ਕਲਮ (kalam)
Meaning: noun: Pen.
Quote:
ਭਾਉ ਕਲਮ ਕਰਿ ਚਿਤੁ ਲੇਖਾਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਪੁਛਿ ਲਿਖੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ॥
ਪ੍ਰੇਮਨੂੰਕਲਮਅਤੇਚਿਤਨੂੰਲਿਖਣਵਾਲਾਬਣਾਅਤੇਗੁਰੂਨੂੰਪੁੱਛਕੇ (ਮਤਿਰੂਪੀਕਾਗਜ਼ਉਪਰ ਗੁਰੂ-ਗਿਆਨ ਰੂਪ) ਵੀਚਾਰਲਿਖ।
bhaau kalam kar chit lekhaaree gur puchh likh beechaar.
Make love the pen, and mind the scribe, and having asked the Guru, write the thoughts (of Guru’s wisdom on the paper of your intellect). -Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 16
Message: The Guru here tells us how to lead and live our life so that we acquire honour and dignity. He advises us all, writers and readers, alike.
Let love and devotion be your pen. Let your mind write thoughts that are in accord with the Guru’s teachings, inspired by deepest divinity and highest wisdom. Furthermore, let the ink be prepared by burning material attachments and your intelligence be the fine paper for writing
Instead of wasting our lives in frivolous pursuits and material gains only, let us devote ourselves to learning to live an elevated or ‘good’ life where our behaviour and deeds will lead us to spiritual advancement, peace and grace.
When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. -John Ruskin, an English author, art critic, and social thinker, 1819-1900
Note: Tradition holds that in the old biography (puratan janam saakhi) of Guru Nanak, the hymn from which this verse is taken records Guru Nanak’s response when he was asked by his school teacher to practise writing on his slate (patti).
Etymology: From Arabic qalam (a type of pen made from a dried reed, used for Islamic calligraphy) → Persian, Urdu, Sindhi, Bengali and others.
