Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Wake up, sleepy mind, and pay attention — look at what love for the One can do.
Remember Valmiki: he started life at the very bottom of what people valued, and through his devotion he rose to become one of the most honored souls of all. Love for the One lifted him that high.
Devotion, not birth, decides how high a soul can rise.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line. It is the center of the shabad. Ray chit chayt chayt achayt: wake up, wake up, my sleepy mind!
Then Ravidas points to Baalmeek, known as Valmiki. Valmiki is the poet-sage of the Ramayana, a great Hindu story-poem. He is remembered as starting out low in society's eyes, as a hunter. Through devotion he rose to be a deeply honored soul. Kis jaat tay kih padeh amri-o: from what low standing to what a high place he reached!
Think of a player cut from the team who practices with his whole heart and ends up the star. For Ravidas, Valmiki is living proof. Devotion, not birth, decides a soul's true height. This idea runs through the whole shabad.
Who is someone that rose far beyond where they started — and what carried them there?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI