Inspiring Love Story

ਸਲੋਕ ਮ: ੧ ॥

salok mehlaa 1.

Shalok, First Mehl:

ਕਾਇਆ ਕੂਮਲ ਫੁਲ ਗੁਣ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਪਸਿ ਮਾਲ ॥

kaa-i-aa koomal, phul guN, naanak gupas maal.

With the fresh leaves of the body, and the flowers of virtue, Nanak has weaved his garland.

ਏਨੀ ਫੁਲੀ ਰਉ ਕਰੇ ਅਵਰ ਕਿ ਚੁਣੀਅਹਿ ਡਾਲ ॥੧॥

einee phulee rau kare, avar ke chuNee-ahi daal. ||1||

Waheguru is pleased with such garlands, so why pick any other flowers? ||1|| (Ang 791)

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.

He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom, it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਆਰਸੀ ਕੋਈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਖੈ ॥

ehu man aarsee, ko-ee gurmukh vekhai.

This mind is a mirror; how rare are those who, as Gurmukh, see themselves in it. (Ang 115)

Some people do not see the rose within themselves, someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.

ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਆਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥

man tooN jot saroop hai aapnaa mool pachhaan.

O my mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine Light - recognize your own origin. (Ang 441)

This is one of the characteristic of love to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life, all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the "rose" within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over. Let us remember and cherish Waheguru. We have so many faults yet His love is beyond boundaries and and helps us to realise our mistakes so that we can make our stumbling blocks our building blocks.

ਸਲੋਕ ਮ ੫ ॥

salok mehlaa 5.

Shalok, Fifth Mehl:

ਫਰੀਦਾ ਭੂਮਿ ਰੰਗਾਵਲੀ ਮੰਝਿ ਵਿਸੂਲਾ ਬਾਗੁ ॥

fareedaa bhoom rangaavalee, manjh visoolaa baag.

Fareed, this world is beautiful, but there is a thorny garden within it.

ਜੋ ਨਰ ਪੀਰਿ ਨਿਵਾਜਿਆ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਅੰਚ ਨ ਲਾਗ ॥੧॥

jo nar peer nivaaji-aa, tinHaa anch na laag. ||1||

Those who are blessed by their spiritual teacher are not even scratched. ||1|| (Ang 966)