ਕੁਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ (ku-mitraa)
Meaning: noun: Bad or false friends..
Quote:
ਨਾਨਕ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਾਈ ਤਿਸੁ ਸਿਉ ਸਭ ਕਿਛੁ ਜਿਸ ਕੈ ਹਾਥਿ॥ ਕੁਮਿਤ੍ਰਾ ਸੇਈ ਕਾਂਢੀਅਹਿ ਇਕ ਵਿਖ ਨ ਚਲਹਿ ਸਾਥਿ॥
naanak mitraaee tis siu sabh kichh jis kai haath.
kumitraa se-ee kaaṅḍhee-ahi ik vikh na chalahi saath.
Nanak! Form friendship with the One who holds everything in His hands (He alone is the true friend). They who cannot go with you for even one step are called false friends (the friendship with them cannot last long). – Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 318
Message: Worldly friendships and relationships are temporary. All of us only spend a limited time on this earth. As our friends cannot accompany us when it is time for us to leave, they are looked upon as false friends. Who then should we form a friendship with, while on this journey?
Our most reliable friend is the one who is there with us at the start of our journey and remains with us throughout. A close relationship with the Divine quenches our thirst for worldly possessions, fulfills our desires and blesses us with spiritual strength. Through devotion to the Divine, we receive endless treasures that give us peace of mind. The only friend worth having is the one who will never leave our side and in whose hands lies everything.
Etymology: Blend of ku, prefix (bad, false) + mitraa (friends) from Sanskrit mitr (friend)
