Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In the old tales, King Bal was wrapped up in wealth and self-importance.
He threw grand feasts and swelled with pride.
He never paused to ask for wiser counsel, and so he lost his footing.
Pride can trip up even a generous king.
King Bal, also called Bali, comes from the Puranas, India's old books of stories. He was generous, and he held grand feast-offerings. But he was caught in maya and pride. Maya is the pull of money, things and show.
His fall came bin gur poochhay — because he never asked the Guru for guidance. In the story he ended up in the underworld. It is like a gifted student who never asks the teacher anything, and slowly gets lost.
The same lesson runs through this whole shabad: pride without humility trips even the mighty. The old stories are told with respect. They are mirrors for us, not targets.
When is it hardest for you to ask someone wiser for help?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI