Salok Vaaraan Te Vadheek (Mehl 1), Salok 21 — False Friendships, Fleeting Days
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Friendship with the greedy and dishonest is false, and its foundation is false too.
O Mullah, no one knows where death will come.
A friendship built on greed and lies has nothing solid under it.
naal kiraarhaa dostee koorhai koorhee paa-ay — friendship with greedy, dishonest people is false, and its base is false too. Think of a team-up in a video game where each player is only waiting to grab the loot. The moment the loot is gone, so is the friendship.
Then Guru Nanak speaks to a Mullah, a Muslim teacher, with respect. maran na jaapai — no one knows when death will come. This is said to wake us up. We do not know how many days we have, so they are worth spending on honest friendships.
The warning is about falseness, wherever it shows up. It is not aimed at any faith.
What is the difference between a friend who is using you and a friend who has your back?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI