Salok Vaaraan Te Vadheek (Mehl 3), Salok 37 — Let Cleverness Burn, Keep the Essence
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
If a Brahmin takes the life of a cow or of a baby girl, and accepts gifts from a wrongdoer,
curses and blame cling to him like a sickness, and he is full of pride forever and ever.
Nanak says: all these fall on whoever forgets the one Naam.
Let all cleverness burn away; may only the heart of true wisdom remain.
Forgetting the Naam lets every wrong pile up; burn away the cleverness and keep the heart of wisdom.
The salok starts with hard pictures. A Brahmin, a priest, harms the helpless — a cow, a newborn girl — and takes gifts from a wrongdoer. Curses and blame stick to such a person, and pride fills him sadaa sadaa, forever. The point is about empty religion, never about a whole group of people.
If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
The deeper loss is forgetting the Naam. Paahi aytay jaahi veesar naankaa ik naam: all of these fall on those who forget the one Naam.
So the last line says it strongly. sabh buDhee jaalee-ah ik rahai tat gi-aan — let all cleverness be burnt away, and keep only tat gi-aan, the heart of true understanding. Think of making tea. You throw away the leaves and keep the tea.
What is something you know deep down that matters more than being clever or being right?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI