Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
It's easy to get so tangled in shiny, passing things that you lose your way and feel cheated by what wasn't real to begin with. How does the knot around the heart come loose, without the guidance you dearly love? The one who loves the Beloved and reflects on the Word truly belongs to it. Endless charity and washing rituals can't rinse away what's tangled inside the heart. And harsh self-punishment or running off to hide in the wild helps no one — only holding the Name truly frees you. The home of what's real is found through the Word.
Stanza ||3||. Maa-i-aa mohnee — the bewitching pull of maya (grasping attachment). Ki-o khoolai gal jayvarhee-aa — how does the neck-noose loosen? The famous critique: punn daan anayk naavan — endless charity and ritual baths can't cleanse the inside; nor can hath nigrahi baybaanai — harsh austerity and wilderness-flight. This targets specific outward practices when they are disconnected from Naam; its inward test can be applied thoughtfully beyond its immediate setting — the point is the inner Name, not the outer performance.
Can you 'look' good on the outside while feeling tangled inside? What actually helps?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI