Theme for the Week:
Guru Granth Sahib’s divine revelation is recorded in beautiful world class poetry where various creatures of our wonderful world: people, plants, animals and birds are mentioned for illustrative purposes.
This time again, we will look at five words and verses relating to birds. You may call them Bird Words.
Some birds cry-out continuously for the rainclouds, others sing so sweetly while sitting on a tree. Some ‘shriek’and dance hearing the thunder in the clouds, others fly in the sky and chirp in joy, while some ‘talking ones’ repeat the words of their masters in their imprisoned cages.
Can you guess the identity of the birds mentioned above? We look forward to your responses. You can send them here:
ਬਾਬੀਹਾ (baa-bee-haa)
Meaning: noun: The pied cuckoo (supposed to be living on raindrops).
Quote:
ਬਾਬੀਹਾ ਖਿਨੁ ਖਿਨੁ ਬਿਲਲਾਇ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਪਿਰ ਦੇਖੇ ਨੀਂਦ ਨ ਪਾਇ॥
baabeehaa khin khin bil-laai. bin pir dekhe neeṅd na paai.
The pied cuckoo cries-out (for a drop of rain) each and every moment. It cannot sleep without seeing its beloved, the raincloud. – Guru Amar Das, Guru Granth Sahib, 1262
Message: Yearning for a single raindrop
Babiha or Papiha or Chatrik is the name of the same bird found in Africa and Asia. It looks like a small hawk.
It is believed that it longs for a special drop of rain water known as ‘swanti boond’ which is rare.
It looks towards the clouds and repeatedly cries-out for the drop.
Even when the surroundings flourish with greenery and ponds overflow with water, it does not rest until that single drop of rain falls into its mouth. In fact, it shuns other sources of water and only wants its thirst to be quenched by rain drops.
We too need to be like this bird. We should also search eagerly for a drop of divine blessing from the Creator at all times.
Ultimately, the wisdom which Gurbani teaches us about the Creator in Guru Granth Sahib will dawn upon us. Only by spiritually sipping the essence of the Guru’s Word, can the mind, heart, and body be cooled and soothed.
ਬਾਬੀਹਾ ਪ੍ਰਿਉ ਪ੍ਰਿਉ ਕਰੇ ਜਲਨਿਧਿ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪਿਆਰਿ॥
The pied cuckoo, imbued with the love of the raincloud, cries-out beloved, beloved! – Guru Amar Das, Guru Granth Sahib, 1419
Etymology: From Sanskrit pippakaa/pippeekaa (a species of bird) → Old Awadhi paapeehaa and Sindhi papiho (pied cuckoo).
