Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I have broken off with that sneaky, tricky snake.
The Guru told me it is false, a cheat.
Its face is sweet, but it tastes bitter.
My mind stays full and satisfied with the Naam, sweet as nectar.
That sneaky snake has a sweet face and a bitter taste, and the Naam leaves you fully satisfied.
Guru Arjan starts a kind of story here. Each bad habit is like a character he is breaking up with.
The first one is chhal naagan, a sneaky snake. The snake stands for clinging, holding on too tight to things. Gur kahi-aa ih jhoothee Dhohee means the Guru showed me it is false and a cheat.
Mukh meethee khaa-ee ka-uraa-ay means it has a sweet face but tastes bitter. Think of a candy that looks amazing and then turns sour in your mouth.
In its place comes amrit naam, the Naam that is like sweet, life-giving nectar. With it, the mind is rahi-aa aghaa-ay, fully satisfied. Nothing is missing anymore.
What is something sweet-looking that left you with a bitter feeling?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI