suāmī ko grihu jiu sadā suān tajat nahī nit.
nānak ih bidhi hari bhajaü ik mani hui ik citi.45.
-Guru Granth Sahib 1428
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
Calligraphy
In the forty-fifth stanza, Guru Teghbahadar says, just as a dog never leaves the house of its owner and always guards it, similarly, keep faith and reflect on the virtues of the 1-Light with focused consciousness; never leave the door of the 1-Light.
The Guru elaborates on the idea of the dog and offers hope. The animal illustration has not changed, but the behaviors have. The body that has been trained does not wander or stray. The body that has been trained dwells with the 1-Light and never leaves. This is the way to think about how to praise the 1-Light. If we focus our minds on the One, if we allow praise to permeate our consciousness, then no matter what happens around us, we will always know who the Owner is, the 1-Light. This is how the dog’s behavior becomes beautiful, with the same body that was wandering and consuming filth and never satiated. This dog is loyal to its owner, the dog always knows what is going on because the dog has faith in the owner. When we do not know what is going on, we wander, we are bewildered, we do things that we might not do if we had faith.
This metaphor of the dog is often used in devotionals and poetry. When we identify with the dog, we talk about a loving surrender, a willful slavery, a renunciation of pride, a declaration of loyalty. The Guru shows us here how to shift our bodies from filth and wandering, greed and hunger, to the beautiful — to loyalty and submission and love for the One. Who are we loyal to?
The Guru elaborates on the idea of the dog and offers hope. The animal illustration has not changed, but the behaviors have. The body that has been trained does not wander or stray. The body that has been trained dwells with the 1-Light and never leaves. This is the way to think about how to praise the 1-Light. If we focus our minds on the One, if we allow praise to permeate our consciousness, then no matter what happens around us, we will always know who the Owner is, the 1-Light. This is how the dog’s behavior becomes beautiful, with the same body that was wandering and consuming filth and never satiated. This dog is loyal to its owner, the dog always knows what is going on because the dog has faith in the owner. When we do not know what is going on, we wander, we are bewildered, we do things that we might not do if we had faith.
This metaphor of the dog is often used in devotionals and poetry. When we identify with the dog, we talk about a loving surrender, a willful slavery, a renunciation of pride, a declaration of loyalty. The Guru shows us here how to shift our bodies from filth and wandering, greed and hunger, to the beautiful — to loyalty and submission and love for the One. Who are we loyal to?
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