apjasaṅ miṭant sat putrah. simartabya ridai gur mantraṇah.
prītam bhagvān acut. nānak sansār sāgar tāraṇah.14.
-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 fourteenth salok, Guru Arjan touches on a truth that we know as integral to the human experience: we say that when children are well-behaved and with common sense, they give a good name to their parents and that when they are not, they give a bad name to their parents. And it can go the other way, too — we have phrases like “the sins of my father” to point to a kind of collective reputation and inheritance of “good” and “bad” behavior.
The Guru says that the things that we have done that might be transgressions or cause for disgrace are removed when we become devotees of IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One) and when we remember the teachings of the Wisdom in our hearts. The remembrance of the teachings of Wisdom eliminates our flaws and transgressions through generations, and this is how we discover the Fortunate or Beloved One, IkOankar, who carries us across the world-ocean and helps us make these lives fruitful. IkOankar is the one who is indestructible, who cannot fall, who can pick us up from our fallen states and help us change our behaviors. This is what happens when we align ourselves with this lineage, the lineage of the One. Will we practice the remembrance of Wisdom’s teachings in our hearts and our minds? Will we erase our transgressions and make our lives fruitful here and now? Will we realize our eternal lineage?
The Guru says that the things that we have done that might be transgressions or cause for disgrace are removed when we become devotees of IkOankar (One Universal Integrative Force, 1Force, the One) and when we remember the teachings of the Wisdom in our hearts. The remembrance of the teachings of Wisdom eliminates our flaws and transgressions through generations, and this is how we discover the Fortunate or Beloved One, IkOankar, who carries us across the world-ocean and helps us make these lives fruitful. IkOankar is the one who is indestructible, who cannot fall, who can pick us up from our fallen states and help us change our behaviors. This is what happens when we align ourselves with this lineage, the lineage of the One. Will we practice the remembrance of Wisdom’s teachings in our hearts and our minds? Will we erase our transgressions and make our lives fruitful here and now? Will we realize our eternal lineage?
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