Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Some go off to sit alone in forests, and some make their home high in the mountains.
But forgetting the Naam, they waste away in their pride.
Without the Naam, what use is all that wisdom and deep meditation?
Those who follow the Guru are honored in the court of the One.
Going far away to be holy does not help if you forget the Name.
Some people leave home to live in the ban, the forest, or up on the doogar, the mountains. Guru Nanak speaks of them with respect. But he names a risk. Alone on a mountain, a person can start to feel special. That feeling is abhimaan, pride, and it can quietly grow when the Name is set aside.
Naam binaa ki-aa gi-aan dhi-aan — without the Name, what is wisdom or deep meditation for? It is like a phone with every app installed but no connection. It looks full of power, yet it cannot reach anyone.
The gurmukh — the one whose heart turns toward the Guru's teaching — is honored dargahi, in the Court, the very presence of the One.
Is there a way you have tried to grow that quietly fed your pride instead?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI