Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When someone lives only for show and clever appearances, whatever they do never quite lands or takes root. They keep drifting, coming and going, never finding a place to truly rest.
This one says a life built on show never takes root.
Manmukh damf bahut chaturaa-ee — the manmukh is full of damf and chaturaa-ee. A manmukh is someone facing only their own wants. Damf is show and pretending. Chaturaa-ee is cleverness worn like a mask.
Jo kichh kamaavai so thaa-ay na paa-ee — whatever they do does not find its place. It does not take root, because it grows from acting, not from the heart. Aavai jaavai tha-ur na kaa-ee — they come and go, drifting, and find no tha-ur, no resting place.
This is not a curse. It is simply what happens. What is built on show has no ground under it, so it cannot settle. Think of a flower stuck in the dirt without roots, just for a photo. It looks fine for a day, then it wilts. Sincerity is what lets a life take root.
Have you noticed how things done just for show never feel as satisfying as things done sincerely?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI