Gurbani Word Of The Day: kaagaa

ਕਾਗਾ (kaagaa)
Meaning: noun: Crow.

Quote:
ਉਡਹੁ ਨ ਕਾਗਾ ਕਾਰੇ॥ ਬੇਗਿ ਮਿਲੀਜੈ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਰਾਮ ਪਿਆਰੇ॥
uḍahu na kaagaa kaare. beg mileejai apune raam piaare..

Fly away, O black crow, so that I may quickly meet my Beloved. -Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib, 338

Message: Imagine a young bride gazing at the street with tears in her eyes and heaving deep sighs. Her heart does not find solace and her feet do not retreat until she beholds her beloved.

Then, she sees a crow sitting on the parapet of her house. Considering it as a good sign she asks the crow to fly away – which in folklore supposedly indicates the forthcoming visit of one’s beloved.

The black crow appears to be a harbinger of the good that’s about to come (the forthcoming visit of one’s beloved). But this will only happen once the crow flies off; hence, Kabir’s call for the crow to fly away.

Similar should be the state of a spiritual aspirant who longs for the Divine realisation. As seekers and potential aspirants of this spiritual state, we also need to address our mind and develop intense love and longing for divinity. This we can do by rekindling our faith in the wisdom and virtues of the Divine.

Notes: These days, crows often have an undeserved reputation. Generally, they are viewed as harmful, threatening or distasteful. However, the cawing of a crow is considered auspicious in some folklore.

Etymology: From Sanskrit/Pali kaak → Prakrit kaay → Khowar (Dardic) kaag; comparable toSihahli kaa/kaau/kaauka, Kashmiri kaav, Sindhi/Lahndi kaau, and Bhojpuri/Hindi kauaa.

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