The Socially Involved Renunciate is an in-depth analysis and an original English translation of the Siddh Gost, a fundamental philosophical text of the Sikh tradition. The work reflects the distinctive worldview of Sikhism, the only major Indian religion that does not regard asceticism as a legitimate path to liberation.

Composed by Guru Nanak, a medieval, north Indian saint-poet and venerated founder of the Sikh tradition, the Siddh Gost is a dialogue between Guru Nanak and several Nath yogis who had been pursuing a rigorous path of hath-yoga as renunciates of the material world. Through...