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Sikhism·Raag Wadahans·Shabad 52
Verse 56 of 64

You Can't Reach the Good by Dressing the Part

ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
salok mehlaa 3.
Shalok, Third Mehl:
ਮਨਹਠਿ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਪਾਇਓ ਸਭ ਥਕੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇ ॥
manhath kinai na paa-i-o sabh thakay karam kamaa-ay.
No one has ever found the Lord through stubborn-mindedness. All have grown weary of performing such actions.
ਮਨਹਠਿ ਭੇਖ ਕਰਿ ਭਰਮਦੇ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ॥
manhath bhaykh kar bharamday dukh paa-i-aa doojai bhaa-ay.
Through their stubborn-mindedness, and by wearing their disguises, they are deluded; they suffer in pain from the love of duality.
ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਸਭੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਹੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥
riDh siDh sabh moh hai naam na vasai man aa-ay.
Riches and the supernatural spiritual powers of the Siddhas are all emotional attachments; through them, the Naam, the Name of the Lord, does not come to dwell in the mind.
ਗੁਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਤੇ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਜਾਇ ॥
gur sayvaa tay man nirmal hovai agi-aan anDhayraa jaa-ay.
Serving the Guru, the mind becomes immaculately pure, and the darkness of spiritual ignorance is dispelled.
ਨਾਮੁ ਰਤਨੁ ਘਰਿ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੧॥
naam ratan ghar pargat ho-aa naanak sahj samaa-ay. ||1||
The jewel of the Naam is revealed in the home of one's own being; O Nanak, one merges in celestial bliss. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

No one ever reached the good by sheer stubbornness or by dressing the part.

Riches and even special powers can't buy it.

But near wisdom, the fog clears and the jewel of goodness shines out from within.

You can't reach the good by being stubborn or by dressing the part — it shines out from inside when the fog clears.
The deeper layer

"No one has ever found the Lord through stubborn-mindedness... riches and the siddhis (special powers) are all attachments." Neither force, nor disguise, nor wealth, nor magic reaches the good. But: "the jewel of the Naam is revealed in the home of one's own being" — near wisdom, the fog clears and the jewel shines from inside. For a child: you can't reach the good by being stubborn or by dressing the part — it shines out from inside when the fog clears.

A Question to Sit With

When has stubbornly forcing something failed, and a gentler way worked?

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

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