In this new series, we will be sharing sections from various Granths which are inspire us in our study of Santhia. In the previous post, we covered the virtue of patience when learning Vidhya. In this part, we will look at the importance of Vidhya in our lives:
ਦੋਹਰਾ ॥ ਰੂਪ ਦਰਬ ਜੋਬਨ ਸਹਤ ਸੁਕੁਲ ਜਨਮ ਬਹੁ ਬੰਧ ।
ਵਿਦਯਾ ਬਿਨੁ ਸੋਭਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਯੋਂ ਕੇਸੂ ਬਿਨ ਗੰਧ ॥੨੦॥
- ਸਾਰਕੁਤਾਵਲੀ, ਅਧਿਆਇ ੩
ਦੋਹਰਾ ॥ ਰੂਪ ਦਰਬ ਜੋਬਨ ਸਹਤ; ਸੁਕੁਲ ਜਨਮ ਬਹੁ ਬੰਧ ।
Padh Arth (word by word meaning) line 1: ਰੂਪ (beauty) ਦਰਬ (money) ਜੋਬਨ (youth) ਸਹਤ (with/to have); ਸੁਕੁਲ (respected lineage) ਜਨਮ (birth) ਬਹੁ (many) ਬੰਧ (friends/acquaintances)
Arth (meaning): To have beauty, wealth, youth, birth in a respected lineage and many acquaintances.
ਵਿਦਯਾ ਬਿਨੁ ਸੋਭਤ ਨਹੀਂ ; ਜਯੋਂ ਕੇਸੂ ਬਿਨ ਗੰਧ ॥੨੦॥
Padh Arth (word by word meaning) line 2: ਵਿਦਯਾ (knowledge/divine knowledge of the self) ਬਿਨੁ (without) ਸੋਭਤ (glory) ਨਹੀਂ (not); ਜਯੋਂ (like) ਕੇਸੂ (the Kesu flower, Butea frondosa flower) ਬਿਨ (without) ਗੰਧ (fragrance)
Arth (meaning): Without obtaining Vidhya, having these carry no glory, just like the Kesu flower has no fragrance.
Commentary:
To determine success in the world, people look at factors such as beauty/youth, wealth, family status or the number of friends one has. But without Aatam Vidhya (the divine knowledge of the self, which is gained via the teachings of the Satguru) and love for Vaheguru, what glory do these worldly counters of success carry? Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji says:
ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
ਅਤਿਸੁੰਦਰਕੁਲੀਨਚਤੁਰਮੁਖਿਙਿਆਨੀਧਨਵੰਤ ॥
A person may be very handsome, born into a highly respected family, very wise, prosperous and wealthy;
ਮਿਰਤਕਕਹੀਅਹਿਨਾਨਕਾਜਿਹਪ੍ਰੀਤਿਨਹੀਭਗਵੰਤ ॥੧॥
but even so, they are looked upon as a corpse, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji says if they do not love Vaheguru. ||1|| - Ang 253
Pandit Hardayal Ji gives an example of the Kesu flower to illustrate this point. The Kesu flower (Butea frondosa) as shown in the image above, has a deep orange colour but has no fragrance, hence is never used in the preparation of any perfumes. The Kesu flower looks beautiful, but it has no fragrance. In the same way, without the fragrance of Aatam Vidhya (knowledge of the Self) and Prema Bhagti (loving devotion), there is no true glory.
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