Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Some go and sit in the forest and answer no one who calls.
Some, in the cold of winter, break the ice and soak in freezing water.
Some rub ashes on their bodies and never wash off the dirt.
Some let their hair grow wild and matted, a frightening sight, and lose their family's good name.
Some wander without clothes day and night and never sleep.
Some put their own bodies through harsh trials and ruin themselves.
Without the Naam, the body turns to dust. What use is crying then?
Those who serve the True Guru look beautiful at their Master's door.
Being hard on your body does not fill an empty heart. Only the Naam does.
In this pauri Guru Nanak lists the hard things people did to reach the One. Ik van khand baiseh jaa-ay: some go sit in the forest and answer no one. Some break the ice and stand in freezing water. Some rub ashes on their bodies and never wash. Some let their hair grow wild and matted and leave their families behind. Some wander without clothes and never sleep. Some go further and harm their own bodies.
These are practices of tap, putting the body through hardship to win something spiritual. The verse's answer is plain. Vin naavai tan chhaar: without the Naam, the body is just dust.
Sohan khasam du-aar je satgur sayvhee: those who follow the True Guru shine at the Master's door. Think of a student who stays up all night staring at a closed book. Suffering over it is not the same as learning. Learning comes with a good teacher.
The point is aimed at hollow outward show in every tradition, not at any one faith. The next few pauris make the same point.
Have you ever thought that being tough on yourself would fix something it could not?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI