ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
salok mehlaa 3.
Shalok, Third Mehl:
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਵਾਪਾਰੈ ਸਾਰ ਨ ਜਾਣਨੀ ਬਿਖੁ ਵਿਹਾਝਹਿ ਬਿਖੁ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹਹਿ ਬਿਖ ਸਿਉ ਧਰਹਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
manmukh vaapaarai saar na jaannee bikh vihaajheh bikh sangar-hahi bikh si-o Dhareh pi-aar.
The self-willed manmukh does not appreciate the excellence of trading in Truth. He deals in poison, collects poison, and is in love with poison.
ਬਾਹਰਹੁ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਸਦਾਇਦੇ ਮਨਹੁ ਮੂਰਖ ਗਾਵਾਰ ॥
baahrahu pandit sadaa-iday manhu moorakh gaavaar.
Outwardly, they call themselves Pandits, religious scholars, but in their minds they are foolish and ignorant.
ਹਰਿ ਸਿਉ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਲਾਇਨੀ ਵਾਦੀ ਧਰਨਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
har si-o chit na laa-inee vaadee Dharan pi-aar.
They do not focus their consciousness on the Lord; they love to engage in arguments.
ਵਾਦਾ ਕੀਆ ਕਰਨਿ ਕਹਾਣੀਆ ਕੂੜੁ ਬੋਲਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਆਹਾਰੁ ॥
vaadaa kee-aa karan kahaanee-aa koorh bol karahi aahaar.
They speak to cause arguments, and earn their living by telling lies.
ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਿਰਮਲਾ ਹੋਰੁ ਮੈਲਾ ਸਭੁ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥
jag meh raam naam har nirmalaa hor mailaa sabh aakaar.
In this world, only the Lord's Name is immaculate and pure. All other objects of creation are polluted.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਨੀ ਹੋਇ ਮੈਲੇ ਮਰਹਿ ਗਵਾਰ ॥੧॥
naanak naam na chaytnee ho-ay mailay mareh gavaar. ||1||
O Nanak, those who do not remember the Naam, the Name of the Lord, are polluted; they die in ignorance. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A closed-off heart never learns how good it is to deal in truth; it keeps trading in what harms.
Some who look wise on the outside are just fond of arguing, and make a living from clever words that are not true.
In all the world, only the Naam stays clean. Nanak says: hold onto the Naam, and your heart stays clean too.
In a world where much gets stained, the Name stays clean, so hold onto it.
A shalok of the Third Mehl. Anyone can wear the look of learning and still love arguments and 'earn their living by telling lies'; false speech stains whoever uses it. In all creation only the Naam is immaculate; everything else can be stained.
A Question to Sit With
What is one thing that stays true no matter what?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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