Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The wise one is the one who remembers the One.
The rich one has a mind that can tell what matters. The noble one is the one who remembers the Master. The honorable one is the one who understands their own self.
Wisdom, wealth, a good family and honor are measured by what is inside you.
Guru Arjan takes four words we use for important people and gives each one a new meaning.
The gi-aanee, the wise one, is the one who remembers the One. The Dhanvantaa, the rich one, has buDh bibayk, a mind that can tell what matters from what does not. The kulvantaa, the one from a noble family, is the one who remembers the Master. The pativantaa, the honorable one, is the one who understands their own self.
Think of an awards night at school. You expect prizes for the best grades or the fanciest clothes. Instead, the prizes go to the kindest heart and the clearest mind. The verse moves worth away from status and into the inner life. Quietly, that makes everyone equal.
What is a kind of 'rich' that has nothing to do with money?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI