Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Renounce false greed, and you come to see the Truth.
So let yourself sink deep into the Guru's Word — and know this highest realization.
Greed and truth can't fit in the same pair of eyes.
Now the shabad names what it will talk about for the next six verses: lobh, greed. Koorhaa laalach chhodee-ai ta-o saach pachhaanai — let go of false greed, and you come to see the Truth. Laalach means greed, and saach means Truth. Drop the fake, and you get the real.
Why can't they share? Because greed is a way of looking. It sizes up everything and asks, "Could that be mine?" Truth doesn't show up to eyes like that. The way out is not squeezing greed down. It is gur kai sabad samaa-ee-ai — sinking into the Guru's Word. Then the grabbing loosens by itself. Think of a tight fist. When the arm finally relaxes, the hand opens on its own.
When you look at things, how often is the first question some version of: can I have it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI