tudhu siri likhiā so paṛu panḍit avrā no na sikhāli bikhiā.
pahilā phāhā païā pādhe picho de gali cāṭaṛiā.5.
-Guru Granth Sahib 434-435
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.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
Guru Amardas invokes the pretention in us, O mind! What kind of account have you studied that giving the account of your deeds has remained hanging over your head? Active participation in an experience yields reliable learning. Only the person who has been to the moon can share accurate information about what it felt like to be there. The person who claims to be sure of how the moon’s surface feels crunching underfoot but has only ever read about it can be called an imposter. Similarly, without understanding the Divine Command of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One), claiming to know the way is like teaching an abstraction. The real experience and essence are always missing in such a teaching. Guru Amardas comments on all those imposters with societal positions and the imposter within each of us. He talks about the self-claimed teachers misguidedly claiming to know the path and consequences of that ill-gotten teaching. Preaching and teaching that lack experience and practice harm us and are deemed poisonous by Guru Amardas. This destructive learning is equated to a noose that only gobbles the Light-force within, making breathing difficult, giving people an impression that what is being taught is reliable without testing spurs only darkness and chaos. It is much worse than an actual noose because it is invisible and cannot be removed until its presence is realized. Instilling the essence of a true teaching Guru Amardas holds us accountable while questioning our responsibilities. Whenever we teach others something, we create an impact because, in those moments, we wield the power to mold a person’s outlook and thinking. If we are misinformed and inexperienced, then the negative impact can be exponential. It is time to assess our actions in the world of data, cloud servers, and algorithms, where information is readily available, easily shared, and easily manipulated. Which information are we sharing and consuming, and what is its impact? Are we tying or cutting nooses? Do we want the Light-force to suffocate or glow ever bright?
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