Sikhism·Dakhnee Onkaar·Shabad 111
Verse 15 of 55

Why the World Bows to Gold

ਆਇ ਵਿਗੂਤਾ ਜਗੁ ਜਮ ਪੰਥੁ ॥
aa-ay vigootaa jag jam panth.
The world is ruined on the path of Death.
ਆਈ ਨ ਮੇਟਣ ਕੋ ਸਮਰਥੁ ॥
aa-ee na maytan ko samrath.
No one has the power to erase Maya's influence.
ਆਥਿ ਸੈਲ ਨੀਚ ਘਰਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
aath sail neech ghar ho-ay.
If wealth visits the home of the lowliest clown,
ਆਥਿ ਦੇਖਿ ਨਿਵੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਦੋਇ ॥
aath daykh nivai jis do-ay.
seeing that wealth, all pay their respects to him.
ਆਥਿ ਹੋਇ ਤਾ ਮੁਗਧੁ ਸਿਆਨਾ ॥
aath ho-ay taa mugaDh si-aanaa.
Even an idiot is thought of as clever, if he is rich.
ਭਗਤਿ ਬਿਹੂਨਾ ਜਗੁ ਬਉਰਾਨਾ ॥
bhagat bihoonaa jag ba-uraanaa.
Without devotional worship, the world is insane.
ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਵਰਤੈ ਏਕੋ ਸੋਇ ॥
sabh meh vartai ayko so-ay.
The One Lord is contained among all.
ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਇ ॥੧੪॥
jis no kirpaa karay tis pargat ho-ay. ||14||
He reveals Himself, unto those whom He blesses with His Grace. ||14||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The world comes here and goes to ruin on the road toward death; no one has the power to wipe away Maya's pull.

Let money land in the house of someone the world looks down on, and suddenly everyone bows to them.

A person the world called foolish is called wise the moment they're rich.

Without loving devotion, the world goes crazy.

The One lives in every single person, and shows itself clearly to those it blesses with grace.

The world bows to money — but the One lives equally in everyone.
The deeper layer

The world ranks people by wealth, bowing to gold rather than goodness. Worth is not in status or riches. Sabh meh vartai eko soay — the One lives in everyone equally. Jam panth, the road toward death, is the chase after things that cannot last.

A Question to Sit With

Have you ever seen someone treated differently just because of what they had?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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