AtThe Bunga

🛑READ BEFORE YOU SWIPE🛑

Comment below what the word means and if you can think of a line that it’s used in Gurbānī. Once you’ve commented, swipe to see it’s meaning and how it’s pronounced.

Words from Gurbānī to practice and challenge your pronunciation.

This will be a new series of posts and help you learn some interesting vocabulary!

Almost coming to a complete cycle of the seasons in Russia. Our little family arrived in a snow storm back in February and now it’s snowing again. It’s kind of been one big lockdown for us, but luckily I’ve got to meet my Russian family and learn about the culture and language here. I’m used to interacting with hundreds of people a day - over the past 9 months it’s probably been an average of 2.5 people per day. However, I feel lucky to have had this quiet time to reflect and work on new projects like this.

Looking forward to new horizons and new surroundings, when the doors open up - and I feel the opening coming soon. But it never feels to my like I’m going anywhere until I land there. Time and space are illusory.

For those of you who’ve managed to have Sangat/community around during this year, consider yourself lucky. I consider myself one of the lucky ones.
As Bhai Gurdas says,

ਇਕੁ ਸਿਖੁ ਦੁਇ ਸਾਧ ਸੰਗੁ ਪੰਜੀਂ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ।
One is a Sikh, two the congregation and in five resides God.

Bhai Gurdaas Ji in Vaar 13

Even the smallest family, like mine counts as Sangat.
🤍
💙
❤️

💥 Gurmukhī and Panjābī words that are also used in English 💥

🚪Door - ਦੁਆਰ - duār 🚪

👁👁See an example used by Guru Gobind Singh Ji found in Bentī Chaupaī (Dasam Granth 290)
ਸਗਲ ਦੁਆਰ ਕਉ ਛਾਡਿ ਕੈ ਗਹਯੋ ਤੁਹਾਰੋ ਦੁਆਰ ॥
sagal duār ko chāḍi kai gahayo tuhāro duār
O Lord! I have forsaken all other doors and have caught hold of only Thy door. O Lord! Thou has caught hold of my arm

ਬਾਹਿ ਗਹੇ ਕੀ ਲਾਜ ਅਸਿ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਦਾਸ ਤੁਹਾਰ ॥੮੬੪॥
bahi gahe kī lāj asi Gobind dās tuhār
I, Govind, am Thy serf, kindly take (care of me and) protect my honour.864.

The word ਦੁਆਰ / duār is found over 200 times throughout Gurbānī, both in Gurū Granth Sāhib Jī and Dasam Granth Sāhib Jī.

Gurmukhī is what’s called an abugida language. This means that the consonant always has a vowel with it, whether indicated or not.

The vowel diacritics (fancy word for symbols) in Gurmukhī can go before, after, above and below the consonant. In order to operate alone they each have a vowel carrier they can combine with to begin a word or participate in a sequence of vowels. When the consonant appears without a vowel diacritic, the implied vowel is called “muktā” which means liberated.

I find it interesting that the four main directions are all involved with Gurmukhī vowels, but we don’t often stop to recognize the beauty and significance of the inherent and simple nature within - liberation is inside us when we detach ourselves from external markers and just be ourselves. To me, this is one of the hidden lessons of Gurmukhī.

🛑READ BEFORE YOU SWIPE🛑

Comment below what the word means and if you can think of a line that it’s used in Gurbānī. Once you’ve commented, swipe to see it’s meaning and how it’s pronounced.

Words from Gurbānī to practice and challenge your pronunciation.

This will be a new series of posts and help you learn some interesting vocabulary!

atThe Bunga | HOME Welcome! You have arrived Gurmukhī Gurmukhī 1: $60 Dates: Monday, November 9th – December 7th5 Classes each 1 hour (5 classes total)$60 to register SIGN UP OR FIND OUT MORE JapuJī Sāhib Next session to be announced Contact [email protected] if you are interested Sign up or find out more ....

🌳Jungle – ਜੰਗਲ਼🌳

jan̊gal – jungle, forest, wilderness

👁👁See an example used by Bhai Gurdās Jī in Vār 25, Paurī 16
ਜੰਗਲ ਅੰਦਰ ਸੀਹ ਦੁਇ ਪੋਸਤ ਡੋਡੇ ਖਸਖਸ ਦਾਣੈ
jan̊gal an̊dar sīh dui posat ḍoḍe khaskhas dāṇai
Two emperors in a country are like two lions 🦁🦁 in a jungle, while twenty hermits are like poppy seeds in a pod

I 💙the meaning and explanation given in the Vār. To understand the deeper meaning, let’s look at the context of the line the subject of which is “Two Emperors, Twenty Fakīrs”
“ਦੋ ਪਾਤਸ਼ਾਹ - ਵੀਹ ਫ਼ਕੀਰ”
ਇਕਤੁ ਥੇਕੈ ਦੁਇ ਖੜਗੁ ਦੁਇ ਪਾਤਸਾਹ ਨ ਮੁਲਕਿ ਸਮਾਣੈ।
ਵੀਹ ਫਕੀਰ ਮਸੀਤਿ ਵਿਚਿ ਖਿੰਥ ਖਿੰਧੋਲੀ ਹੇਠਿ ਲੁਕਾਣੈ।
*ਜੰਗਲ ਅੰਦਰ ਸੀਹ ਦੁਇ ਪੋਸਤ ਡੋਡੇ ਖਸਖਸ ਦਾਣੈ*।
ਸੂਲੀ ਉਪਰਿ ਖੇਲਣਾ ਸਿਰਿ ਧਿਰਿ ਛਤ੍ਰ ਬਜਾਰ ਵਿਕਾਣੈ।
ਕੋਲੂ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਪੀੜੀਅਨਿ ਪਸਤਿ ਪੀਹਿ ਪਿਆਲੇ ਛਾਣੈ।
ਲਉਬਾਲੀ ਦਰਗਾਹ ਵਿਚਿ ਗਰਬੁ ਗੁਨਾਹੀ ਮਾਣੁ ਨਿਮਾਣੈ।
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਦੇ ਤਾਣਿ ਨਿਤਾਣੈ॥੧੬॥
1. Just as two swords cannot be contained in one sheath, similarly two emperors cannot rule one country.
2. However, twenty fakīrs (hermits) can live comfortably in a mosque under one patched blanket.
3. Two emperors in a country are like two lions in a jungle, while twenty hermits are like poppy seeds in a pod.
4. These poppy seeds go through a lot of hardships. They first decay in the earth, then hung atop a stem, and developing like an umbrella are sold in the market (umbrella means pods of a poppy).
5. The seeds are crushed in an oil crusher to take out the oil which has multifarious uses. The residue is strained and used as an intoxicant.
6. In the court of the Carefree Almighty, the proud ones are sinners while the humble enjoy respect and honour.
7. Despite being powerful, the Gurmukhi behave humbly.16.

Translation from Varan Bhai Gurdas Ji, Volume II, by Shamsher Singh Puri, page 1199

The feedback I received on the previous post is like this fruit stand at the farmer’s bazaar I went to in Krasnodar this summer - too many good options to resist a bit of each!

Here were the ideas once again (the results are below)
1️⃣ more about Gurmukhī as a system of writing
2️⃣ about respect for Gurbānī, how to take proper care of nitnems, gutkas and other places where Gurmukhī is written
3️⃣ transliteration of Gurmukhī, the problems it faces us with and ways it can be useful.
4️⃣ Gurmukhī vocabulary, interesting words and their roots
5️⃣ Gurmukhī and Panjābī words that are also used in English
6️⃣ Words and lines from Gurbānī to practice and challenge your pronunciation.

1️⃣ received 3 votes
2️⃣ received 2 votes
3️⃣ received 2 votes
4️⃣ received 2 votes
5️⃣ received 4 votes
6️⃣ received 4 votes

So it looks like I will be producing posts about each of the topics. I hope you keep an eye out for the ones you showed interest in and let me know what you think!