Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Those who call a stone their god,
their service goes to waste.
Those who fall at the feet of a stone,
their hard work is spent for nothing.
The living One is found beyond any stone, and service poured only into a stone goes to waste.
This shabad carries the heading mehlaa 5, Guru Arjan, the Fifth Guru, and sits here among Kabir's Bhairao hymns. It mocks no one's worship; it says the sacred is living and everywhere, never held inside a lifeless object. Jo paathar ka-o kahtay dayv: those who call a stone their god. Tis kee ghaal ajaa-ee jaa-ay: their effort is wasted. The caution is against mistaking the pointer for the presence, a mistake possible in any tradition.
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Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI