Word Of The Day: bisee-ar

ਬਿਸੀਅਰ (bisee-ar)
Meaning: noun: Snake.

Quote:
ਬਿਸੀਅਰ ਕਉ ਬਹੁ ਦੂਧੁ ਪੀਆਈਐ   ਬਿਖੁ ਨਿਕਸੈ ਫੋਲਿ ਫੁਲੀਠਾ॥
biseear kau bahu doodh pee-aa-ee-ai   bikh niksai phol phuleeṭhaa.
Even if a poisonous snake is fed large amounts of milk, you will still find poison inside it.
-Guru Ram Das Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 171

Message: Snakes are generally avoided by most people as the venom they carry is a threat to life. When a person is described as a ‘snake’, reference is being made to his or her negative characteristics, such as being untrustworthy, treacherous, backstabber and so on.

In the context of this verse, a self-centred human is represented by a snake. An egocentric person controlled by conceit, hardened by the evil nature of his mind and devoid of any compassion or understanding for others, carries this poison that is so pervasive that it destroys all relationships. The assumption that you alone control your life, along with the attachment to material and sensual enjoyment, leaves no place for an understanding of the ultimate purpose of life and a relationship with the Divine.

The venom of the snake cannot be neutralized by feeding it milk. Only an expert snake charmer can de-fang and neutralize it. Likewise, the venom in us can only be neutralized by the Guru’s Shabad, its wisdom, the sweetener. This is how the bitterness within turns to sweetness.

Why choose to act like a reptile when you have been given a human life?

Etymology: From Sanskrit vish-dhar → Prakrit vis-har → Hindi bis-har.