Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Lots of clever people read and argue and shout — but who are they really teaching?
When a heart is stuck only on shiny things, it keeps circling and aching.
Real peace comes from goodness, not from winning arguments.
The verse deflates noisy learning again: "the scholars read and study, argue and shout — who are they trying to teach?" Knowledge used to win arguments doesn't feed a heart. The harsh lines ("worm of poison... immersed in manure," "die screaming") are softened, per the wellbeing rules, to the aching restlessness of a heart fixated on fleeting things; "imbued with the Name, lasting peace is found." For a child: being clever enough to win arguments isn't the same as being at peace — real peace comes from goodness.
Have you noticed that winning an argument doesn't always make you feel good inside? What does?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI