SpiritualSingh ji
What findingmyway ji has reported is exactly the rule. So I am not going to add to what she has said. Now I do understand the frustration of posting long shabads for each of the tuks you used to make a point. But.... if all the tuks, together, stand behind your argument, you only need one. So just post one shabad for the one tuk that you think is the best one.
There is another issue. After you post a shabad some members are going to want to know why you think he shabad makes your point. And if they don't see the connection then you will be asked to explain your personal interpretation. Often when we see the tuk as part of the complete shabad suddenly we realize that it does not mean what we originally thought it meant.
Here is an example on the "salvation" theme that you mentioned:
ਸਬਦਿ ਮਰੈ ਤਾ ਉਧਰੈ ਪਾਏ ਮੋਖ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥
Sabaḏ marai ṯā uḏẖrai pā▫e mokẖ ḏu▫ār.
If one dies through the Shabad, then salvation is obtained, and one finds the Door of Liberation.
Alone the tuk makes it seem that there is a kind of salvation achieved through the Shabad. Once that happens we stand in the Door of Liberation. What sort of salvation? What door of liberation? We have to ask: What are we to be delivered from, and what happens because of this deliverance? How does it happen? The shabad tells the full story.
findingmyway ji has likened a shabad to a story which unfolds and ends with a kind of lesson. What is the lesson? Ang 33
ਕਾਂਇਆ ਸਾਧੈ ਉਰਧ ਤਪੁ ਕਰੈ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
Kāʼn▫i▫ā sāḏẖai uraḏẖ ṯap karai vicẖahu ha▫umai na jā▫e.
You may torment your body with extremes of self-discipline, practice intensive meditation and hang upside-down, but your ego will not be eliminated from within.
ਅਧਿਆਤਮ ਕਰਮ ਜੇ ਕਰੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਕਬ ਹੀ ਪਾਇ ॥
Aḏẖi▫āṯam karam je kare nām na kab hī pā▫e.
You may perform religious rituals, and still never obtain the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਜੀਵਤੁ ਮਰੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥੧॥
Gur kai sabaḏ jīvaṯ marai har nām vasai man ā▫e. ||1||
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, remain dead while yet alive, and the Name of the Lord shall come to dwell within the mind. ||1||
ਸੁਣਿ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਜੁ ਸਤਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਾ ॥
Suṇ man mere bẖaj saṯgur sarṇā.
Listen, O my mind: hurry to the Protection of the Guru's Sanctuary.
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਛੁਟੀਐ ਬਿਖੁ ਭਵਜਲੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਗੁਰ ਤਰਣਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Gur parsādī cẖẖutī▫ai bikẖ bẖavjal sabaḏ gur ṯarṇā. ||1|| rahā▫o.
By Guru's Grace you shall be saved. Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, you shall cross over the terrifying world-ocean of poison. ||1||Pause||
ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ ਸਭਾ ਧਾਤੁ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ਭਾਉ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥
Ŧarai guṇ sabẖā ḏẖāṯ hai ḏūjā bẖā▫o vikār.
Everything under the influence of the three qualities shall perish; the love of duality is corrupting.
ਪੰਡਿਤੁ ਪੜੈ ਬੰਧਨ ਮੋਹ ਬਾਧਾ ਨਹ ਬੂਝੈ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਪਿਆਰਿ ॥
Pandiṯ paṛai banḏẖan moh bāḏẖā nah būjẖai bikẖi▫ā pi▫ār.
The Pandits, the religious scholars, read the scriptures, but they are trapped in the bondage of emotional attachment. In love with evil, they do not understand.
ਸਤਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਤ੍ਰਿਕੁਟੀ ਛੂਟੈ ਚਉਥੈ ਪਦਿ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥੨॥
Saṯgur mili▫ai ṯarikutī cẖẖūtai cẖa▫uthai paḏ mukaṯ ḏu▫ār. ||2||
Meeting the Guru, the bondage of the three qualities is cut away, and in the fourth state, the Door of Liberation is attained. ||2||
ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਮਾਰਗੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਚੂਕੈ ਮੋਹੁ ਗੁਬਾਰੁ ॥
Gur ṯe mārag pā▫ī▫ai cẖūkai moh gubār.
Through the Guru, the Path is found, and the darkness of emotional attachment is dispelled.
ਸਬਦਿ ਮਰੈ ਤਾ ਉਧਰੈ ਪਾਏ ਮੋਖ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥
Sabaḏ marai ṯā uḏẖrai pā▫e mokẖ ḏu▫ār.
If one dies through the Shabad, then salvation is obtained, and one finds the Door of Liberation.
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਮਿਲਿ ਰਹੈ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥੩॥
Gur parsādī mil rahai sacẖ nām karṯār. ||3||
By Guru's Grace, one remains blended with the True Name of the Creator. ||3||
ਇਹੁ ਮਨੂਆ ਅਤਿ ਸਬਲ ਹੈ ਛਡੇ ਨ ਕਿਤੈ ਉਪਾਇ ॥
Ih manū▫ā aṯ sabal hai cẖẖade na kiṯai upā▫e.
This mind is very powerful; we cannot escape it just by trying.
ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਦੁਖੁ ਲਾਇਦਾ ਬਹੁਤੀ ਦੇਇ ਸਜਾਇ ॥
Ḏūjai bẖā▫e ḏukẖ lā▫iḏā bahuṯī ḏe▫e sajā▫e.
In the love of duality, people suffer in pain, condemned to terrible punishment.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮਿ ਲਗੇ ਸੇ ਉਬਰੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਗਵਾਇ ॥੪॥੧੮॥੫੧॥
Nānak nām lage se ubre ha▫umai sabaḏ gavā▫e. ||4||18||51||
O Nanak, those who are attached to the Naam are saved; through the Shabad, their ego is banished. ||4||18||51||
So, here I have given everyone a fair start. Here is one shabad about "salvation" for others to reflect on out loud. I think we all can see that the tuk alone does not give the complete story in detail. Notice for one thing that the shabad mentions "Pandits" ... which makes this a very special kind of story. Someone is invited to learn something here that will turn things around and away from some practices of old that have been unhelpful ... and that alone is a kind of salvation. Forgive my being vague. I am doing it on purpose. What else needs to be said? Would like to hear what others think this "story" is about, what "salvation" means in this shabad.
And what if anything does this have to do with tampering with one's hair (the thread topic)?
