Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The leaders let go of their higher duty and took up coarser, harmful ways.
And so the whole world slid down to one low level, and the sense of right living faded.
Guru Nanak grieves that the people meant to protect everyone had let go of their duty — and so the whole society slid down together.
The khataree-aa (Kshatriyas) were the warrior class. Their duty, their Dharam, was to protect people and stand up for what is right. In Guru Nanak's time, many of them dropped that duty. Malaychh bhaakhi-aa gahee: they took up the language and ways of the powerful rulers of the day, to win their favor. The complaint is not about any language or any people. It is about giving up your own duty to please whoever holds power.
Sarisat sabh ik varan ho-ee — the whole world sank to one level — Dharam kee gat rahee, and the sense of right living was lost. Think of a team whose captain starts playing only to impress the coach. Soon no one is playing for the team, and everyone's game gets worse together. When those who should set the example stop trying, everyone tends to sink with them.
What happens in a team or a class when the people who should set a good example stop trying?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI