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Sikhism·Raag Saarang·Shabad 168
Verse 92 of 110

Reading to Win, or Reading to Live

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
salok mehlaa 3.
Shalok, Third Mehl:
ਪੜਿ ਪੜਿ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਵਾਦੁ ਵਖਾਣਦੇ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹ ਸੁਆਇ ॥
parh parh pandit vaad vkhaanday maa-i-aa moh su-aa-ay.
Reading and writing, the Pandits engage in debates and disputes; they are attached to the flavors of Maya.
ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਮਨ ਮੂਰਖ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਜਾਇ ॥
doojai bhaa-ay naam visaari-aa man moorakh milai sajaa-ay.
In the love of duality, they forget the Naam. Those foolish mortals shall receive their punishment.
ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਕੀਤੇ ਤਿਸੈ ਨ ਸੇਵਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਦੇਦਾ ਰਿਜਕੁ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
jiniH keetay tisai na sayvnHee daydaa rijak samaa-ay.
They do not serve the One who created them, who gives sustenance to all.
ਜਮ ਕਾ ਫਾਹਾ ਗਲਹੁ ਨ ਕਟੀਐ ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਆਵਹਿ ਜਾਇ ॥
jam kaa faahaa galhu na katee-ai fir fir aavahi jaa-ay.
The noose of Death around their necks is not cut off; they come and go in reincarnation, over and over again.
ਜਿਨ ਕਉ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਤਿਨ ਆਇ ॥
jin ka-o poorab likhi-aa satgur mili-aa tin aa-ay.
The True Guru comes and meets those who have such pre-ordained destiny.
ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇਦੇ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਚਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੧॥
an-din naam Dhi-aa-iday naanak sach samaa-ay. ||1||
Night and day, they meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord; O Nanak, they merge into the True Lord. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

You can read a hundred books and still only be collecting arguments to win. When learning is just about sounding clever, it fills your head but leaves your heart restless, always circling back to the same hunger.

There is another way. Those who meet the Guru live the words morning and night, until the words are part of them. Nanak says: they keep the Naam close day and night, the restlessness settles, and they come to rest in Truth.

Knowledge you only argue with stays outside you; wisdom you live becomes you.
The deeper layer

Shalok, Third Mehl. A formalism critique: pandits read and read to win debates (vaad), attached to maya, forgetting the Naam. The foolish mind (man moorakh) keeps circling, coming and going, caught in its own noose. The turn: those who are ready (poorab likhiaa) meet the True Guru and live the Name day and night (an-din), merging into Truth (sach samaa-ay). The critique targets hollow cleverness in any tradition, not learning itself.

A Question to Sit With

When you learn something, do you want to win with it or live by it?

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

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