jihabā gun gobind bhajahu karan sunahu hari nāmu.
kahu nānak suni re manā parahi na jam kai dhām.21.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1427
Guru Teghbahadar Sahib reminds beings of the purpose of life, which is to remember and reflect on the virtues of IkOankar (the Divine). The saloks describe how life is wasted in the entanglements of familial and material attachments distracting from the purpose of life. They inspire seekers to search for deeper meaning beyond the attachment to family and temporary material things and develop a relationship with IkOankar. These saloks gently nudge seekers to live in awareness of IkOankar and see the entire world from that place of realization.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
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In the twenty-first stanza, Guru Teghbahadar says, praise the greatness of the Earth-knower with your tongue, listen to the Identification of the 1-Light with your ears. This is how you will not fall into the fear of death.
The Guru brings us back to the physical, the simplest way to begin bringing Identification within. We have our tongues and our ears and all of the physical senses to help us to inculcate Identification and remembrance so that the presence can be felt. Even if we do not have the ability to see or hear, we can taste. We can feel. This is what changes our thinking. This is what changes our behavior. This is what helps us get to a point where the fear of death has no effect on us.
If we want to get rid of that fear, we can focus on Identifying with IkOankar, starting with praise that begins on our tongues, we can listen with our ears, we can remember in the mind. If we do this, our minds will not enter the place where fear dwells. This is the paradigm shift that helps us to rid ourselves of falsity. All we have to do is begin, now and here.
The Guru brings us back to the physical, the simplest way to begin bringing Identification within. We have our tongues and our ears and all of the physical senses to help us to inculcate Identification and remembrance so that the presence can be felt. Even if we do not have the ability to see or hear, we can taste. We can feel. This is what changes our thinking. This is what changes our behavior. This is what helps us get to a point where the fear of death has no effect on us.
If we want to get rid of that fear, we can focus on Identifying with IkOankar, starting with praise that begins on our tongues, we can listen with our ears, we can remember in the mind. If we do this, our minds will not enter the place where fear dwells. This is the paradigm shift that helps us to rid ourselves of falsity. All we have to do is begin, now and here.
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