ਬਸੰਤੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਇਕ ਤੁਕੀਆ ॥
basant mehlaa 1 ik tukee-aa.
Basant, First Mehl, Ik-Tukee:
ਮਤੁ ਭਸਮ ਅੰਧੂਲੇ ਗਰਬਿ ਜਾਹਿ ॥
mat bhasam anDhoolay garab jaahi.
Do not make such a show of rubbing ashes on your body.
ਇਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਨਾਗੇ ਜੋਗੁ ਨਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
in biDh naagay jog naahi. ||1||
O naked Yogi, this is not the way of Yoga! ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Do not make a proud show of rubbing ashes on your body.
O Yogi who goes without clothes, this is not the way of Yoga!
Union is not a costume you put on; it lives where the eye cannot see.
Ashes on the skin and going without clothes are a show on the outside, and union with the One happens inside.
The opening ik-tukee (single-line couplet) sets aside outer religious display: rubbing on ashes (bhasam), going naked as a mark of holiness. In bidh naage jog naahi: this is not the way of union. The critique is aimed at hollow show, in any tradition. Union is inward, not a costume.
A Question to Sit With
What is the difference between looking good and being good?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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