??�(gaj)�
Meaning:�noun:�Elephant.
Quote:
??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? � ????? ???? ????
kaam suaai gaj bas pare man bauraa re a?kas sahio sees.
O crazy mind! (See that) due to the lure of lust, the elephant is captured and suffers the goad of mahout on its head. � Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib, 336
Message:�Elephants are known to be lustful in nature and one of the methods used to capture wild elephants in the Indian subcontinent was to use a female as a decoy. Lured by their excessive lust, the elephants rush towards a decoy of a straw skeleton or trained female elephant and fall into the large pits which are dug near pathways where elephants come to drink water. Trapped and captured, they lose their freedom only to be now driven by the will and wish of the human (mahout).
The example above portrays the drama of the world set in motion by our Creator. Human is born, similarly, to be tempted by lust and greed. The base animal instinct resides in all of us, alongside a higher spiritual and virtuous one. The wisdom from Gurbani makes us aware of our spiritual side as well as the presence of these negative traits that are constantly working in our mind. We are fortunate, as humans, to be able to choose between a life of freedom (a more spiritual one) or one of bondage (caught in the web of vices). The choice is made by our �crazy� mind through our thoughts and actions. Nourished by spiritual wisdom, we can choose the spiritual path of freedom, despite the ups and downs of life.
Temptation cannot touch the man who is awake, strong, and humble, who masters himself and minds the law. � Buddha
Etymology:�From Sanskrit�gaj�(elephant) ? Pali ? Prakrit ? Gurbani.
