Nanak says, only one thing is of any account, which is, getting knowledge and wisdom from them everything else is useless babbling and idle talk in ego.
We may read them all our life we may read them with every breath. We may read them year after year we may read them many months there are. We may read and read boat-loads of books we may read and read and fill pits with them. We may read and read loads of books we may read and study vast multitudes of books. Parreah Jete Baras Baras Parreah Jete Mas || Parrea Jeti Aarja Parreah Jete Sas || Nanak Lekhai Ek Gal Hor Houmai Jhakhna Jhakh ||1|| Tells you the history of the paath and allows you to read it in English, Punjabi, or Hindi. It is also a part of evening prayer of the Sikhs chaupai sahib full path Rehras sahib. Parr Parr Gaddi Ladheah Parr Parr Bhareah Sath || Parr Parr Berri Paeai Parr Parr Gadeah Khat || Reading path without understanding is meaningless as Guru Nanak says That’s only possible if it is read slowly with understanding and assimilating the essence, as churning the curdled milk slowly and steadily with a churning stick.
Gurbani is Guru which gives spiritual knowledge and wisdom how to adopt and assimilate Virtues of the God in the mind (Mann).