Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Someone may keep every fast, every daily ritual, every strict discipline. Still, they may gain almost nothing lasting from them.
What carries you forward is something else, my friend. These outer things, by themselves, don't reach that far.
Outer discipline alone will not carry you; it needs a heart turned toward the One.
Barat naym sanjam meh rahtaa — someone lives by barat, fasting, naym, daily rituals, and sanjam, strict self-control. Tin kaa aadh na paa-i-aa — they gain not even a shell's worth, if that is all there is.
Aagai chalan a-or hai bhaa-ee — what carries you forward is something else, brother. Guru Arjan is not mocking devoted practice. He is asking that it be filled with the heart truly turning toward the One. Without that, ooNhaa kaam na aa-i-aa — these outer forms are of no use there.
Think of a lunchbox that looks beautiful on the outside but is empty inside. The teaching is about depth. It is not about giving up practice.
What matters more to you: doing something correctly, or doing it with real heart? Can you have both?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI