Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In a mixed-up time, the honest person can feel worn down. Doing the right thing does not always pay off.
Someone who chants the Naam of the One gets laughed at.
These are the signs of a confused age.
In a confused time, doing right can be hard, and truth is still worth living.
Jay ko sat karay so chheejai means that the person who lives truthfully can feel worn thin. Being sincere does not always bring rewards. And whoever takes the Name is badnaavee, laughed at.
Guru Nanak calls these the signs of the age. He is naming a problem, like a doctor naming a cold. He is not telling anyone to give up.
Think of a student who won't copy answers on a test while others do. That student may get a lower score for now. But honesty is still worth it. Truth is not weak. The times are just confused, and truth is still the way to live.
If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
Have you ever done the right thing and not gotten credit for it? Why do it anyway?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI