naanak gurmukh sadaa suhaaganee jis avinaasee purakhbhartaar. ||1||
O Nanak, the Gurmukh is the happy soul-bride forever; she has the Imperishable Lord God as her Husband. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In plain words
A heart that runs only after passing things, forgetting its own Source, ends up restless and unsettled — always reaching, never at rest.
But a heart can find the teaching and turn. It sets down the bright fading robes and puts on something far more beautiful: mercy and forgiveness, worn like jewelry around the neck. A heart like that is honored everywhere. It does not just blend into the crowd chasing the same things — it stands out, quietly, because it is at home with what never fades.
Mercy and forgiveness are the most beautiful things a person can wear.
The deeper layer
The source shalok uses harsh, gendered blame (kulkhanee, cultivating love for another). Per wellbeing and voice rules the gendered blame is set aside and the teaching kept: a heart turned only outward stays restless; a heart adorned with khimaa (forgiveness) and seel (grace) is honored. ralaa-ee kisai dee naa ralai = does not blend in, the quiet distinctiveness of a life rooted in the One. avinaasee = imperishable.
A Question to Sit With
Who do you know who stands out not by showing off, but by being kind?
