Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Whoever keeps the five thieves inside becomes just like those five.
Every day that person gets up and tells lies. They draw holy marks on the body, but it is only pretending. They waste away in sadness and pain, like a woman left all alone after losing the one she loved.
Let bad habits move in, and soon they run you, while holy marks on the outside cover nothing.
Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, speaks of five thieves inside us. They are wanting too much, anger, greed, clinging, and pride. Panch majmee jo panchan raakhai — whoever gives the five a home becomes like them. Think of a guest who never leaves and slowly takes over your room.
Then the verse shows how it looks from outside. Chakar banaa-ay karai pakhand — a person wears holy marks on the body but practices pakhand, which means pretending. Jhur jhur pachai — such a person slowly wastes away inside. The verse compares it to the loneliness of someone who has lost the one they loved. When the outside and the inside don't match, a person ends up feeling hollow.
When has doing the 'right-looking' thing felt empty because your heart wasn't in it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI