Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Anyone — from any family, any class, high or low as the world counts it — can say the Name of the One. It is open to every single person.
So honor the Guru as the doorway to the One, and stay close to that wisdom, all day and all night.
Anyone at all can say the Name of the One. No one is shut out because of the family they were born into.
Long ago, society in India was split into four varan, or classes: Khatree (warriors), Braahman (priests), Vais (traders) and Sood (workers). People were told what they could and could not do because of their class.
The verse names all four on purpose, so it can knock down the wall between them. The Name has no gate and no ticket. Think of a park that is open to every child in town, no matter which street they live on.
This is Gurbani's deep welcome of everyone. As Guru Nanak lived it, ranking people from high to low is just a confusion.
The verse also says to honor the Guru, the true teacher, as the doorway to the One, and to stay close to that wisdom day and night.
Why does it matter that the most important thing is open to absolutely everyone?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI