ਕਊਆ ਕਾਗ (kaoo-aa kaag)
Meaning: noun: Crow, raven.
Quote:
ਕਊਆ ਕਾਗ ਕਉ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਰਸੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤੈ ਵਿਸਟਾ ਖਾਇ ਮੁਖਿ ਗੋਹੈ॥
ਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ਮਿੱਠਾ ਰਸ (ਸੁਆਦਲਾ ਪਦਾਰਥ) ਵੀ ਪਾ ਦਈਏ, ਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਉਹ ਵਿਸ਼ਟਾ (ਗੰਦ) ਖਾ ਕੇ, ਗੋਹਾ ਮੂੰਹ ਵਿਚ ਪਾ ਕੇ ਹੀ ਸੰਤੁਸ਼ਟ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
ka-oo-aa kaag kau aṁmrit ras paa-ee-ai trip-tai vis-ṭaa khaai mukh gohai.
Even if a sweet essence or delicious substance is placed before a crow or raven, it is satisfied only by eating manure or dung with its mouth. -Guru Ram Das Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 493
Message: Gurbani consistently asks us to meditate on the blessings and attributes of the Divine. By following the Guru’s instruction, we stand to be blessed with spiritual power, prosperity and peace. However, in reality, we are rarely convinced or motivated to heed the Guru’s call. We may pray daily, but our daily actions belie the very message the Guru imparts in those prayers. This is akin to a bird that even when offered delicious food, still, puts its beak in droppings and is satiated only by eating filth.
A company of Guru-oriented, virtuous people can inspire and steady our wandering mind. By consciously adopting the divine qualities and attitudes spelt out in Gurbani, the mind will become pious and peaceful, and be able to conquer and defeat the temptations that come our way.
Note: Besides the above words, visṭaa and gohai (manure and dung) are also quite synonymous.
The synonymous terms kaooaa and kaagseem to be used here for a better poetic sense of sound and rhythm, and gohai is usedto rhyme with paeeai. Further, kaooaa, kaag and kau are also examples of alliteration, words used in quick succession and beginning with the same letter (k).
The crows often have an undeserved reputation. Generally, they are viewed as harmful, threatening or distasteful. The reference here should be taken in the same vein.
Etymology: Both from Sanskrit/Pali kaak → Prakrit kaay → Khowar (Dardic) kaag; comparable to Sinhalese kaa/kaau/kaauka, Kashmiri kaav, Sindhi/Lahndi kaau and Bhojpuri/Hindi kauaa.
