Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A person may give himself a grand name and lose himself in his pleasures.
But in the eyes of the One, he is just a worm eating the world's grain.
Only the one who dies to his ego while still alive receives the true blessing, says Nanak. He receives it by holding the Name.
Pride and power don't make a person great. Letting go of pride does.
Now Guru Nanak looks past the one battle to what causes such harm. A person may give himself a grand name and enjoy every pleasure he wants. But in the One's eyes, he is "just a worm, for all the corn that he eats." Pride doesn't make someone bigger. It makes them smaller.
Think of a sandcastle kingdom on the beach. It looks mighty until the tide comes in. When the mighty fall, one thing is left standing. Mar mar jeevai — to "die" to your ego while still alive. That means letting the proud "me" fade away, and holding on to the Name.
What do you think truly makes a person great — and is it the same as being powerful?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI