ਮੂਰਖ ਬਾਮਣ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਸਮਾਲਿ ॥
moorakh baaman parabhoo samaal.
O foolish Brahmin, reflect upon God.
ਦੇਖਤ ਸੁਨਤ ਤੇਰੈ ਹੈ ਨਾਲਿ ॥
daykhat sunat tayrai hai naal.
He watches and hears, and is always with you.
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੇ ਹੋਵੀ ਭਾਗੁ ॥
kaho naanak jay hovee bhaag.
Says Nanak, if this is your destiny,
ਮਾਨੁ ਛੋਡਿ ਗੁਰ ਚਰਣੀ ਲਾਗੁ ॥੪॥੮॥
maan chhod gur charnee laag. ||4||8||
renounce your pride, and grasp the Guru's Feet. ||4||8||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O foolish priest, turn your mind to the One — who watches, who listens, who is always right beside you.
Says Nanak: if it is in your destiny, let go of your pride and take hold of the Guru's feet.
Even the one who has gone wrong is called back — if this is your destiny, drop the pride, and the door is open.
Crucially, the shabad ends not in condemnation but in an open door: "O foolish Brahmin, reflect upon God." The One "watches and hears, and is always with you" — immanence as both accountability and nearness. Even the corrupt are called to turn, and the call keeps its condition: "if this is your destiny, renounce your pride, and grasp the Guru's Feet." No one is written off.
A Question to Sit With
What is the first step back for someone who knows they've gone wrong?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
Use ← → to navigate