Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The true devotee of the Sustainer is the one the One is delighted with - living in the middle of the glitter, and apart from it.
Doing good without checking what it pays. That no-price-tag goodness is the spotless religion.
Absorbed in songs of praise, remembering with mind and body, kind to every creature -
holding the Name, and helping others find it. Nanak says: such a devotee reaches the highest place.
A true devotee does good without sending a bill.
A Vaishnaav is a devotee of Vishnu, the Sustainer, the one who keeps the world going. In Guru Arjan's day, the title was often claimed by people known for strict food rules and rituals. The verse gives it a new test: doing good without wanting anything back.
Karam karat hovai nihkaram — doing deeds, yet free of wanting from them. Kaahoo fal kee ichhaa nahee baachhai — not wishing for any reward. It is goodness with the price tag taken off.
The moment a good deed sends a bill, it becomes a trade. A bill for goodness points, for looking good, for heaven, or even for a thank-you. With no bill, it becomes worship. Think of a kid who quietly cleans up the kitchen and never mentions it.
This is close to what the Bhagavad Gita teaches about acting without grabbing for results, heard here in Gurmukhi words. It goes with the verse's other mark. Sabh oopar hovat kirpaal — kind to all. The devotee of the Sustainer sustains others too.
The last line adds what Sukhmani always adds. Aap darirhai avrah naam japaavai — he holds the Name himself and helps others repeat it. The true title is never kept just for yourself.
When you do something kind, do you secretly keep a receipt? What would it feel like to tear it up?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI