Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In this age, the Naam of the One is the most precious thing.
Yet some squeeze their eyes shut and pinch their nose, to look holy and fool the people watching.
When everything around seems to be sinking, one thing stays real: the Name.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line — the center of the shabad, the line to stop and think about. Kal meh raam naam saar: in this age, the Name is the most precious thing. Naam here means remembering the One and living close to it.
Next to it Guru Nanak sets its opposite: people who akhee ta meeteh naak pakrheh — shut their eyes and pinch their noses — thagan ka-o sansaar, to fool the world. They were copying a yoga breathing practice, done only for show. It is like a student who holds a book open in class so the teacher thinks they are reading. The book is real; the reading is not.
The contrast is between real substance and holiness put on for an audience. The Name cannot be faked, because it lives in the heart, where no audience can see.
What is the difference between doing something for show and doing it because you mean it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI