Unstained Like the Lotus
Live fully in the world, yet stay untouched by it — like a lotus rooted in mud, blooming clean above the water.
ਜੈਸੇ ਜਲ ਮਹਿ; ਕਮਲ ਅਲੇਪ ॥
jaise jal meh; kamal alep |
Punjabi
ਜਿਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੰਵਲ ਅਤੀਤ ਵਿਚਰਦਾ ਹੈ।
English
as the lotus in the water remains detached.
Common thread
Be in the water, but let no drop cling. Action without attachment leaves no stain.
Echo
Chandogya's “as water clings not to a lotus leaf,” Gita 5.10's “untouched as a lotus leaf by water,” and the Guru's “detached, like the lotus upon the water” are one single picture.
📖 A story to understand
After years of wandering, Guru Nanak settled at Kartarpur and lived as an ordinary farmer — tilling the soil, raising a family, sharing meals from his own honest labour. He showed there is no need to flee to caves or forests to find God: live rooted in the world's mud like the lotus, yet bloom untouched above its waters.
Traditional sakhi / story (simplified retelling)