ਮਃ ੧ ॥
mehlaa 1.
First Mehl:
ਮਾਂਦਲੁ ਬੇਦਿ ਸਿ ਬਾਜਣੋ ਘਣੋ ਧੜੀਐ ਜੋਇ ॥
maaNdal bayd se baajno ghano Dharhee-ai jo-ay.
The drum of the Vedas vibrates, bringing dispute and divisiveness.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ਤੂ ਬੀਜਉ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥
naanak naam samaal too beeja-o avar na ko-ay. ||2||
O Nanak, contemplate the Naam, the Name of the Lord; there is none except Him. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Even sacred words, when people only argue over them, can stir up division.
Beating a drum of quarrels leads hearts apart, not together.
Nanak says: hold the Naam quietly in your heart; there is none but the One, and that ends the argument.
Sacred words are for uniting hearts, not for winning arguments.
A shalok of the First Mehl mentioning the Vedas. The drum here is the drum of argument: sacred words used to win a dispute end up dividing people. The remedy is contemplation of the Naam, which needs no dispute.
A Question to Sit With
Have you seen how an argument about being right can pull people apart?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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