Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
But whoever clings to a branch instead of the root gets no fruit.
Blind choices bring blind consequences; the self-willed find no rest anywhere,
ending up stuck in what is foul, and wasting away there.
Hold on to a branch instead of the root, and you get no fruit.
The branch stands for the things that grow out of Maya, the shiny pull of the world: money, being important, fun. They look like the real thing, but they don't give lasting fruit. Daalee laagai nihfal jaa-ay — whoever clings to the branch goes without fruit.
"Blind actions, blind punishment" is simply how cause and effect works. Choices made without seeing lead to results no one wanted. The manmukh, a person who follows only their own wants, finds no place to rest. The verse ends with a very blunt picture, a worm stuck in filth. Its point is how miserable it is to hold on to the wrong thing. Think of carrying a backpack full of rocks because they sparkle. It only gets heavier.
Have you ever chased something that looked good but turned out to be empty?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI