Some wander around the forests, wearing religious robes, but the Fascinating Lord remains distant from them.
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Some wander through the forests wearing holy robes, yet the enchanting One stays far from them.
This one says: holy clothes don't make a holy heart.
This short shabad has verses of just one line each. This first line is the rahaau, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. It names a mistake Guru Arjan warns about often: taking the outside signs of holiness for the real thing.
karat fire ban bhekh — some wander in the forests wearing holy robes. They do everything that is supposed to show a holy life. Yet mohan rahat niraar — the Enchanting One stays far from them. Why? Because the One is not reached by a costume or a place.
Think of wearing a team jersey without ever going to practice. You look like a player, but you haven't learned the game. You can dress the part and go to the holy place, and still be miles away if nothing has turned inside. Kabir makes this same point about religious show. The warning is about empty show, in any group, not about any faith. It is not the robe that brings you near. And no forest is far enough to run away from a heart that hasn't turned.
Can someone look very religious or good on the outside and still be missing the real thing? What is the real thing?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI