Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Some do penance in the forests; some settle for life at the sacred shrines.
But the unawakened do not understand their own selves. Why then did they renounce the world?
Running off to the forest does not leave your ego behind. It comes along with you.
The fourth door is leaving the world. Ik tapsee ban meh tap karahi — some do hard penance in the forest. Nit tirath vaasaa — some live at holy pilgrimage places all their lives. In those days, these were the most honored ways to be holy.
Then Guru Nanak asks a gentle, honest question. Aap na cheeneh — they do not understand themselves. So why did they give up the world? The ego is the proud "me" inside us, and it packs light. Think of moving to a new school to get away from a bad habit. The habit moves with you. The question is not mockery. It is a careful look at a hard path that skipped its first step. Knowing yourself is the real letting go. Everything else is just a change of address.
What is the difference between changing your surroundings and changing yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI