ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੧ ॥
salok mehlaa 1.
Shalok, First Mehl:
ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹੁ ਤਨੁ ਜਾਲਿ ਜਿਨਿ ਜਲਿਐ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ॥
naanak ih tan jaal jin jali-ai naam visaari-aa.
O Nanak, burn this body; this burnt body has forgotten the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਪਉਦੀ ਜਾਇ ਪਰਾਲਿ ਪਿਛੈ ਹਥੁ ਨ ਅੰਬੜੈ ਤਿਤੁ ਨਿਵੰਧੈ ਤਾਲਿ ॥੧॥
pa-udee jaa-ay paraal pichhai hath na ambrhai tit nivanDhai taal. ||1||
The dirt is piling up, and in the world hereafter, your hand shall not be able to reach down into this stagnant pond to clean it out. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Nanak says: a body that has forgotten the Naam has lost its worth — be done with living like that.
Its dirt keeps piling up, like straw sinking into a still, stale pond.
Later, in the world beyond, your hand will not be able to reach down into that pond and clean it out.
Clear the pond while your hand can still reach it.
A shalok of the First Mehl, blunt on purpose. jaal (burn) is an old, strong way of saying "have done with": a life that forgets the Naam has lost what gave it worth. paraal is straw and rubbish settling into a taal, a stagnant pond. Clearing it is work for now, while the hand can still reach.
A Question to Sit With
What is one small thing you could tidy up inside yourself today?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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