Salok Vaaraan Te Vadheek (Mehl 3), Salok 34 — Holiness Lives in the Mind
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
Do not call them holy wanderers whose minds are full of doubt.
Nanak says: whoever gives to them earns the same kind of reward.
Holiness lives in a mind free of doubt, whatever the clothes.
This salok begins the part by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru. In his time, some wandering beggars dressed like holy men. abhi-aagat ayh na aakhee-ahi jin kai man meh bharam — do not call them holy if their minds are full of bharam, doubt and confusion.
Then comes a plain truth. Whoever gives to such people gets back the same kind of reward. It is like a costume doctor's coat. It looks right, but it cannot heal anyone.
This is not a word against poor people, or against anyone who asks for help. It is about pretending. The salok asks us to look past the costume, in others and in ourselves, to the heart underneath.
How can you tell someone who is kind from someone who only performs kindness?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI