Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Running around after the tangles of Maya is the work of a twisted mind.
The fool shows off how important he is, and does not understand how to live.
The self-willed person is pulled by wanting Maya, and his words are empty and useless.
The washing of the wrongdoer is false, and all his rituals and decorations are empty.
Showing off on the outside cannot hide an empty inside.
maa-i-aa DhanDhaa Dhaavnee — running around chasing Maya's tangles. Maya is the shiny world of things that come and go. durmat kaar bikaar — this is the work of a confused mind.
moorakh aap ganaa-idaa — the foolish person shows off how important they are. boojh na sakai kaar — but they don't understand how to live. manmukh bol khu-aar — the manmukh, someone led only by their own wants, speaks empty words.
majan jhoothaa chandaal kaa — the washing of the wrongdoer is false. In the end, all the outward washing and decorating is empty. The verse uses very sharp words here. Chandaal was an old, harsh word for an outcast; here it points to anyone whose heart is dirty, whatever their birth. Its target is hollow show, never any group of people, because every person has the same dignity.
Think of a room with beautiful curtains and balloons, but no one is home. It looks like a party, but nothing is happening inside.
When have you seen something look impressive on the surface but feel empty underneath?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI