The Merits of Pilgrimages Are Found in the Dust of the Feet of the Holy
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
All the good of pilgrimages, fasts, and thousands of hard disciplines is found in the dust of the feet of the Holy.
Who are you trying to hide your actions from? God sees all.
He is always here. My God fills every place and every space in between.
Guru Arjan says that all the good of holy trips and hard disciplines is found by staying close to holy people. And nothing is hidden from the One.
Tirath varat lakh sanjmaa paa-ee-ai saadhoo dhoor means the good of pilgrimages, fasts, and countless hard disciplines is found in the dust of the holy ones' feet. Tirath means a holy place to visit. Varat means a fast. The "dust of the feet" is a picture of humbly staying near good people. It does not say those practices are worthless. It says their heart is found right here, close to real goodness.
Look kamaavai kis tay jaa vaykhai sadaa hadoor asks: who are you hiding from, when He sees everything, always right here? Any secret show falls apart. The One is the only one we are really in front of, and the One sees right through any show.
Think of acting busy when a teacher walks by. It does not work if the teacher can see the whole room all the time.
Thaan thanantar rav rahi-aa prabh mayraa bharpoor means my God fills every place and every space in between. He does not just watch from far away. He is truly present, everywhere.
Is there any way you perform spirituality for an audience — for others to see, or even for yourself to feel — rather than actually practicing it? What would practice without an audience look like?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI