jhajhai kade na jhūrahi mūṛe satigur kā updesu suṇi tūṁ vikhā.
satigur bājhahu guru nahī koī nigure kā hai nāu burā.13.
-Guru Granth Sahib 435
The Patti by Guru Amardas Sahib comprises eighteen stanzas (couplets), each containing two lines. The first stanza is followed by the rahau, which informs that the study of mere worldly accounting and writing systems is futile unless they help the being to introspect about their deeds in life. The remaining stanzas are addressed to the Pandit, the teacher, and it is stated: O foolish Pandit, you never remember IkOankar. You will regret wasting your life when you depart from this world. You are not on the path and are also leading your students astray. Though you read religious texts, you do not put them into practice. You are consumed by material attachment. This life is an opportunity to connect with the all-pervading IkOankar, but you live in ignorance. Whereas those who connect with the Wisdom (Guru) and sing praises of IkOankar settle all their accounts and are honored in the court of IkOankar.
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Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
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Guru Amardas reminds us that being a scholar, a Pandit, an intellectual, or an expert is not equivalent to being the Guru. O mind! What kind of account have you studied that giving the account of your deeds has remained hanging over your head? Delivering the message through the letter ਝ (‘jhajjhā,’ #14), we are guided that while experts may have worldly knowledge, only the Wisdom (Guru) can truly guide us. The Wisdom is the only source of eternal wisdom and ever-lasting bliss. We are encouraged to shift our attention towards the Wisdom to imbibe it, enshrine it, and then practice it, for without it, we are like hollow, empty vessels capable of only making noise. Guru Amardas teaches us that overly identifying oneself without the Wisdom is futile. Without condemnation, Guru Amardas simply acknowledges that even worldly connections to those who do not recognize the Wisdom hold no value. Our reflections on how we want to spend our time can help us truly appreciate the gift of life. In line with that, it could be a helpful starting point to consider: What associations do we want to cultivate and savor in our lives? Do we want to spend time with the ones who are Wisdom-oriented or the ones who are allurement-oriented?
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