ਮਃ ੨ ॥
mehlaa 2.
Second Mehl:
ਬਧਾ ਚਟੀ ਜੋ ਭਰੇ ਨਾ ਗੁਣੁ ਨਾ ਉਪਕਾਰੁ ॥
baDhaa chatee jo bharay naa gun naa upkaar.
Paying a fine under pressure, does not bring either merit or goodness.
ਸੇਤੀ ਖੁਸੀ ਸਵਾਰੀਐ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਾਰਜੁ ਸਾਰੁ ॥੩॥
saytee khusee savaaree-ai naanak kaaraj saar. ||3||
That alone is a good deed, O Nanak, which is done by one's own free will. ||3||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Paying up only because you are forced to, dragging your feet the whole way, brings no goodness and does no one any good.
Nanak says: the good deed is the one you do freely and gladly, because you choose to.
A good deed done gladly and freely is worth far more than one done under pressure.
badhaa chatee = a fine paid under compulsion; naa gun naa upkaar = no merit, no goodness. seti khusee savaaree-ai = done with willing joy. The heart behind the act is what matters, a recurring Gurbani principle.
A Question to Sit With
Can you remember a time helping felt good because you chose it, not because you had to?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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