Lives Differ; and the Maker Cares for Each
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O Nanak, the One is beyond all measuring, without end or limit.
The One makes, and then the One unmakes.
Some have chains around their necks, while some ride on many horses.
The One acts, and makes us act. So to whom could I complain?
Says Nanak, the One who made the world takes care of it.
This verse sits with a hard question: why do lives turn out so differently?
Iknhaa galee janjeeree-aa ik turee charheh bisee-aar — some have chains around their necks, while some ride many horses. Some lives look heavy. Some look free. It is not ours to fully explain.
Aap karaa-ay saakhtee fir aap karaa-ay maar — the One makes, and the One unmakes. The One acts, and the One makes us act.
So what about complaining? Ha-o kai si-o karee pukaar — to whom would I complain? There is no higher court. Instead the verse rests in trust. Karnaa jin kee-aa fir tis hee karnee saar — the One who made the world takes care of it.
This is not shrugging at unfairness. It is being humble about not seeing the whole picture. Think of looking at one piece of a jigsaw puzzle. It can look strange alone. The one who made the puzzle sees how it all fits.
You do not have to understand every "why" to trust the One who is caring for it all.
Is it possible to trust that things are cared for, even when you can't understand why they're unequal?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI