Word Of The Day: Keet

ਕੀਟ (keeṭ)
Meaning: noun: Insect, worm.

Quote:
ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਭਏ ਕੀਟ ਪਤੰਗਾ॥ ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਗਜ ਮੀਨ ਕੁਰੰਗਾ॥
kaee janam bhae keeṭ pataňgaa. kaee janam gaj meen kuraňgaa.
(O man!) For many lifetimes you were an insect, and for many lifetimes an elephant, a fish and a deer, etc.
– Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 176

Message: The verse here makes references to the history of human evolution from apes to modern humans. Since Gurbani is addressing human beings, he reminds us that it took many millions of years for us to evolve into better thinking beings.

Thus, now is the time to meet the Divine or realize the ultimate aim of life to become good human beings and help transform the world into a garden of peace. We should make full use of this precious opportunity of human life. It’s through right guidance, right company and diligent effort that we can make our life fruitful for ourselves and others.

It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist, 1904-1968

Keen to Explore Further?
Etymology: From Sanskrit → Pali keeṭ (insect, worm) → Prakrit keeḍ (worm, insect) → Sindhi keeṛo (worm), Lahndi/Punjabi keeṛaa (insect).