ਪੜਹਿ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਪਰੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨਾ ॥
parheh manmukh par biDh nahee jaanaa.
The self-willed manmukhs read and study, but they do not know the way.
ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਬੂਝਹਿ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਨਾ ॥
naam na boojheh bharam bhulaanaa.
They do not understand the Naam, the Name of the Lord; they wander, deluded by doubt.
ਲੈ ਕੈ ਵਢੀ ਦੇਨਿ ਉਗਾਹੀ ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਕਾ ਗਲਿ ਫਾਹਾ ਹੇ ॥੩॥
lai kai vadhee dayn ugaahee durmat kaa gal faahaa hay. ||3||
They take bribes, and give false testimony; the noose of evil-mindedness is around their necks. ||3||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A person can read and study endlessly and still not know the way.
Missing the Name, the mind wanders, fooled by its own confusion.
Acting unfairly — taking what is not fairly earned, twisting the truth — only ties the heart in knots. Fairness and honesty keep it free.
Knowing many words is not the same as knowing the way; fairness keeps the heart free.
Parheh manmukh par bidh nahee jaanaa — the self-willed read and study but do not know the way. Taking bribes and giving false witness (lai kai vadhee dayn ugaahee) ties a noose of bad thinking around the neck. Fairness and honesty keep the heart free.
A Question to Sit With
When is it tempting to twist the truth, and why is it better not to?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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