oṛaku āiā tin sāhiā vaṇjāriā mitrā jaru jarvāṇā kanni.
ik ratī guṇ na samāṇiā vaṇjāriā mitrā avgaṇ khaṛsani banni.
guṇ sanjami jāvai coṭ na khāvai nā tisu jammaṇu marṇā.
kālu jālu jamu johi na sākai bhāi bhagati bhai tarṇā.
pati setī jāvai sahaji samāvai sagle dūkh miṭāvai.
kahu nānak prāṇī gurmukhi chūṭai sāce te pati pāvai.5.2.
-Guru Granth Sahib 76
Guru Nanak Sahib compares night’s quarters to a life divided into four parts: infancy, youth, adulthood, and old age. The effects of these stages on the human mind and body are described here. Seekers are advised to protect their invaluable human birth from vices.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
O trader-friend, with the body's physical decline, old age has taken over you. The fear of death and dying weighs heavily on you. With the body’s physical decline, old age has overtaken you. You know that there are fewer breaths left for you to be able to trade in this world. In the breaths you have left, you spend your time fearing what will happen when it’s your turn to leave. What will happen to your loved ones and all the things you are attached to or have accumulated? Fearing death, you naturally start to review how you’ve chosen to trade in this world. Have you traded transactionally with others to get your needs met? Will the way you have chosen to transact in these relationships cause you pain and suffering now at the thought of separation? We reflect. On reaching this stage of life, many will repent for not connecting with the Creator-Provider. Many will ask for forgiveness and pray for a smooth transition. Some may even request that their loved ones and their assets be cared for. Imagine those who don’t fear this process. Instead, they are content and feel gratitude that their life was fulfilled by doing virtuous deeds and living in devotional remembrance of their Creator-Provider. But, it is not too late to remember. Even as our breaths diminish, we can still connect and focus our attention, remembrance, and devotion on our Creator-Provider. This devotion will free us from the cycle of fear. For the remembrance of the One who has been our provider throughout our life journey has entered our minds. This loving devotion will free us from suffering at the point of separation. O, trader-friend, this is how we will leave the world honorably.
We, humans, are the traders. We travel through life - the night, confronting many challenges and opportunities. The question arises: will we become self-absorbed by the things in our life with what we buy, consume, and choose to spend our time on. Or will we take the time to reflect on what we are genuinely investing our time and energy on? Will we confront ourselves with the question, what is it that we genuinely want to trade-in? Obstacles in life are unavoidable; they are part of the journey. Aging and dying cause pain. Can we consciously cultivate the Nam, Identification of the Creator-Provider in our lives to ease the challenges and pain? This cultivation may bring us closer to connecting with our essence, inner wisdom, and love for others through devotional practice and contemplation. So that when we take our final breaths, may the remembrance of our Creator-Provider be in our consciousness and not the transactions we have made in life.
We, humans, are the traders. We travel through life - the night, confronting many challenges and opportunities. The question arises: will we become self-absorbed by the things in our life with what we buy, consume, and choose to spend our time on. Or will we take the time to reflect on what we are genuinely investing our time and energy on? Will we confront ourselves with the question, what is it that we genuinely want to trade-in? Obstacles in life are unavoidable; they are part of the journey. Aging and dying cause pain. Can we consciously cultivate the Nam, Identification of the Creator-Provider in our lives to ease the challenges and pain? This cultivation may bring us closer to connecting with our essence, inner wisdom, and love for others through devotional practice and contemplation. So that when we take our final breaths, may the remembrance of our Creator-Provider be in our consciousness and not the transactions we have made in life.
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