ਕਾਇਆ ਬਿਰਖੁ ਪੰਖੀ ਵਿਚਿ ਵਾਸਾ ॥
kaa-i-aa birakh pankhee vich vaasaa.
The body is the tree; the bird of the soul dwells within it.
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਚੁਗਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਨਿਵਾਸਾ ॥
amrit chugeh gur sabad nivaasaa.
It drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar, resting in the Word of the Guru's Shabad.
ਉਡਹਿ ਨ ਮੂਲੇ ਨ ਆਵਹਿ ਨ ਜਾਹੀ ਨਿਜ ਘਰਿ ਵਾਸਾ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੧੩॥
udeh na moolay na aavahi na jaahee nij ghar vaasaa paa-i-aa. ||13||
It never flies away, and it does not come or go; it dwells within the home of its own self. ||13||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Your body is like a tree, and the soul is a bird resting in its branches. It sips a sweet nectar, settled in the word.
It does not dart away or fret with coming and going — it rests, at home, in its own true place.
The restless soul, once it finds its tree, no longer needs to fly away.
The body-tree and the soul-bird (jeea pankhee) is a tender image: the restless bird finally settled, sipping amrit, no longer flying off. This is the calm after the raag's storms of longing — the soul at home, needing to wander no more.
A Question to Sit With
What makes your restless heart settle and rest?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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