Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Loving You is a treasure that never empties — the more it is spent, the more there is.
People praise You in a thousand different ways. So many sit in worship; so many go without comfort just to be near You; so many read the old holy books and keep every careful ceremony.
But the ones who truly shine are simply the ones whose love makes You glad — not the ones who do the most, but the ones whose hearts are real.
This one says what matters is not how much you do, but whether your love is real.
Guru Ram Das lists all the ways people worshipped in his world. They prayed, went without comfort, and repeated holy words without end. They read the Simritees and Shaastras, the old Hindu books of law and learning. They kept shat karma, the six set ceremonies.
Then he quietly places the real measure beside all of it. The good devotees are jo bhaaveh mayray har bhagvantaa — those who please the One.
The verse does not put down any of these practices. It moves the point. Think of a birthday card. A huge, fancy card means little if it was signed without a thought. A small card, written with love, is the one that gets kept.
This is the same teaching as rang, which means "dye" or "color." Real love soaks in like a strong dye and stays. Love that is only acted out washes off.
Have you ever done all the "right" things with your heart somewhere else? What was missing?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI