Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When we forget who we really are, we can start leaning our whole weight on things that don't last.
We might even keep up all the right-looking habits while something restless churns underneath.
But polishing the outside while the inside stays tangled never quite satisfies.
The good news is simple: turn back toward what's real, and the churning can settle.
This one says polishing the outside never satisfies while the inside stays tangled.
A manmukh is someone turned toward their own wants instead of toward the One. The verse says such a life is built on koorh, what is false and does not last. Koorh kamaavai koorh sangrahai koorh karay aahaar — they earn what is false, store up what is false, and live on what is false.
They gather riches, and in the end it all turns to ash.
The sharpest line is this one. A person can keep up rituals, purity and strict self-control, while inside there is greed. The outside is shiny, and the inside is churning.
Think of cleaning your room by pushing everything under the bed. It looks tidy, but the mess is still there.
The Gurus come back to this gap again and again. Real change happens inside. The verse ends by saying such a life is not accepted in the One's court. The hopeful side is plain: turn back toward what is real, and the churning can settle.
Is it possible to look good on the outside while feeling tangled inside? What actually helps?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI