Bashô is referring here to the well-known tale of the monk Zōga 増賀 (917-1003), a senior cleric who, upon visiting the Grand Shrine, decided to abandon his wealth and, stripping off his robes, distributed them to the beggars at the shine, going on to live the rest of his life as a hermit. The poem says, ‘I may be following in Zōga’s footsteps but, unlike him, I lack the sanctity to go naked in the cold.’