Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
They pinch their nose and claim to see whole worlds.
Yet they cannot even see what is right behind them. What a strange pose that is!
A grand pose does not bring real sight.
The people pinching their noses claim they can see tin lo-a, the three worlds — earth, sky and the worlds below. Magar paachhai kachh na soojhai — yet they cannot see what is right behind them. Then Guru Nanak smiles: ayhu padam alo-a, "what a strange lotus pose this is!" The lotus pose is a famous sitting position in yoga.
The gentle joke lets the air out of the pretending. Imagine someone gazing through a telescope at faraway planets while tripping over the dog at their feet. A practice done only on the outside, with no inner sight, sees nothing real, however impressive it looks.
Have you seen someone try to look impressive while missing something obvious?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI