ਛਾਰੁ (chhaar)
Meaning: noun: Literally, ashes, dust; here, symbolic of humility.
Quote:
ਏਕੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੰਤਨ ਆਧਾਰੁ॥ ਹੋਇ ਰਹੇ ਸਭ ਕੀ ਪਗ ਛਾਰੁ॥
ek naam saňtan aadhaar. hoe rahe sabh kee pag chhaar.
Only the Name of the Divine is the support of the saintly persons; they remain the dust of the feet (the humblest) of all.
-Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 392
Message: Saintly beings live with the belief that the perpetual support from the Divine is a reality. With the strength of this belief, they are fully grounded, self-reliant and dedicated to serving the Divine through service to humanity. With the virtues of compassion and mercy, they serve as a humble servant to all. The joy that comes from this service is immeasurable.
Ashes, a strong symbol of what ultimately happens to our body, represent our humility; they remind us of the fact that poor or rich, powerful or weak, of one faith or another, we will end this journey as ashes and dust. We come from the Divine and we return to that same Divine; why not be humble in our interactions and also serve Him in the interim?
It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. – Sir Edmund Hillary, mountaineer and explorer, 1919-2008
Etymology: From Sanskrit kshaar (any corrosive substance, alkali) → Pali khaar (alkali, potash) → Prakrit khaar (biting, alkaline) and chhaar (alkali, ashes) → Dardic chhaar (earth, dust) → Sindhi chhaaru (ashes) → Old Punjabi paa-chhaaru/pag-chhaaru (dust under the feet).
