The second body-horse song: the golden steed adorned with the jewel of the Name, the wild mind-elephant tamed by wisdom, and the ride to the Beloved made of joyful, humble service.
The Arc
Pauri 0: the body-horse dyed with the ever-fresh color of love; a fruitful life. Pauri 1: the golden steed adorned not with outer finery but the jewel of the Name. Pauri 2: the mind-elephant tamed by wisdom; a controlled mind becomes calm and beloved. Pauri 3 closes: ride to the Beloved by serving the servants — humble service as the road home. Colophon ||4||2||6||.
Key Vocabulary
Ever-fresh color (P0, P1) — the Lord's color of love that never fades or grows stale.
The jewel of the Name (P1) — inner goodness as the true adornment.
The mind-elephant tamed (P2) — the powerful, easily-wild mind gentled by wisdom.
Servant of servants (P3) — humble service as the road to the Beloved.
Themes and Cross-Connections
The mind-elephant is a recurring Gurbani image (Gauree Shabad 25 "drunken elephant," Aasaa Shabad 34/897 the elephant-mind). "Ever-fresh color of love" is Guru Ram Das's Rang motif (Gauree Shabad 53). "Jewel of the Name as adornment" restates the raag's "decoration doesn't win love" turned positive (Shabad 1, and the jewel of Shabad 20/1186). "Servant of servants" echoes Shabad 24 P1 and Bihaagraa ki Vaar P63.
For Raag Wadahans
The second body-horse song gives a child two more keepers. Your mind can be like a big wild elephant — strong and hard to steer — and wisdom gently tames it, so you feel calm and happy instead of thrown around. And the way you ride toward the very best in life isn't by decorating the outside, but by wearing the jewel of goodness inside and by gladly helping others — and that road ends in a warm, loving welcome home.
The second body-horse song: the golden steed adorned with the jewel of the Name, the wild mind-elephant tamed by wisdom, and the ride to the Beloved made of joyful, humble service.
The Arc
Pauri 0: the body-horse dyed with the ever-fresh color of love; a fruitful life. Pauri 1: the golden steed adorned not with outer finery but the jewel of the Name. Pauri 2: the mind-elephant tamed by wisdom; a controlled mind becomes calm and beloved. Pauri 3 closes: ride to the Beloved by serving the servants — humble service as the road home. Colophon ||4||2||6||.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
The mind-elephant is a recurring Gurbani image (Gauree Shabad 25 "drunken elephant," Aasaa Shabad 34/897 the elephant-mind). "Ever-fresh color of love" is Guru Ram Das's Rang motif (Gauree Shabad 53). "Jewel of the Name as adornment" restates the raag's "decoration doesn't win love" turned positive (Shabad 1, and the jewel of Shabad 20/1186). "Servant of servants" echoes Shabad 24 P1 and Bihaagraa ki Vaar P63.
For Raag Wadahans
The second body-horse song gives a child two more keepers. Your mind can be like a big wild elephant — strong and hard to steer — and wisdom gently tames it, so you feel calm and happy instead of thrown around. And the way you ride toward the very best in life isn't by decorating the outside, but by wearing the jewel of goodness inside and by gladly helping others — and that road ends in a warm, loving welcome home.