Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The world is held in bondage; he alone is freed who conquers his ego.
How rare the wise one who practices this, the scholar who reflects on it; without meeting the true Guru, all wander in ego.
Everyone stays tied up until the ego is won over.
Jag bandee mukatay ha-o maaree — the world is tied up; only the one who wins over the ego is free. Ha-o, or haumai, is ego, the "me first" voice inside.
The verse says how rare this is. Jag gi-aanee virlaa aachaaree — rare is the wise one who actually lives it. Jag pandit virlaa veechaaree — rare is the scholar who even thinks deeply about it. The point is not about any one group. It is about the gap between knowing and doing.
Knowing about the ego is not the same as winning over it. It is like reading all about swimming but never getting in the pool. Bin satgur bhaytay — without meeting the True Guru, everyone keeps wandering in ego.
What's the difference between knowing about your ego and actually conquering it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI