Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Those who keep hard fasts — those who never touch others —
The hermits who never show themselves —
And those who are wise in their own minds.
This is the last group in the list. It ends with the hardest one to spot: people who trust only their own cleverness.
Nirhaar vartee: some keep very hard fasts as their practice. Aaprasaa: some never touch anyone, to keep themselves "pure." Ik look na dayveh darsaa: some hide away as hermits and are never seen.
The last group is the most surprising. Ik man hee gi-aataa: some are "wise in their own mind." They skip every tradition and trust only their own understanding.
This is a gentle warning. Going your own way is not automatically better than following a path. The mind can fool itself, like a player who is sure they are the best, but has never checked the score.
Now the list is complete. Every tradition and every practice has been named, from the strictest to the most comfortable, from the scholar to the pilgrim. Nothing is left out. And the next line brings the surprise.
What does it mean to be 'wise in your own mind' spiritually — and what are the risks and gifts of trusting your own understanding rather than following a tradition?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI