Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
If the floor were made of diamonds and rubies. If my bed were set with rubies. If fair ones from heaven, their faces bright with gems, tried to draw me near —
I might forget You. Your Name would not enter my mind.
This line says: even floors of diamonds, and the most lovely faces, could make me forget You.
The "what if" game goes further. Dhartee ta heeray laal jarh-tee: what if the floor were set with heeray and laal, diamonds and rubies? Palagh laal jarhaa-o: what if my bed were covered with rubies?
Mohnee mukh manee sohai: what if a mohnee, a charming beauty from heaven, her face shining with jewels, karay rang pasaa-o, tried to charm me?
Mat daykh bhoolaa veesrai: seeing all this, I might lose my way and forget You.
Now it is not just a building. It is beauty of every kind: what we see, what we touch, even the charm of other people. Any of it can fill up our attention and push the One out.
Guru Nanak is not asking us to live without beautiful things or beautiful people. The Guru Granth Sahib does not ask for that. He is asking us to be aware. Think of a glass of water. If it is already full of clean water, nothing muddy can get in. Carry the Name inside, and beauty becomes something to enjoy, not something that swallows you.
When you are in the presence of something very beautiful — a person, a place, a piece of art — does it ever make you feel more connected to something larger, or does it absorb you into itself alone?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI