Theme for the Week:
This week we’ll look at five words that are derived from birds. Call them ‘bird words’ if you so wish.
Some of them are used as metaphors and analogies to draw some useful life lessons. There are many good things that we can learn from animals.
ਹੰਸੁਲਾ (haňsulaa)
Meaning: noun: Swan, wild goose.
Quote:
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਦੁਧ ਭਿੰਨ ਭਿੰਨ ਕਾਢੈ ਚੁਣਿ ਹੰਸੁਲਾ
ਤਿਉ ਦੇਹੀ ਤੇ ਚੁਣਿ ਕਾਢੈ ਸਾਧੂ ਹਉਮੈ ਤਾਤਿ॥
jiu jal dudh bhiňn bhiňn kaaḍhai chuṇ haňsulaa
tiu dehee te chuṇ kaaḍhai saadhoo haumai taat.
As a swan sorts out and separates the milk and the water, so a sadhu removes egotism and envy from one’s body. -Guru Ram Das Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 1264
Message: It was a prevalent belief that a swan, when offered a mixture of milk and water, is able to drink the milk alone as opposed to a crane that cannot do so.
Hence, swans symbolise the persons who possess prudence and discrimination between the good and the bad or the eternal and the transient.
In Gurbani, a swan is used as a metaphor for a Guru-oriented or virtuous person.
The verse above illustrates how a seeker or sadhu weeds out their defects and comes closer to divinity. It asks us to be like them, discerning and prudent. Learn consciously (or conscientiously) the qualities and skills they possess.
Who are these sadhus or seekers? They are the virtuous and wise people, who have internalised the Guru’s teachings and have gained control over their worldly desires.
You can call them saints, sadhus, seekers, devotees or disciples. They acquire the virtue of discernment. As a swan supposedly separates milk from water, they banish arrogance, jealousy and other such vices from their body.
If we want to satisfy our worldly desires in full, we should remove our vices from within us and thus raise ourselves spiritually. Be sadhus in the true sense.
Etymology: From Sanskrit/Pali/Prakrit haṁs (goose) → Sindhi haňju and Punjabi haňs (often rendered as ‘swan’).
