The disciples play the music, and the gurus dance.
ਪੈਰ ਹਲਾਇਨਿ ਫੇਰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਸਿਰ ॥
pair halaa-in fayrniH sir.
They move their feet and roll their heads.
ਉਡਿ ਉਡਿ ਰਾਵਾ ਝਾਟੈ ਪਾਇ ॥
ud ud raavaa jhaatai paa-ay.
The dust flies and falls upon their hair.
ਵੇਖੈ ਲੋਕੁ ਹਸੈ ਘਰਿ ਜਾਇ ॥
vaykhai lok hasai ghar jaa-ay.
Beholding them, the people laugh, and then go home.
ਰੋਟੀਆ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਪੂਰਹਿ ਤਾਲ ॥
rotee-aa kaaran pooreh taal.
They beat the drums for the sake of bread.
ਆਪੁ ਪਛਾੜਹਿ ਧਰਤੀ ਨਾਲਿ ॥
aap pachhaarheh Dhartee naal.
They throw themselves upon the ground.
ਗਾਵਨਿ ਗੋਪੀਆ ਗਾਵਨਿ ਕਾਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ॥
gaavan gopee-aa gaavan kaanH.
They sing of the milk-maids, they sing of the Krishnas.
ਗਾਵਨਿ ਸੀਤਾ ਰਾਜੇ ਰਾਮ ॥
gaavan seetaa raajay raam.
They sing of Sitas, and Ramas and kings.
ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੁ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਮੁ ॥
nirbha-o nirankaar sach naam.
The Lord is fearless and formless; His Name is True.
ਜਾ ਕਾ ਕੀਆ ਸਗਲ ਜਹਾਨੁ ॥
jaa kaa kee-aa sagal jahaan.
The entire universe is His Creation.
ਸੇਵਕ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਕਰਮਿ ਚੜਾਉ ॥
sayvak sayveh karam charhaa-o.
Those servants, whose destiny is awakened, serve the Lord.
ਭਿੰਨੀ ਰੈਣਿ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਮਨਿ ਚਾਉ ॥
bhinnee rain jinHaa man chaa-o.
The night of their lives is cool with dew; their minds are filled with love for the Lord.
ਸਿਖੀ ਸਿਖਿਆ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥
sikhee sikhi-aa gur veechaar.
Contemplating the Guru, I have been taught these teachings;
ਨਦਰੀ ਕਰਮਿ ਲਘਾਏ ਪਾਰਿ ॥
nadree karam laghaa-ay paar.
granting His Grace, He carries His servants across.
ਕੋਲੂ ਚਰਖਾ ਚਕੀ ਚਕੁ ॥
koloo charkhaa chakee chak.
The oil-press, the spinning wheel, the grinding stones, the potter's wheel,
ਥਲ ਵਾਰੋਲੇ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਅਨੰਤੁ ॥
thal vaarolay bahut anant.
the numerous, countless whirlwinds in the desert,
ਲਾਟੂ ਮਾਧਾਣੀਆ ਅਨਗਾਹ ॥
laatoo maaDhaanee-aa angaah.
the spinning tops, the churning sticks, the threshers,
ਪੰਖੀ ਭਉਦੀਆ ਲੈਨਿ ਨ ਸਾਹ ॥
pankhee bha-udee-aa lain na saah.
the breathless tumblings of the birds,
ਸੂਐ ਚਾੜਿ ਭਵਾਈਅਹਿ ਜੰਤ ॥
soo-ai chaarhbhavaa-ee-ah jant.
and the men moving round and round on spindles
ਨਾਨਕ ਭਉਦਿਆ ਗਣਤ ਨ ਅੰਤ ॥
naanak bha-udi-aa ganat na ant.
- O Nanak, the tumblers are countless and endless.
ਬੰਧਨ ਬੰਧਿ ਭਵਾਏ ਸੋਇ ॥
banDhan banDhbhavaa-ay so-ay.
The Lord binds us in bondage - so do we spin around.
ਪਇਐ ਕਿਰਤਿ ਨਚੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥
pa-i-ai kirat nachai sabh ko-ay.
According to their actions, so do all people dance.
ਨਚਿ ਨਚਿ ਹਸਹਿ ਚਲਹਿ ਸੇ ਰੋਇ ॥
nach nach haseh chaleh say ro-ay.
Those who dance and dance and laugh, shall weep on their ultimate departure.
ਉਡਿ ਨ ਜਾਹੀ ਸਿਧ ਨ ਹੋਹਿ ॥
ud na jaahee siDh na hohi.
They do not fly to the heavens, nor do they become Siddhas.
ਨਚਣੁ ਕੁਦਣੁ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਚਾਉ ॥
nachan kudan man kaa chaa-o.
They dance and jump around on the urgings of their minds.
ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਮਨਿ ਭਉ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਉ ॥੨॥
naanak jinH man bha-o tinHaa man bhaa-o. ||2||
O Nanak, those whose minds are filled with the Fear of God, have the love of God in their minds as well. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In plain words
Some turn devotion into a show — drumming and dancing and tumbling for the crowd, mostly to earn their bread.
But the ones truly awake love the One quietly, hearts full through the cool, dewy night — carried across not by performing, but by grace.
Real devotion isn't a show performed for a crowd — it's quiet love in the heart.
The deeper layer
This long shalok draws a sharp line between devotion-as-performance and devotion-as-love. It pictures showy religious performers — dancing, rolling their heads, beating drums — doing it for the sake of bread, and the crowd laughing and going home. The spectacle earns applause and coins but doesn't reach the heart. Set against it: the awakened servants whose night of life is cool with dew, hearts filled with love — quiet, unshowy, real. And how are they carried across? Not by the performance but by grace. The Vaar keeps sounding this note: what matters is never the show, always the love underneath.
A Question to Sit With
What's the difference between doing something for applause and doing it out of real love?
