Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
People wear all sorts of costumes and wander everywhere: holy robes, special marks, special dress. But in their hearts and minds, they practice deception.
They do not arrive at the presence of the Lord. After death, they sink.
This one says: what you wear on the outside does not change what is on the inside.
Guru Amar Das looks at people dressed up to look holy. Baho bhaykh kar bharmaa-ee-ai means "they put on many costumes and wander around." A bhaykh is a costume, a holy-looking outfit. In his time it could be robes, beads, special marks on the forehead, or the dress of one group or another.
Back then, a holy costume could win people respect, gifts and power. But the Guru points inside: man hirdai kapat kamaa-ay, "in their hearts and minds, they practice deception." Deception means tricking people.
Think of a player in a famous team's jersey who never trains and cheats when no one is looking. The jersey does not make them a real teammate. The Guru is not against any robe or any faith. He is against a costume that hides a false heart. Such people do not reach the One's home, and their show ends in a mess. A true heart matters more than any outfit.
Do you ever present yourself differently on the outside than what's happening on the inside? What drives that gap — and what would it cost to close it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI