Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In this world I have seen that love is often false.
Spouses, friends — everyone tends to care mostly about their own happiness.
This line looks honestly at how people love.
It is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad (hymn), by Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru. Jagat mai jhoothee daykhee pareet — in this world I have seen that love is often false. Apnay hee sukh si-o sabh laagay — husbands, wives, friends, they mostly care about their own happiness.
This is not a gloomy "don't love anyone." It is honesty. Even love can easily bend back toward "what do I get?"
Think of a friend who is super friendly only when you have snacks to share. Most friends are not like that all the time. But a little of it sneaks into everyone. The Guru names it plainly so that we can love more truly. And so we don't lean our whole weight on a love that is partly about the other person's own needs.
Where might even your love curve back toward your own comfort? Can you notice it without shame?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI