?? (gai)
Meaning: noun: Elephants.
Quote:
???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? � ??????? ?? ?????�
???? ????? ? ???? � ??? ?? ?? ????????
???? ! (?? ???? ???) ????, ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? (??? ????? ?? ?????? ??) ?? (????) ?? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???? (??????) ???�
kabeer hai gai baahan saghan ghan ��chhatrapatee kee naar.
taas patantar na pujai ��hari jan kee panihaar.
Kabir! If one owns lots of horses, elephants, etc. innumerable modes of transport, and is the wife of a sovereign king, still, she cannot equal her who serves as a water-carrier to a devotee of the Divine. -Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib, 1372
Message: Hedonistic queen, honest water-carrier
The queen here represents a rich self-indulgent woman, and the water-carrier, a poor but virtuous woman.
The queen who indulges in comfort and pleasure, however, cannot be spiritually at the same level as a woman who serves as an honest and hardworking householder of devotees.
Why? Why disparage a pleasure-oriented queen, and why praise the servant of devotees? The reason is that the abundance of pleasures might lead a queen away from doing good deeds in life compared to one who humbly enjoys serving the devotees.
Etymology: From Sanskrit gaj (elephant) ? Pali/Prakrit gaya.
