts a long time, but that the good news is that the remedy exists within it as well. Instead of seeing I-ness as a toxic ego or arrogance to eliminate, Guru Angad is grating I-ness as potential energy and says that how we use that energy is entirely up to us.
Guru Angad even gives us the remedy: when we earn the Wisdom, that is how we get rid of the pain and shift our sense of self into a larger sense of Self, our I-ness into 1-Ness. To earn the Wisdom, we must live it — it is not enough to just understand it.
The statement is repeated that whatever we see is happening in the Command. We ask rhetorical questions all the time about this I-ness, like where it came from and how to restrain it, but it is not that simple or easy to figure out. The Guru says that this I-ness is a disease that lasts a long time, but that the good news is that the remedy exists within it as well. Instead of seeing I-ness as a toxic ego or arrogance to eliminate, Guru Angad is grating I-ness as potential energy and says that how we use that energy is entirely up to us.
Guru Angad even gives us the remedy: when we earn the Wisdom, that is how we get rid of the pain and shift our sense of self into a larger sense of Self, our I-ness into 1-Ness. To earn the Wisdom, we must live it — it is not enough to just understand it.
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