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Sikhism·Raag Wadahans·Shabad 52
Verse 14 of 64

Friendships Built on Goodness Last

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
salok mehlaa 3.
Shalok, Third Mehl:
ਸਜਣ ਮਿਲੇ ਸਜਣਾ ਜਿਨ ਸਤਗੁਰ ਨਾਲਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
sajan milay sajnaa jin satgur naal pi-aar.
The friends who love the True Guru, meet with the Lord, the True Friend.
ਮਿਲਿ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਤਿਨੀ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਸਚੈ ਪ੍ਰੇਮਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
mil pareetam tinee Dhi-aa-i-aa sachai paraym pi-aar.
Meeting their Beloved, they meditate on the True Lord with love and affection.
ਮਨ ਹੀ ਤੇ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਅਪਾਰਿ ॥
man hee tay man maani-aa gur kai sabad apaar.
Their minds are appeased by their own minds, through the incomparable Word of the Guru's Shabad.
ਏਹਿ ਸਜਣ ਮਿਲੇ ਨ ਵਿਛੁੜਹਿ ਜਿ ਆਪਿ ਮੇਲੇ ਕਰਤਾਰਿ ॥
ayhi sajan milay na vichhurheh je aap maylay kartaar.
These friends are united, and will not be separated again; they have been united by the Creator Lord Himself.
ਇਕਨਾ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀ ਪਰਤੀਤਿ ਨ ਆਈਆ ਸਬਦਿ ਨ ਕਰਹਿ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
iknaa darsan kee parteet na aa-ee-aa sabad na karahi veechaar.
Some do not believe in the Blessed Vision of the Guru's Darshan; they do not contemplate the Shabad.
ਵਿਛੁੜਿਆ ਕਾ ਕਿਆ ਵਿਛੁੜੈ ਜਿਨਾ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
vichhurhi-aa kaa ki-aa vichhurhai jinaa doojai bhaa-ay pi-aar.
The separated ones are in love with duality - what more separation can they suffer?
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਸੇਤੀ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਥੋੜੜਿਆ ਦਿਨ ਚਾਰਿ ॥
manmukh saytee dostee thorh-rhi-aa din chaar.
Friendship with the self-willed manmukhs lasts for only a few short days.
ਇਸੁ ਪਰੀਤੀ ਤੁਟਦੀ ਵਿਲਮੁ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਇਤੁ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਚਲਨਿ ਵਿਕਾਰ ॥
is pareetee tutdee vilam na hova-ee it dostee chalan vikaar.
This friendship is broken in an instant; this friendship leads to corruption.
ਜਿਨਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਚੇ ਕਾ ਭਉ ਨਾਹੀ ਨਾਮਿ ਨ ਕਰਹਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
jinaa andar sachay kaa bha-o naahee naam na karahi pi-aar.
They do not fear the True Lord within their hearts, and they do not love the Naam.
ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਨ ਸਿਉ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਚੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਜਿ ਆਪਿ ਭੁਲਾਏ ਕਰਤਾਰਿ ॥੧॥
naanak tin si-o ki-aa keechai dostee je aap bhulaa-ay kartaar. ||1||
O Nanak, why become friends with those whom the Creator Lord Himself has misled? ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Friends who love what's good and true meet in that shared love, and it joins them for good.

A friendship built only on grabbing and show is fragile and breaks fast.

But a friendship rooted in goodness lasts and can't be pulled apart.

Friendships built on real goodness last — while ones built only on grabbing or showing off break easily.
The deeper layer

The Shalok contrasts two friendships: friends joined by love of the good "are united, and will not be separated again," while friendship rooted in duality (grabbing, show) "is broken in an instant." The lesson is about what a friendship is built on: goodness makes it last; self-interest makes it fragile. The qMonk voice keeps this as gentle wisdom about real vs. shallow friendship. For a child: friendships built on real goodness last, while ones built only on grabbing break easily.

A Question to Sit With

What makes a friendship strong enough to last?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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