Gurbani Word Of The Day: mas

ਮਸੁ (mas)

Meaning: noun: Soot, ink.

Quote:
ਲਿਖਦਿਆ ਲਿਖਦਿਆ ਕਾਗਦ ਮਸੁ ਖੋਈ॥ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਏ ਕੋਈ॥
(ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ) ਲਿਖਦਿਆਂ ਲਿਖਦਿਆਂ ਕਈ ਕਈ ਕਾਗਜ਼ ਅਤੇ ਸਿਆਹੀ ਜਾਇਆ ਕੀਤੀ (ਪਰ ਫਿਰ ਵੀ ਆਤਮ-ਸੁਖ ਨਾ ਪਾ ਸਕੇ)। ਦਵੈਤਾ-ਭਾਵ ਵਿਚ ਕੋਈ ਸੁਖ ਨਹੀਂ ਪਾ ਸਕਦਾ।

likhdiaa likhdiaa kaagad mas khoee. doojai bhaai sukh paae na koee.
Writing on and on, they wasted much paper and ink (but still could not attain peace). While in love with duality, no one can find peace. -Guru Amar Das, Guru Granth Sahib, 123

Message: We can never be at peace as long as we do not overcome our doubt and delusion and concentrate our minds on one Supreme Being.  Putting our thoughts together, again and again, we might exhaust all our resources. In this case, paper and ink, that is, our mind, thoughts and deeds. But still, we would not get comfort or inner peace. 

Concentrating our minds on transient material possessions and resources, we continue to suffer. Only when we turn to the Guru and reflect on the truthful teachings of the Divine, can we find emancipation.

Etymology: From Sanskrit mashi/masee (black powder, lampblack, ink) → Pali/Prakrit masi (soot, ink)→ Sindhi masu, Lahndi/Punjabi mass and Marathi/Hindi mas.

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