ਦੁਸਟਾ ਨਾਲਿ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਨਾਲਿ ਸੰਤਾ ਵੈਰੁ ਕਰੰਨਿ ॥
dustaa naal dostee naal santaa vair karann.
Those who make friendships with the wicked, and harbor animosity to the Saints,
ਆਪਿ ਡੁਬੇ ਕੁਟੰਬ ਸਿਉ ਸਗਲੇ ਕੁਲ ਡੋਬੰਨਿ ॥੫॥
aap dubay kutamb si-o saglay kul dobann. ||5||
shall drown with their families, and their entire lineage shall be obliterated. ||5||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The people I choose to walk with quietly pull me in their direction — toward what lifts me up or what drags me down.
And it isn't only me. The company I keep shapes the whole family around me, for better or worse. So I choose my closest friends with care.
The company you keep pulls your whole circle along with you.
dustaa naal dostee, naal santaa vair — keeping close to the harmful while holding the good at arm's length. The original's drowning-and-lineage imagery is softened; the teaching kept is that our closest company shapes not only us but everyone around us.
A Question to Sit With
Who in your life pulls you toward your better self?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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