Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Actions done without any love for the One stay hollow, no matter how holy they look. But when the heart is colored by the Name, the mind itself grows clean and clear.
No ritual makes you clean. A heart colored by the Name becomes clear.
Having taken apart outward uncleanness, Guru Amar Das now points to what matters. Sootak karam na poojaa ho-ay — deeds and even worship done without the One at heart stay empty. This is about hollow ritual in any tradition. It is never aimed at one faith.
Then the bright turn: naam ratay man nirmal ho-ay. Ratay means dyed, colored through. Dyed in the Name, the mind becomes nirmal, spotless. Real cleanness is not something the body gets by avoiding things. It is something the heart gets by loving. Think of a white shirt dropped into a bucket of bright dye. Every thread changes. A mind soaked in the One simply is clean.
What is the difference between doing something good because you have to, and doing it from love?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI