Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Grand ceremonies and pilgrimages done only to feed your pride don't clear the heart — they leave the ego heavier than before. Chasing highs and lows, up and down, a person keeps circling and never rests.
This one says a ritual done for pride makes the heart heavier, not lighter.
Hom jag tirath kee-ay — fire offerings, big feasts and trips to holy places. Hom is a fire offering, jag a large ceremony, tirath a pilgrimage. Guru Arjan speaks of these done bich ha-umai, in ego, for show or status. BaDhay bikaar — then the wrongs only grow.
The critique aims at pride, never at any tradition or its people. Anyone can ask, gently, whether one of their own practices has turned into a show. Think of practicing piano only so others will clap. The music gets lost.
The verse then speaks of narak surag, hell and heaven, and of being born bahur bahur, again and again. It points to the restlessness of a self still ruled by ego: up and down, round and round, never at rest. The point is that restlessness, not a threat of punishment.
Have you ever done something good-looking mainly so others would notice? How did it actually feel inside?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI