The Ego Divides Us
The sense of ‘me and mine’ is the root of suffering and separation from God.
सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते
Sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṃ, tato na vijugupsate
One who sees their own self in all beings feels no hatred and no fear.
विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः। निर्ममो निरहंकारः स शांतिमधिगच्छति।।2.71।।
vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumānśh charati niḥspṛihaḥ nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sa śhāntim adhigachchhati
That person attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of ownership, and without egoism.
ਹਉਮੈ ਦੀਰਘ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਭੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਹਿ
Haumai deeragh rog hai, daaroo bhee is maahi
English
Ego is a deep, chronic illness — yet within it also lies its very cure.
Punjabi meaning coming soon
Common thread
Drop the small ‘I’, and the distance to the divine quietly disappears.
Echo
Sanskrit calls it ahaṅkāra, Gurbani calls it haumai — the same ‘I-am-ness’ that all three say must dissolve.
📖 A story to understand
A proud, wealthy man met Guru Nanak, who handed him a needle: ‘Keep it, and return it to me in the next world.’ The man laughed — nothing material can cross over. He understood: only ego makes us cling, and it cannot follow us home.
Traditional sakhi / story (simplified retelling)