Pride Holds You Like a Parrot That Won't Let Go

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

Pride traps you, and it's a trap you hold shut yourself.

Raaj kahaavai ha-o karam kamaavai — someone calls himself a king and acts out of ha-o, ego, the proud "me." The verse says he is caught by his doubts, nalinee bharam soo-aa, like a parrot in a trap. Soo-aa means parrot.

Here is how that old trap works. The parrot lands on a spinning stick and clings on tight as it turns upside down. It could fly away just by letting go, but it holds on. Pride grips the soul the same way. Its own ego is the trap it won't let go of. Another shabad speaks of proud rulers in the same way.