ਕਾਇਆ ਕੁਸੁਧ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਲੁ ਲਾਈ ॥
kaa-i-aa kusuDh ha-umai mal laa-ee.
That body which is stained with the filth of egotism is false and impure.
ਜੇ ਸਉ ਧੋਵਹਿ ਤਾ ਮੈਲੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥
jay sa-o Dhoveh taa mail na jaa-ee.
It may be washed a hundred times, but its filth is still not removed.
ਸਬਦਿ ਧੋਪੈ ਤਾ ਹਛੀ ਹੋਵੈ ਫਿਰਿ ਮੈਲੀ ਮੂਲਿ ਨ ਹੋਈ ਹੇ ॥੧੦॥
sabad Dhopai taa hachhee hovai fir mailee mool na ho-ee hay. ||10||
But if it is washed with the Word of the Shabad, then it is truly cleansed, and it shall never be soiled again. ||10||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Sometimes the trouble is not on the outside, where soap can reach.
You could scrub a hundred times and the inner grime of pride would stay.
But let the living Word wash you, and you are clean all the way through, in a way that lasts.
Some cleaning can only be done from the inside, by the Word.
Outer washing cannot do the work of inner cleansing. The stain is ha-umai, pride, and only the Word reaches that deep.
A Question to Sit With
What is a way you can take care of the inside of you, not just the outside?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
Use ← → to navigate