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Sikhism·Raag Bihaagraa·Shabad 16
Verse 4 of 64

The Only Battle Worth Winning Is Inside Yourself

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੩ ॥
salok mehlaa 3.
Shalok, Third Mehl:
ਨਾਨਕ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤਾ ਜਗਿ ਜੀਤਾ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥
naanak gi-aanee jag jeetaa jag jeetaa sabh ko-ay.
O Nanak, the spiritually wise one has conquered all others.
ਨਾਮੇ ਕਾਰਜ ਸਿਧਿ ਹੈ ਸਹਜੇ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
naamay kaaraj siDh hai sehjay ho-ay so ho-ay.
Through the Name, his affairs are brought to perfection; whatever happens is by His Will.
ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਮਤਿ ਅਚਲੁ ਹੈ ਚਲਾਇ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਕੋਇ ॥
gurmat mat achal hai chalaa-ay na sakai ko-ay.
Under Guru's Instruction, his mind is held steady; no one can make him waver.
ਭਗਤਾ ਕਾ ਹਰਿ ਅੰਗੀਕਾਰੁ ਕਰੇ ਕਾਰਜੁ ਸੁਹਾਵਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
bhagtaa kaa har angeekaar karay kaaraj suhaavaa ho-ay.
The Lord makes His devotee His own, and his affairs are adjusted.
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਮੂਲਹੁ ਭੁਲਾਇਅਨੁ ਵਿਚਿ ਲਬੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ॥
manmukh moolhu bhulaa-i-an vich lab lobh ahaNkaar.
The self-willed manmukhs have been led astray from the very beginning; within them lurks greed, avarice and ego.
ਝਗੜਾ ਕਰਦਿਆ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਗੁਦਰੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਨ ਕਰੈ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
jhagrhaa kardi-aa an-din gudrai sabad na karai veechaar.
Their nights and days pass in argument, and they do not reflect upon the Word of the Shabad.
ਸੁਧਿ ਮਤਿ ਕਰਤੈ ਹਿਰਿ ਲਈ ਬੋਲਨਿ ਸਭੁ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥
suDh mat kartai hir la-ee bolan sabh vikaar.
The Creator has taken away their subtle intellect, and all their speech is corrupt.
ਦਿਤੈ ਕਿਤੈ ਨ ਸੰਤੋਖੀਅਨਿ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਅਗ੍ਯ੍ਯਾਨੁ ਅੰਧਾਰੁ ॥
ditai kitai na santokhee-an antar tarisnaa bahut ag-yaan anDhaar.
No matter what they are given, they are not satisfied; within them is desire, and the great darkness of ignorance.
ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨਮੁਖਾ ਨਾਲਹੁ ਤੁਟੀਆ ਭਲੀ ਜਿਨਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥੧॥
naanak manmukhaa naalahu tutee-aa bhalee jinaa maa-i-aa mohi pi-aar. ||1||
O Nanak, it is right to break with the self-willed manmukhs; to them, the love of Maya is sweet. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

A truly wise person has quietly won the only battle that matters — the one inside themselves.

Steadied by good teaching, they can't be knocked off balance; their days settle into place.

When we forget who we are, restlessness and grabbiness sneak in, and nothing ever feels like enough.

It's kinder to yourself to step away from that endless wanting and turn back toward what's real.

The only battle worth winning is the quiet one inside yourself.
The deeper layer

A longer Shalok (Third Mehl) contrasting the giaanee (spiritually wise) and the manmukh (self-turned). The wise one "has conquered all others" — meaning, in Sikh terms, has mastered the self, the only real conquest. Steadied by the Guru's instruction, "no one can make him waver." The self-turned state is described honestly — greed, ego, endless dissatisfaction ("no matter what they are given, they are not satisfied") — a precise picture of the restless mind. The line "it is right to break with the manmukhs" is rendered gently as stepping away from that endless wanting (a state), not shunning people, keeping the diagnosis without contempt.

A Question to Sit With

What does it feel like to master a strong impulse instead of letting it master you?

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

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