This Life Is a Short Stay in the First Home

ਗਉੜੀ ਬੈਰਾਗਣਿ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥

ga-orhee bairaagan mehlaa 3.

Gauree Bairaagan, Third Mehl:

ਪੇਈਅੜੈ ਦਿਨ ਚਾਰਿ ਹੈ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਲਿਖਿ ਪਾਇਆ ॥

pay-ee-arhai din chaar hai har har likh paa-i-aa.

The Lord, Har, Har, has ordained that the soul is to stay in her parents' home for only a few short days.

ਸੋਭਾਵੰਤੀ ਨਾਰਿ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇਆ ॥

sobhaavantee naar hai gurmukh gun gaa-i-aa.

Glorious is that soul-bride, who as Gurmukh, sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord.

ਪੇਵਕੜੈ ਗੁਣ ਸੰਮਲੈ ਸਾਹੁਰੈ ਵਾਸੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥

payvkarhai gun sammlai saahurai vaas paa-i-aa.

She who cultivates virtue in her parents' home, shall obtain a home at her in-laws.

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਣੀਆ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਇਆ ॥੧॥

gurmukh sahj samaanee-aa har har man bhaa-i-aa. ||1||

The Gurmukhs are intuitively absorbed into the Lord. The Lord is pleasing to their minds. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The One has set it so the soul stays in her parents' house only a few short days. Blessed is the soul who, turned toward the teaching, sings the One's praises. The one who grows virtue here, in this first home, will be welcomed in the next. Turned toward the teaching, the soul melts naturally into the One.

This life is a short stay in the first home -- the virtue you grow here prepares your welcome in the next.

The deeper layer

Classic Soul-Bride imagery: this life is the parents' home, where the bride stays briefly; the next is the in-laws' home. What you cultivate here -- virtue -- prepares your welcome there. The bridal frame carries the universal teaching: this life is preparation, a place to cultivate virtue and long for union.

A Question to Sit With

If this life is preparation, what would you most want to "grow" while you are here?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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