ਰਾਮਕਲੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
raamkalee mehlaa 5.
Raamkalee, Fifth Mehl:
ੲMI ਧਨ ਤੇ ਬੈਸੰਤਰੁ ਭਾਗੈ ॥
eeNDhan tay baisantar bhaagai.
The fire runs away from the fuel.
ਮਾਟੀ ਕਉ ਜਲੁ ਦਹ ਦਿਸ ਤਿਆਗੈ ॥
maatee ka-o jal dah dis ti-aagai.
The water runs away from the dust in all directions.
ਊਪਰਿ ਚਰਨ ਤਲੈ ਆਕਾਸੁ ॥
oopar charan talai aakaas.
The feet are above, and the sky is beneath.
ਘਟ ਮਹਿ ਸਿੰਧੁ ਕੀਓ ਪਰਗਾਸੁ ॥੧॥
ghat meh sinDh kee-o pargaas. ||1||
The ocean appears in the cup. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Fire runs away from the very wood that feeds it.
Water runs off from the dust in every direction.
The feet are up high, and the sky is down below.
The whole ocean shows up inside a small cup.
Sometimes the world has to turn upside down before you can see it clearly.
When the heart turns toward the One, the world can look upside down: the ocean fits in a cup, and the sky lies under your feet. Ordinary logic loosens its grip, and you see in a fresh way.
These are ulat-baasee lines, "upside-down" riddles, a form Gurbani loves. The images break ordinary logic on purpose, to jolt the mind past its usual grooves. They are not puzzles to solve but doors to a fresh way of seeing.
A Question to Sit With
Have you ever seen something familiar in a completely new way?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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