Let the Teaching Be Your Color

ਮਃ ੩ ॥

mehlaa 3.

Third Mehl:

ਸੂਹਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਕੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥

soohaa rang vikaar hai kant na paa-i-aa jaa-ay.

The red color is vain and useless; it cannot help you obtain your Husband Lord.

ਇਸੁ ਲਹਦੇ ਬਿਲਮ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਰੰਡ ਬੈਠੀ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ॥

is lahday bilam na hova-ee rand baithee doojai bhaa-ay.

This color does not take long to fade; she who loves duality, ends up a widow.

ਮੁੰਧ ਇਆਣੀ ਦੁੰਮਣੀ ਸੂਹੈ ਵੇਸਿ ਲੋੁਭਾਇ ॥

munDh i-aanee dummnee soohai vays lobhaa-ay.

She who loves to wear her red dress is foolish and double-minded.

ਸਬਦਿ ਸਚੈ ਰੰਗੁ ਲਾਲੁ ਕਰਿ ਭੈ ਭਾਇ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ਬਣਾਇ ॥

sabad sachai rang laal kar bhai bhaa-ay seegaar banaa-ay.

So make the True Word of the Shabad your red dress, and let the Fear of God, and the Love of God, be your ornaments and decorations.

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਦਾ ਸੋਹਾਗਣੀ ਜਿ ਚਲਨਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਭਾਇ ॥੨॥

naanak sadaa sohaaganee je chalan satgur bhaa-ay. ||2||

O Nanak, she is a happy soul-bride forever, who walks in harmony with the Will of the True Guru. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The bright passing color cannot bring you close to the One, and it fades almost as soon as you put it on. A heart pulled in two directions gets dazzled by it and left empty-handed.

So let the true teaching be your color instead. Let reverence and love be your real ornaments. A heart that moves in tune with the teaching is at home for good.

Reverence and love are the ornaments that actually last.

The deeper layer

soohaa rang vikaar = the fading red is hollow. doojai bhaa-ay = love of duality, being pulled two ways. sabad sachai rang laal kar, bhai bhaa-ay seegaar banaa-ay = make the Shabad your color, and bhau (reverence, awe — not dread) and bhaa-o (love) your adornments. The source's widow image is set aside per wellbeing care; the meaning kept is that chasing the fading leaves you with nothing.

A Question to Sit With

What does it feel like to be pulled two ways about something?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

About this shabad →

← Verse 7 of 67 The Shade of a Tree Moves; the Deep Color Stays

Verse 9 of 67 →The One Who Is Its Own Origin

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