Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You can say the Name with your mouth while your heart is somewhere else entirely. A heart divided like that never quite feels clean.
You can go through every ceremony, morning and night. But if the inside doesn't match the outside, peace won't come, not even in a dream.
This one is about saying the right words while the heart is doing something else.
Har har karahi nit kapat kamaaveh — every day they say "Har, Har," the Lord's Name, while practicing kapat. Kapat means deception: going through the motions while hiding what is really inside. Think of saying "sorry" to a friend while rolling your eyes. The word is right, but it doesn't mend anything.
Hirdaa sudh na ho-ee — the heart does not become clean. An-din karam karahi bahutayray — they do many rituals, day and night. Still, supnai sukh na ho-ee: no peace comes, not even in dreams.
This kind of empty show can turn up in any tradition, anywhere. The verse is not asking anyone to give up their practice. It is asking for the inside and the outside to match. When they line up, the heart gets clean, and peace can come.
When have your words and your true feelings not matched — and how did that feel?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI