Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There are painted mansions to look at — white-washed, with beautiful doors. Constructed to give pleasure to the mind.
But they were built for the love of appearances, for the love of duality. Not for real love.
The inner being is empty without true love. And the body that lived in that mansion will crumble to ashes.
This one says a beautiful house cannot fill an empty heart.
Chitay diseh Dha-ulhar bagay bank du-aar: "painted mansions, shining white, with beautiful doors." The picture is real and lovely. There is nothing wrong with a fine building. It is beautiful.
But look at why it was built. Kar man khusee usaari-aa doojai hayt pi-aar: it was made to please the mind, "for the love of the second thing." Doojaa, "the second," means anything other than the One. It is loving the show of the world more than the Giver. The house was built for looks and for status, and that is the trouble.
Andar khaalee paraym bin: "inside, it is empty without love." Guru Nanak often uses this picture of a life that has everything except the One. The walls can be perfect and the rooms still feel empty.
Then the verse turns to the body. The body is the real house we live in. One day it too will crumble to ash. The painted house and the living body are alike. Both are lovely, both pass away, and both are empty without true love. Think of a birthday party with the best decorations, where no one really cares about each other. It looks great in photos and feels hollow inside.
What in your life looks beautiful from the outside but feels a little hollow from the inside — and what would fill it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI