ਦੇਹੀ ਧੋਇ ਨ ਉਤਰੈ ਮੈਲੁ ॥
dayhee Dho-ay na utrai mail.
By merely washing the body, one's filth is not removed.
ਹਉਮੈ ਬਿਆਪੈ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਫੈਲੁ ॥
ha-umai bi-aapai dubiDhaa fail.
Afflicted by egotism, duality only increases.
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਅਉਖਧੁ ਜੋ ਜਨੁ ਖਾਇ ॥
har har a-ukhaDh jo jan khaa-ay.
That humble being who takes the medicine of the Name of the Lord, Har, Har
ਤਾ ਕਾ ਰੋਗੁ ਸਗਲ ਮਿਟਿ ਜਾਇ ॥੩॥
taa kaa rog sagal mit jaa-ay. ||3||
- all his diseases are eradicated. ||3||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Washing the body does not take away the dirt inside.
When ego takes hold, the feeling of being split — me against the world — only grows.
But whoever takes the medicine of the Name, *Har, Har*,
is cured of every sickness.
The cleaning that counts happens inside, and remembering the One is the medicine.
Dayhee dho-ay na utrai mail — washing the body does not lift the mail, the grime, that matters. That cleansing happens inside. Aukhadh means medicine: the Name heals the sickness of ego.
Guru Arjan's challenge is to outer washing done in place of inner change, in any tradition. Bathing itself is good; it simply cannot reach the heart.
A Question to Sit With
What helps you feel clean and settled on the inside, not just the outside?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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