Salok Sehskritee, Salok 69 — Deeds Make the Holy Person
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In the company of a Brahmin, a person is saved — if his deeds are full of the One.
Nanak says: those whose hearts are soaked in the world live lives that bear no fruit.
What lifts others up is a holy person's deeds, not the title.
Being near a Brahmin, a priest or holy teacher, can lift you up. But there is a condition: barahm karam je poornah — if his deeds are good and full of the One. The condition is the whole point.
Then it adds the other side. People whose hearts are soaked only in the world live lives that bear no fruit.
Think of a player called "captain" who never helps the team. The title on the jersey does not make them a leader. What they do does. Gurbani says again and again that a label or a family name does not make anyone better. The deeds do. So look at actions, your own and other people's.
Have you ever known someone with an impressive title who did not act very kind, or someone ordinary who did? What did that teach you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI