Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Lost in doubt, people who do not know and cannot see wander off the path. Confused, they pick flowers to offer to idols.
They bow to lifeless stones and look after the graves of the dead. All their effort is wasted.
An outward act with no heart in it stays empty.
Bharam bhoolay agi-aanee anDhulay — lost in doubt, people who cannot see go wrong. Bharam bharam fool toraavai — confused, they pick flowers to offer. Nirjee-o poojeh marhaa sarayveh — they bow to lifeless stones and tend the tombs of the dead. Sabh birthee ghaal gavaavai — all that effort goes to waste.
The aim is empty going-through-the-motions, wherever it shows up, in every tradition, our own included. The trouble comes when hands are busy and the heart stays far away.
Think of a birthday card signed without even reading it, compared with a short note written with love. The living heart is what makes an act holy.
When has doing something with your whole heart made all the difference?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI