Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
People come to know who you are by what you do. That is simply how it works, and it is a fair way too.
So let your actions show the goodness inside you, until what you do and what you say match up completely. When your life lines up like that, whatever you wish for from the One comes to you. Nanak says such a person becomes an image of the One, like a small mirror of the One's goodness.
People are known by what they do, so let your actions show the goodness inside.
It is a shalok, a short verse, by Guru Angad, the second Guru. Jaisaa karai kahaavai taisaa — as you act, so you are known. Aisee banee jaroorat — that is simply how it has to be.
The next line says good deeds make a person beautiful, and bad deeds twist them out of shape. The hopeful picture is words and actions lining up, so a person looks like who they really are.
Kahee-ai moorat — then Nanak says they become the very image of the One. Being honest all the way through turns a person into a small mirror of the One. Think of a player who says "I'm a team player" and then passes the ball. You believe them because you see it.
Where do your actions and your words already match — and where could they line up more?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI