Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Nanak says: all the busy chasing of the world bears no fruit in the end.
Only by the Guru's grace does someone receive the sweet nectar of the Naam.
Chasing the world leaves your hands empty, and grace fills them with the Naam.
The verse puts two things side by side. Nihfal kaamaa means work that bears no fruit. It is the chasing of things that slip away. Amrit naamaa means the nectar of the Naam, something sweet that lasts.
Empty hands are not a punishment. They are just what happens when you grab at things that cannot be held, like trying to hold water in your fist.
Gur parsaad means by the Guru's grace. And the best part is this: open, empty hands are exactly where grace can place its gift.
Have you noticed that holding too tightly to something sometimes makes it slip away?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI