m: 1.
labu pāpu dui rājā mahtā kūṛu hoā sikdāru.
kāmu nebu sadi puchīai bahi bahi kare bīcāru.
andhī rayati giān vihūṇī bhāhi bhare murdāru.
giānī nacahi vāje vāvahi rūp karahi sīgāru.
ūce kūkahi vādā gāvahi jodhā kā vīcāru.
mūrakh panḍit hikmati hujati sañjai karahi piāru.
dharmī dharamu karahi gāvāvahi maṅgahi mokh duāru.
jatī sadāvahi jugti na jāṇahi chaḍi bahahi ghar bāru.
sabhu ko pūrā āpe hovai ghaṭi na koī ākhai.
pati parvāṇā pichai pāīai tā nānak toliā jāpai.2.
This pauri (stanza), revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib, is accompanied by three saloks. The first salok comprises six lines and describes the prevalence of falsehood and the lack of truth resulting from the harmful effects of Kaliyug (present times). The second salok consists of ten lines and depicts how the world lives under vices’ influence. No one is untouched by the impact of vices. The third salok includes four lines and illustrates that though all consider themselves to be supreme respectively, in the court of IkOankar (the Divine), the only measure of one’s greatness is the honor one receives. This pauri depicts the helplessness of individuals and that only individuals on whom IkOankar bestows the enlightenment of Wisdom (Guru) may escape the influence of falsehood and merge with the Truth.
Commentary
Literal Translation
Interpretive Transcreation
Poetical Dimension
Calligraphy
Guru Nanak explains in this verse why dyeing ourselves in devotion will work now in this age in comparison to the other systems of previous ages. The Guru describes the rampant hypocrisy in the world, how falsehood is operating in the political, religious, and social spheres, and how the result is that everyone is becoming false.
In this age, the kings, chieftains, and ministers are full of sin — so full of sin, in fact, that they are described by Guru Nanak as being the embodiment of sin. The Guru says, greed and sin have become the king and the minister, and falsehood has become the chieftain. Lust is their deputy, who is summoned and consulted. In this age, it is as if all of these vices sit together day after day, deliberating amongst themselves.
In this age, their ghost-like constituency is blind without wisdom, and we continue to fuel the fires of our temptations like a dead body to a funeral pyre. Everything is out of tune because of what the state and its agencies are doing, and what we are doing as constituents. We are dead in that we do not question, we do not speak up, we do not protest — we do not bear witness to the truth.
In this age, people who spend their time on theatrics, performing their ‘knowledge’ instead of actually being knowledgeable are considered wise or insightful ones. They dress up and sing and say loudly that they are the ones who can describe and decide who the brave are. They sing ballads of warriors but they are only putting on a show, talking loudly, saying all the right words, acting as talking heads and fooling the public.
In this age, the self-proclaimed scholars are foolish — they are only interested in accumulating wealth through clever tricks and vain arguments. These scholars were supposed to be custodians of knowledge and wisdom, their duty was to educate and guide others in virtue and principle, and they were depended on by the masses. But in this age, these same people have become ignorant and selfish hypocrites, who in their corruption, continue to knowingly mislead the masses.
In this age, those who claim to be virtuous and engage in righteous deeds ask for others to sing their praises. They ask for freedom but they are the ones who are losing it, bound by their need for praise and by the karmic point systems they have created in their heads — the true motivation behind every ‘good’ action.
In this age, those who say they practice restraint do not know how to truly be restrained or how to engage in truthful conduct. They abandon the life of a householder, thinking it is enough, and criticize those who engage in daily life.
All of these various kinds of people claim to be the complete ones, but if their actions were to be measured on a scale in comparison to the words that come out of their mouths, we would find out who is really complete. The people who are complete, Guru Nanak says, can be found by measuring the honorable lives they have supposedly lived.
In this age, the kings, chieftains, and ministers are full of sin — so full of sin, in fact, that they are described by Guru Nanak as being the embodiment of sin. The Guru says, greed and sin have become the king and the minister, and falsehood has become the chieftain. Lust is their deputy, who is summoned and consulted. In this age, it is as if all of these vices sit together day after day, deliberating amongst themselves.
In this age, their ghost-like constituency is blind without wisdom, and we continue to fuel the fires of our temptations like a dead body to a funeral pyre. Everything is out of tune because of what the state and its agencies are doing, and what we are doing as constituents. We are dead in that we do not question, we do not speak up, we do not protest — we do not bear witness to the truth.
In this age, people who spend their time on theatrics, performing their ‘knowledge’ instead of actually being knowledgeable are considered wise or insightful ones. They dress up and sing and say loudly that they are the ones who can describe and decide who the brave are. They sing ballads of warriors but they are only putting on a show, talking loudly, saying all the right words, acting as talking heads and fooling the public.
In this age, the self-proclaimed scholars are foolish — they are only interested in accumulating wealth through clever tricks and vain arguments. These scholars were supposed to be custodians of knowledge and wisdom, their duty was to educate and guide others in virtue and principle, and they were depended on by the masses. But in this age, these same people have become ignorant and selfish hypocrites, who in their corruption, continue to knowingly mislead the masses.
In this age, those who claim to be virtuous and engage in righteous deeds ask for others to sing their praises. They ask for freedom but they are the ones who are losing it, bound by their need for praise and by the karmic point systems they have created in their heads — the true motivation behind every ‘good’ action.
In this age, those who say they practice restraint do not know how to truly be restrained or how to engage in truthful conduct. They abandon the life of a householder, thinking it is enough, and criticize those who engage in daily life.
All of these various kinds of people claim to be the complete ones, but if their actions were to be measured on a scale in comparison to the words that come out of their mouths, we would find out who is really complete. The people who are complete, Guru Nanak says, can be found by measuring the honorable lives they have supposedly lived.
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