ਮਾਲੁ ਲੇਉ ਤਉ ਦੋਜਕਿ ਪਰਉ ॥
maal lay-o ta-o dojak para-o.
The king replied, "If I take the gold, then I will be consigned to hell,
ਦੀਨੁ ਛੋਡਿ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਕਉ ਭਰਉ ॥੧੧॥
deen chhod dunee-aa ka-o bhara-o. ||11||
by forsaking my faith and gathering worldly wealth."||11||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The king answers, "If I take the gold, I will fall into hell,
because I would be leaving my faith to pile up the riches of the world."
Staying true to what you believe can matter more than an easy reward.
Even the proud king will not trade his faith for money.
Maal lay-o ta-o dojak para-o: if I take the wealth, I fall into dojak, hell. Deen chhod dunee-aa ka-o bhara-o: leaving my deen, my faith, to fill my hands with the world. The story gives the Muslim king a conscience. He is a man of faith who refuses a bribe, and that honesty is part of why his heart can soften later.
A Question to Sit With
Would you turn down something you wanted, in order to keep your word to yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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