???? (chhaar)
Meaning: noun: Literally, ashes, dust; here, symbolic of humility.
Quote:
??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?? ?????
ek naam sa?tan 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).
