Raag Soohee, Shabad 72 - What Really Makes You Clean
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You could wash in every sacred river a million times over. If that is all you do, the heart still stays cloudy.
What really makes a person clear and clean is singing the One's praises among good people. That washes the inside.
This one means real cleanness is on the inside.
kot tirath majan isnaanaa — millions of baths at holy places. A tirath is a pilgrimage place, where people travel to pray. The verse says washing alone, in this age, still leaves the heart full of dirt. Kal here simply means the present age.
saaDhsang jo har gun gaavai so nirmal kar leejai — whoever sings the One's praises in good company becomes spotless.
This point fits every tradition. Outer washing cannot stand in for inner change. Think of washing your hands but staying grumpy all day. Your hands are clean, but your mood is still muddy. Singing with good people washes the inside.
What helps you feel clean on the inside, not just the outside?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI