ਸਿਆਣੀ (siaa-ṇee)
Meaning: adjective, feminine singular: clever, wise (woman).
Quote:
ਐਸੇ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਾਤੀ ਸਹਜ ਕੀ ਮਾਤੀ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਭਾਇ ਸਮਾਣੀ॥ ਸੁੰਦਰਿ ਸਾਇ ਸਰੂਪ ਬਿਚਖਣਿ ਕਹੀਐ ਸਾ ਸਿਆਣੀ॥
aise raňg raatee sahaj kee maatee ahinis bhaai samaaňee.
suňdar saai saroop bi-chakkhaṇ kaheeai saa siaa-ṇee.
She who is imbued with divine love, engrossed in the state of spiritual bliss, and absorbed in the devotion to the Divine day and night is called beautiful, good-looking, clever and wise.
– Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 722
Message: Realizing His presence within and feeling the love of the Divine, a wise one willingly gives up false attachment to the self. There is no place for egoistic cleverness. Accepting whatever the Divine does as being good, one surrenders oneself to Him. With this total commitment through devotion, one links the consciousness with the Divine. One who is immersed in this love is beautiful, radiant and truly wise.
ਗਿਆਨ ਅਪਾਰੁ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਸੋਭਾਵੰਤੀ ਨਾਰਿ ॥
Infinite wisdom is the decoration of a glorious woman. – Guru Amar Das Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 426
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Etymology: From Sanskrit sajaan → Prakrit sajaaṇ (clever) → Sindhi siaaṇo, Lahndi siaaṇaa (sensible, discreet, wise), Punjabi siyaaṇaa, Kumuani sayaaṇo (wise, experienced).
Other forms of the word found in the Guru Granth Sahib:
- ਸਿਆਣੀਏ: vocative form of ਸਿਆਣੀ.
- ਸਿਆਣਾ/ਸਿਆਨਾ: masculine singular.
- ਸਿਆਣੇ/ਸਿਆਨੇ: masculine plural.
- ਸਿਆਣਿਆ: grammatical inflexion of ਸਿਆਣਾ.
Summary of the Week:
We are all born with a divinity inside us. Its light, love and beauty will only surface and develop slowly when we become conscious of its presence within us. Wisdom from the Gurbani guides us in the following ways: It helps us recognize its presence by making us aware of it. It teaches us how to make ourselves worthy of it. It shows us how to reach out to it and nurture it. When this inner beauty, in the form of virtues, shines through us, its value surpasses any physical appearance or artificial adornment.
Thus, if we become more open and receptive to the divine presence within us by abandoning our negative worldly bad habits, we can allow the sun of divine attributes and virtues to shine through us in its new resplendent glory. Such a dazzling brilliance will also touch the lives of others and transform them too. In the same way, the Gurus reached out to people during their physical existence.
In the words of Maya Angelou – “That’s the thing about inner beauty: Unlike physical beauty which grabs the spotlight for itself, inner beauty shines on everyone, catching them, holding them in its embrace, making them more ‘beautiful’ too.“
