Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In this age the Quran and the Bible are famous, and the pandits' old books are set aside.
Nanak says: now the One is called Rehmaan, the Merciful.
Know this: there is only one Maker of everything that is.
People call the One by many names, and there is only one Maker of everything.
Guru Nanak describes his age. Katayb are the holy books of the Jewish and Christian traditions, and the Kuraan is the Quran. These became famous. The pandit's books, a pandit being a Hindu scholar, and the Puraanas, books of old stories, were set aside. This describes the times. It is not a judgment on any book.
Then comes the key line. Naanak naa-o bha-i-aa rehmaan means the Name is now Rehmaan, "the Merciful." It is a beloved Muslim name for God. The One answers to the names of every faith.
Then the verse lands on what joins them all. Kar kartaa too ayko jaan means "know that there is only one Maker." It is deeply respectful of Islam and Hinduism alike. Think of your grandmother. One grandchild calls her Nani, another Grandma, another Abuela. She is the same person, and she loves them all.
People around the world use different names for the divine. What might it mean that they could all be pointing at the same thing?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI