sukheṇ baiṇ ratnaṅ racnaṅ kasumbh raṅgṇaḥ.
rog sog biogaṅ nānak sukhu na supnah.24.
-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 twenty-fourth salok, Guru Arjan says that the ones who do not engage with the precious utterances of the Wisdom and instead become entangled in the love of temporary material things find only ailments, sorrow, and separation. Those who engross themselves in loving such fleeting things cannot find comfort even in dreams. The Guru uses the example of engrossing in the color of safflower, a bright reddish-yellow flower that was used to dye clothing red in ancient times. But its color fades quickly in the sun or even when washed once. We are all colored with whatever we believe will give us comforts, but the things we are coloring ourselves do not last. This is how the worldly material things are — so fleeting and fragile. When we engross in these things, in the plays of Maya, or attachment to material objects and relationships, we are touched by pain. It does not take long for those things to leave us. If we engage in them too excessively, we feel ill. When they leave us, we feel sadness. But they are constantly ringing in our ears. They do not allow us to enjoy the real flavors. In this condition, we cannot experience any real comfort.
We have the jewel-like utterances of the Wisdom; we have the ability to engage in praise of the One; we have guidance from the Wisdom that gives us comfort, but we still continue to color ourselves in the temporary. We engage in temporary fragrance and temporary color, and temporary beauty, thinking it will last. We superficially try to mask the conditions we are in internally through external fragrance and color, and beauty. It does not last. Comfort and joy cannot come to us when we are caught up in these other things — those things are only accessible to us through the jewel-like utterances of the Wisdom. Those utterances are filled with love, the same love that shows us how to develop love with the One, that helps us understand the vastness of the One and the eternality of the One. If we are able to develop this love, we will no longer feel the illness and sadness and separation that we feel when we are engrossed in the temporary. Are we ready to end our ailment, sorrow, and separation?
Gatha Summary:
Throughout this profound narrative or discourse with the self, we are shown how to profoundly overcome the five thieves of lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego through praise and companionship of the ones who have become virtuous. We are asked to think about what it means to be fragrant, or beautiful, or colored in a way that is not fickle or superficial. We are asked to practice the remembrance of the One, to make great efforts towards practicing remembrance. We are shown again and again that we create our good fortune through this effort, through the accumulation of good deeds and changes in our actions that build upon one another. We are shown again and again that we cannot develop a love for the One and understand the profound narrative of the One without being in the company of the virtuous ones, without guidance from the Wisdom, and without the humility that allows us to take on the fragrance they emit. Once we make that great effort, we have that great fortune; once we sit in the company of those who are fragrant and beautiful and colored in love, we sing the song of the One, we will come to know the One and the story of the One. We will understand and live the story of the One.
We have the jewel-like utterances of the Wisdom; we have the ability to engage in praise of the One; we have guidance from the Wisdom that gives us comfort, but we still continue to color ourselves in the temporary. We engage in temporary fragrance and temporary color, and temporary beauty, thinking it will last. We superficially try to mask the conditions we are in internally through external fragrance and color, and beauty. It does not last. Comfort and joy cannot come to us when we are caught up in these other things — those things are only accessible to us through the jewel-like utterances of the Wisdom. Those utterances are filled with love, the same love that shows us how to develop love with the One, that helps us understand the vastness of the One and the eternality of the One. If we are able to develop this love, we will no longer feel the illness and sadness and separation that we feel when we are engrossed in the temporary. Are we ready to end our ailment, sorrow, and separation?
Gatha Summary:
Throughout this profound narrative or discourse with the self, we are shown how to profoundly overcome the five thieves of lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego through praise and companionship of the ones who have become virtuous. We are asked to think about what it means to be fragrant, or beautiful, or colored in a way that is not fickle or superficial. We are asked to practice the remembrance of the One, to make great efforts towards practicing remembrance. We are shown again and again that we create our good fortune through this effort, through the accumulation of good deeds and changes in our actions that build upon one another. We are shown again and again that we cannot develop a love for the One and understand the profound narrative of the One without being in the company of the virtuous ones, without guidance from the Wisdom, and without the humility that allows us to take on the fragrance they emit. Once we make that great effort, we have that great fortune; once we sit in the company of those who are fragrant and beautiful and colored in love, we sing the song of the One, we will come to know the One and the story of the One. We will understand and live the story of the One.
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