Gurbani Word Of The Day: Naroo

ਨਰੂ (naroo)
Meaning: noun: Man, human being.

Quote:
ਨਰੂ ਮਰੈ ਨਰੁ ਕਾਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ॥ ਪਸੂ ਮਰੈ ਦਸ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰੈ॥
naroo marai nar kaam na aavai.
pasoo marai das kaaj savaarai.
When a human being dies, he or she is of no use. But when an animal dies, it serves ten purposes.
– Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib, 870

Message: Is it religiously okay to donate our organs?
Upon death, the human body along with all its precious organs is burnt to ashes. Is it not better then, to donate our organs so they are of some use to others after our death?

Let us be grateful to the Creator for the numerous blessings and gifts we have enjoyed in life. Let the organs of our body be used by someone who needs them more than the fire of our pyre.

The world served our body and organs when we were alive. Let us pay back to the world. By doing so, we might be able to save someone from suffering.

Notes: In the past, there was no such concept or way of organ donation. In those times, when a human being died the body served no purpose. But when an animal died, its skin, veins, horns and bones, etc., were used in many ways. This made Bhagat Kabir reflect and remark as above.

Some, however, suggest that the verse above is an attempt by Kabir ji to signify the supremacy of the human birth as the only one capable of attaining merger with the Divine and to set it apart from animals. The ‘naroo’ is the ‘evil deeds and bad habits’. When these are ‘dead or killed’ the human is worthy while alive (which is the main thrust of Gurbani). A human should be worthy when alive way more than dead. Hence ‘nar’ and ‘pasoo’ can also be understood as references referring to the human, and animal or base instincts.

Etymology: From Sanskrit nar (man, male) → Pali → Prakrit → Sindhi naru.

Summary of the Week:
This week, we ask our readers: What do you think is the summary of this week? You can share your thoughts here.

This is just for your reading pleasure:
Flowers for Mother
A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. 
As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. 
He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.”
The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.” 
He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. 
She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.” 
She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, cancelled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.

Moral of the story is: Why not care for our loved ones while they are alive, instead of waiting to do something after their demise. Life is short. Spend as much time as you can, loving and caring for people who matter to you. Enjoy each moment with them before it’s too late.