Salok Sehskritee, Salok 49 — The Pull of Clinging
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O clinging, you are a warrior no one can beat on the battlefield of life. You crush even the strongest.
You charm the heavenly heralds and singers, the gods, people, animals and birds.
Nanak says: I bow to the One who makes everything, and take shelter in the Lord of the World.
Clinging, moh, the need to hold on, is a pull that catches everyone, even the mightiest.
The salok calls clinging a warrior no one can beat on the field of life. It knocks over even the strongest. It pulls at heavenly beings, singers, gods, people, animals and birds. No one is too strong to feel it.
Think of holding a toy so tight that you cannot pick up anything new. We all do this with things, and people, and plans.
So if you notice clinging in yourself, do not be ashamed. It is not your special weakness. It is a pull everyone feels. And the answer is not a lonely fight. The verse bows, namaskaara, and takes shelter in the One. Something bigger loosens the grip.
What is something you find hard to let go of? What might it feel like to loosen your grip a little?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI