Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Sometimes we pour our energy into things that are not quite honest or kind. We rush around endlessly, only to feel worse and emptier at the end.
It is like beating a pile of straw that has no wheat in it, hoping for grain. All that effort, and nothing to show for it.
A lot of busy effort can bring nothing, if there is nothing real inside it.
The verse speaks plainly about dishonest and useless deeds, done day and night. Then comes Guru Arjan's picture: kan naahee tuh gaahan laagay, beating straw that has no grain inside. Farmers used to beat the wheat to shake the grain loose. Beat empty straw, and you get only tired arms. Think of studying hard, but for the wrong test. All that effort, and none of it helps.
Dhaa-ay dhaa-ay dukh paanhee means running and rushing, and getting only pain. The point is not to shame anyone. It is to aim our energy at what truly feeds us.
When have you worked hard at something that turned out to be empty?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI