ਕੀੜੀ (keeṛee)
Meaning: noun: Ant, one as insignificant as an ant.
Quote:
ਸਮੁੰਦ ਸਾਹ ਸੁਲਤਾਨ ਗਿਰਹਾ ਸੇਤੀ ਮਾਲੁ ਧਨੁ॥ ਕੀੜੀ ਤੁਲਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਨੀ ਜੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਮਨਹੁ ਨ ਵੀਸਰਹਿ॥
samuňd saah sultaan girhaa setee maal dhan.
keeṛee tul na hovnee je tis manhu na veesrahi.
Kings and emperors, with dominions as large as the oceans and having abundant possessions and wealth, are no comparison to an ant, if (O Divine!) You are not forgotten from its mind. – Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 05
Message: In this pauri, Guru Nanak is underscoring the point by contrasting the worldly success of an emperor with the spiritual power of the most humble person (symbolized by an ant) who has cultivated the inner wealth of divine qualities. The message is, that any amount of power and material wealth is of no comparison to the state of mind of a simple but dedicated human who lives life in divine awareness.
Living a life with divine awareness enables one to realise the universal Consciousness and be in harmony with It, just as the rivers and streams, upon merging with the ocean, become one with it.
ਸਾਲਾਹੀ ਸਾਲਾਹਿ ਏਤੀ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਈਆ॥ ਨਦੀਆ ਅਤੈ ਵਾਹ ਪਵਹਿ ਸਮੁੰਦਿ ਨ ਜਾਣੀਅਹਿ॥
Having praised the Praise-worthy, one’s consciousness merges with the supreme Consciousness, and its separate existence is not visible, just as the rivers and streams upon merging with the ocean lose their individual identity. – Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 05
Etymology: From Sanskrit → Palikeeṭ (insect, worm) → Prakrit keeḍ/keeḍee(worm, insect, ant) → Braj/Sindhikeeṛo(worm), Lahndi/Punjabi keeṛaa (insect)and keeṛee (small black ant).
