Even if spiteful people keep their outward appearance clean, it amounts to nothing if they do not purify their hearts.

The poet takes a gentle yet pointed jab at superficial piety and hypocrisy. Often, people carrying deep grudges take great care to keep up a flawless, respectable appearance before the world. But this couplet reminds us that true purity is an inside job—if the heart is still clouded with bitterness, all that outward scrubbing amounts to nothing.