Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Seeing the bitter melon, he is fooled, because it looks so pretty.
But it is not worth even a shell, Nanak. Illusion's riches go with no one.
This part says: don't be fooled by something just because it looks pretty.
Guru Arjan uses a homely, perfect picture. Tummaa is the bitter melon. It grows bright and beautiful and looks delicious. But one bite is terribly bitter. Paykhand-rho kee bhul — just by looking, he is fooled.
The riches of maa-i-aa (Maya, the shiny world that passes) are the same. Lovely to the eye, useless in the mouth. That is exactly how illusion works: it dazzles the eyes and lets down the taste. Think of a shiny candy wrapper with nothing good inside.
The lesson is to look deeper. Don't judge by the pretty surface. The most attractive things can turn out the most bitter. Adh na lahand-rho mul — it isn't worth even a small shell. Saath na jul-ee maa-i-aa — Maya's riches go with no one. Learn to tell the pretty-but-empty from what truly feeds you.
Have you ever wanted something because it looked great, only to find it disappointing? How do you learn to tell the truly good from the merely shiny?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI