Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A person can worship carefully and bow low again and again. They can keep every ritual just right.
Yet if it all feeds “look at me,” it only ties more knots, and the One stays unmet.
Worship done to be seen only ties more knots.
Poojaa archaa bandan dand-ut means worship, offerings, bowing, and lying flat on the floor in respect. Khat karmaa are the six duties that priests of that time kept every day. All of these can be done with love.
The trouble is ha-o ha-o karat, saying "I, I" the whole time. That is haumai, the ego, turning even worship into a show about me. Then banDhan meh pari-aa: the person falls into tangles. Think of posting a photo of yourself helping someone, just for the likes. The helping gets lost in the showing.
The verse is not against worship. It is against worship that feeds the ego. Nah milee-ai ih jugtaa: the One is not met this way.
When you do something kind, does it matter whether anyone is watching?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI