Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Yogis sit in their yogic postures. The Mullahs sit at their stations of prayer.
The Hindu Pandits recite from their books. The Siddhas sit in the temples of their gods.
This line says: people of every religion have their special seats. But one day, all of them get up and go.
Jogee ta aasan kar bahai: the Yogis sit in their aasan, their yoga postures. Mulaa bahai mukaam: the Mullahs, Muslim teachers, sit in their places of prayer. Pandit vakaaneh pothee-aa: the Hindu pandits, learned teachers, read aloud from their holy books. Sidh baheh dayv sathaan: the Siddhas, masters with special powers, sit in the temples of their gods.
This was nearly every path in Guru Nanak's north India. Each one has its own place and its own way of sitting. Many of them had kept those places for generations.
The next line will say it plainly: all of them move on too. This is not because their prayers are wrong. It is because everyone shares the same human life, and every life has an ending.
Guru Nanak is not against any faith. He is pointing out something every faith and every person has in common. Think of a class photo. Everyone sits in a neat row. But the school year ends, and everyone moves on.
What is the spiritual practice or community that gives you a sense of stability — and how do you hold it knowing even that is not the final resting place?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI