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Sikhism·Raag Aasaa·Shabad 306
Verse 7 of 10

The Wisest Stay Humble; Peace Lives Low

ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਮਤ ਮਾਣੁ ਕਰਹਿ ਜਿ ਹਉ ਕਿਛੁ ਜਾਣਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਿਮਾਣਾ ਹੋਹੁ ॥
man tooN mat maan karahi je ha-o kichh jaandaa gurmukh nimaanaa hohu.
O mind, don't be so proud of yourself, as if you know it all; the Gurmukh is humble and modest.
ਅੰਤਰਿ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਹਉ ਬੁਧਿ ਹੈ ਸਚਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਮਲੁ ਖੋਹੁ ॥
antar agi-aan ha-o buDh hai sach sabad mal khohu.
Within the intellect are ignorance and ego; through the True Word of the Shabad, this filth is washed off.
ਹੋਹੁ ਨਿਮਾਣਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਅਗੈ ਮਤ ਕਿਛੁ ਆਪੁ ਲਖਾਵਹੇ ॥
hohu nimaanaa satguroo agai mat kichh aap lakhaavhay.
So be humble, and surrender to the True Guru; do not attach your identity to your ego.
ਆਪਣੈ ਅਹੰਕਾਰਿ ਜਗਤੁ ਜਲਿਆ ਮਤ ਤੂੰ ਆਪਣਾ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਵਹੇ ॥
aapnai ahaNkaar jagat jali-aa mat tooN aapnaa aap gavaavhay.
The world is consumed by ego and self-identity; see this, lest you lose your own self as well.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਭਾਣੈ ਕਰਹਿ ਕਾਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਭਾਣੈ ਲਾਗਿ ਰਹੁ ॥
satgur kai bhaanai karahi kaar satgur kai bhaanai laag rahu.
Make yourself follow the Sweet Will of the True Guru; remain attached to His Sweet Will.
ਇਉ ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਆਪੁ ਛਡਿ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਮਨ ਨਿਮਾਣਾ ਹੋਇ ਰਹੁ ॥੭॥
i-o kahai naanak aap chhad sukh paavahi man nimaanaa ho-ay rahu. ||7||
Thus says Nanak: renounce your ego and self-conceit, and obtain peace; let your mind abide in humility. ||7||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

O mind, don't act like you know everything — the wise stay humble and gentle.

Pride and confusion get gently washed away when you take the wise word to heart. So stay low and soft, and you'll find real peace.

The wisest people stay humble — staying soft and low is where the peace lives.
The deeper layer

The verse deepens the previous one: don't be proud as if you know it all — gurmukh naam vakhaanai, the wise stay humble and modest. And it names the cost of the opposite: the world is consumed by ego, so watch, lest you lose your own self too. Humility here isn't self-put-down; it's simply not attaching your identity to your ego, not needing to be the biggest one in the room. The reward is immediate and gentle: abide in humility and obtain peace. Staying soft and low isn't weakness — it's where the peace lives.

A Question to Sit With

Why do you think the people who know the most are often the most humble?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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