Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Some come, and some get up and leave. Some people give themselves grand names and great titles. Some are born in poverty; some rule vast kingdoms.
But when the journey ends — when this life completes — everyone realizes: without the Name, it was all just sound.
This one says that the fancy names and titles we collect don't come with us at the end.
Ik aavahi ik jaahi uth: some come, and some get up and go. Rakhee-ahi naav salaar: they give themselves grand names, like "chief" and "commander." Ik upaa-ay mangtay iknaa vaday darvaar: some are born poor, and some rule huge courts. But everyone makes the same journey at the end of life. Great rulers become dust. The poor and the emperor walk the same road.
This speaks sharply about the world of Guru Nanak's time, and about any society that ranks people. Then, your name, family and rank decided so much. They decided who could enter holy places and who got fair treatment. Guru Nanak says all of that melts away at the end. It's like a school play: when the curtain falls, everyone takes off their costumes, the king and the servant alike.
Vin naavai vaykaar: without the Name, it was all useless. What goes with you is how you lived, from the inside.
If you had to describe yourself without using any title, job, or role — who are you? What's actually there?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI