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Guru Teghbahadar Sahib equates material objects as poison while describing the impermanence of worldly possessions. By renouncing the pride of things, seekers are encouraged to associate with others connected with IkOankar (the Divine).
sāraṅg   mahalā  9.    
 
kahā  man    bikhiā  siu  lapṭāhī.  
 jag  mahi  koū  rahanu  na  pāvai     iki  āvahi    iki  jāhī.1.  rahāu.  
kāṁ  ko  tanu  dhanu   sampati  kāṁ         siu  nehu  lagāhī.  
jo  dīsai    so  sagal  bināsai     jiu  bādar    chāhī.1.  
taji  abhimānu    saraṇi  santan  gahu     mukati  hohi  chin  māhī.  
jan  nānak    bhagvant  bhajan  binu     sukhu  supnai  bhī  nāhī.2.2.  
-Guru  Granth  Sahib  1231  
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
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In the second composition, Guru Teghbahadar addresses the mind and says, Mind! Why are you wrapped in poison? No one receives a permanent stay in this world. Many come, many depart. There is a question of what we are really after in this life, what we are wrapping ourselves around, what are our minds centered on? The answer is the poison of anything that makes us forget the Eternal, IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One). The system of coming and going continues — some are born, and some are dying, no one stays forever. We know this! Knowing this, knowing that none of what we have wrapped ourselves around will come with us when we go, why are we still bound? 
  
  
Mind! Why are you wrapped in poison? The Guru continues, asking the mind to reflect: whose body is this? Whose wealth? Whose assets? What are you in love with? Again, we draw our attention to the musical mode of Sarang, through which simple messages are conveyed rather than deeply philosophical arguments. These are simple questions the Guru is asking us to reflect on. Notably, the question is not what we are attached to. It is not; what are we bound up in? Instead, it is, what are we in love with? This is not a simple attachment; this is not an accident of the human condition. We often like to think that we are not that far gone, that just like any other human being, naturally, we are caught up in attachment to the material world. But here, the Guru is asking us to be more honest about the agency we have in becoming attached and our choices to get ourselves here. This attachment does not passively happen to us. This is the attachment that we seek and that we enjoy. We savor it so much that we are in love with it. We have seen other compositions where the Guru shows us how to admit our flaws and ailments and seek help. In this composition, we have not even begun to try to fight it. We are still in the enjoyment phase, still deeply steeped in the dream of attachment. The awakening has not happened yet.  
  
Mind! Why are you wrapped in poison? The Guru then provides clear guidance. We really ought to get rid of our ego and pride and give it up, which is hard to do because we are still enjoying it. Once we rid ourselves of these ailments, we can seek refuge in the truth-exemplars — the ones who live the truth. This is how we will unwrap ourselves, release ourselves from what binds us, rid ourselves of the poison that causes us to doubt and forget IkOankar, and become free.  

Without the praise of the Fortunate One, without singing about the Fortunate One, even in your dreams, you will not find comfort. Without devotion to the Adorable One, the One who ought to be adored, comfort cannot come to us even in our dreams. Can we wake up from our honeymoon phase with attachment? Can we reflect on our relationship with the world around us and understand where to put our love? 

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