ਨਦਰਿ (nadar)
Meaning: noun: (1) Look, view (2) Glance, glance of grace or beneficence.
Quote:
ਜੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਨਦਰਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਤ ਵਾਤ ਨ ਪੁਛੈ ਕੇ॥
je tis nadar na aavaee ta vaat na puchhai ke.
If one is unable to see (the beneficence of the Divine behind all one’s achievements and blessings), one is treated like a person that nobody cares about. – Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 01
Message: At times all we are concerned about is the pursuit of worldly achievements, recognition from our fellow beings and even try our level best to seek ways to live longer. We are so concerned with acquiring worldly praise that we fail to acknowledge any divine beneficence behind our achievements and blessings.
The message of the stanza 7 of Jap Ji is that if one were to live through the four ages or even ten times more; if one were to succeed in becoming famous throughout the whole world; have scores of followers, and win praise from one’s fellow beings, still, if one fails to see all these achievements as divine blessings – one is ungrateful and thankless.
In other words, a long life, celebrity, wealth, adoration and a large retinue – marks of worldly success even by today’s standards – are meaningless without grace and gratitude. Such a person is ultimately treated like a person that nobody cares about i.e. instead of being grateful, all one cared about was attaining worldly praise. Even a wrong doer would deem such a person to be no different from the lowest of the lowliest.
It is the Divine who can redeem such an unworthy person. He even bestows virtues upon those who are already virtuous. There is no one besides Him who can bestow virtues on such an unworthy person. Be always obliged and thankful to the abundant blessings you enjoy in your everyday life. Be ever grateful and humbled.
Etymology: From Arabic nazar (look).
