Word Of The Day: sankh

ਸੰਖ (saňkh)
Meaning: noun, vocative: conch shell; shell of a sea animal, which is blown as bugle in Hindu temples. In ancient times, it was blown as bugle during days of war as well.

Quote:
ਕਬੀਰ ਰੈਨਾਇਰ ਬਿਛੋਰਿਆ   ਰਹੁ ਰੇ ਸੰਖ ਮਝੂਰਿ॥ ਦੇਵਲ ਦੇਵਲ ਧਾਹੜੀ   ਦੇਸਹਿ ਉਗਵਤ ਸੂਰ॥
kabeer rainaa-ir bichhoriaa   rahu re saňkh majhoor.
deval deval dhaahṛee   desahi ugvat soor.
Kabeer: O conch shell! Remain in the ocean, if separated from it you shall scream at sunrise from temple to temple.
– Bhagat Kabeer, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1371

Message: Bhagat Kabeer gives the image of a conch shell which typically belongs in the ocean. It seems he is reminding us humans that we must remain true to our inner, divine, real and pure self. We should not try to show off our self-centeredness and egoism by screaming out loud our presence. We need to shed our attachment to the world by not acting and reacting to it.

As the conch shell has been separated from its real self, the ocean – we humans too are separated from our real divine self while living in a world of attachments. We should remain divine and true to our self or else we will end up being made the tools of other human beings who will test our self and in that way make us exhibit our anger, greed and other vices after abandoning our spiritual nature.

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence oforder and lends to all that is good and just and beautiful. –Plato

Keen to Explore Further?
Etymology: From Sanskrit shankh.

Other forms of the word found in the Guru Granth Sahib:

1. ਸੰਖੰ: sahaskriti form.
2. ਸੰਖੁ: singular.