āvāgavaṇu sirjiā tū thiru karṇaihāro.
jammaṇu marṇā āi gaïā badhiku jīu bikāro.
bhūḍaṛai nāmu visāriā būḍaṛai kiā tisu cāro.
guṇ choḍi bikhu ladiā avguṇ kā vaṇjāro.3.
-Guru Granth Sahib 580
This composition is based on the Panjabi folk poetic form Alahania related to death. In the first and second stanzas, the glory of IkOankar (the Divine) is described. In the third, the state of a being trapped in vices is portrayed. In the fourth, the being is consoled by showing death to be occurring under the command of IkOankar. In the fifth and sixth, the state of a being in this world and in the Court after death is described. In the seventh, by depicting the regret of a being who has spent their life in vain, there is advice to reflect and remember IkOankar. In the eighth, a happy and pleasant state of the being connected with the Wisdom (Guru) is presented.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
In the third stanza, Guru Nanak addresses IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One) and says, You have created this world of coming and going. You, the Creator, are steady. The Guru describes our conditions as beings in this world of coming and going. This is the world in which birth and death happen. Every being, having come, will also have to depart. This is the world in which we are uselessly bound to vices, unable to see past our indulgences and get ourselves out of them. We forget Nam (Identification with IkOankar) and drown in Maya. We abandon our virtues and fill ourselves with poison. These poisons build on themselves, and we become traders of non-virtues.
In this stanza, the Guru is describing the systems we exist in. We get caught up in these poisons because we are continuously enjoying the things provided to us in this space—Maya (allure of material things and relationships), vices, and indulgences. These are the things we become entangled in, the things that orient and drive us, and because we are so caught up, we do not adopt divine virtues. We become transactional in our vices, which continue to feed our further entanglement. But the hope is in that first line! The One has created this, and the One makes things stable for us even amongst the things that cause instability. The One has created coming and going, but the One is steady. IkOankar can take us out of these entanglements and bring us back to Nam, which helps us disentangle from our own vices. This whole stanza is not written directly to the seeker. It functions as self-reflection, and it emphasizes that these things that all us are a part of creation, too. But we have the potential to change, which depends on what work and relationships we engage in and who we seek support from. We can steady ourselves if we seek the support of the Steady One!
We have the potential to change. Will we make efforts toward the virtues? In this world of comings and goings, will we seek the support of the Steady One, the Creator? Will we abandon trading in vices in favor of trading in Nam?
In this stanza, the Guru is describing the systems we exist in. We get caught up in these poisons because we are continuously enjoying the things provided to us in this space—Maya (allure of material things and relationships), vices, and indulgences. These are the things we become entangled in, the things that orient and drive us, and because we are so caught up, we do not adopt divine virtues. We become transactional in our vices, which continue to feed our further entanglement. But the hope is in that first line! The One has created this, and the One makes things stable for us even amongst the things that cause instability. The One has created coming and going, but the One is steady. IkOankar can take us out of these entanglements and bring us back to Nam, which helps us disentangle from our own vices. This whole stanza is not written directly to the seeker. It functions as self-reflection, and it emphasizes that these things that all us are a part of creation, too. But we have the potential to change, which depends on what work and relationships we engage in and who we seek support from. We can steady ourselves if we seek the support of the Steady One!
We have the potential to change. Will we make efforts toward the virtues? In this world of comings and goings, will we seek the support of the Steady One, the Creator? Will we abandon trading in vices in favor of trading in Nam?
