Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A thousand scriptures might be explained to you. A thousand scholars might read the holy books aloud for you.
But if you count for nothing before the One, none of it is accepted.
Guru Nanak is saying: a mountain of learning means nothing without a true heart.
The third round of "thousands" is about learning. Thousands of Shaastras, ancient books of knowledge, are explained. Thousands of Pandits, learned scholars, read the Puraanas, the old holy stories. And still, if you do not count with the One, sabhay kuparvaan — none of it is accepted.
Power, money, and now learning: the three things the world respects most. All three are measured by one simple test, and all three fall short without it. Even holy knowledge cannot take the place of being real before the One. It is like knowing every rule of football by heart but never stepping onto the field. Other hymns in this raag say the same about the scholar who knows the books but misses the heart.
Can someone know all the right things and still miss the point?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI