Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When a heart turns away from the guide and leans only on its own “me,” the color doesn't take hold, and it stays pale.
Wish for it a hundred times, and still the color does not come.
Guru Ram Das is saying: a heart that leans only on itself stays pale, no matter how much it wishes.
Manmukh mugaDh nar koraa ho-ay means the self-willed person stays koraa, uncolored, like plain cloth. A manmukh is someone who follows only their own mind, the opposite of a gurmukh.
Jay sa-o lochai rang na hovai ko-ay means "even wishing a hundred times, no color comes." Think of wanting to learn guitar but never picking it up. Wishing alone doesn't do it. The verse describes this heart. It does not condemn it. And the next line shows the color is always within reach, through grace.
What is the difference between wanting something and being truly open to it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI