Sikhism·Raag Aasaa·Shabad 128
Verse 1 of 5

When All Is Held in the One, What Game Is Left?

ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
aasaa mehlaa 5.
Aasaa, Fifth Mehl:
ਤੂ ਬਿਅੰਤੁ ਅਵਿਗਤੁ ਅਗੋਚਰੁ ਇਹੁ ਸਭੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥
too bi-ant avigat agochar ih sabh tayraa aakaar.
You are Infinite, Eternal and Incomprehensible; all this is Your Creation.
ਕਿਆ ਹਮ ਜੰਤ ਕਰਹ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ਜਾਂ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਤੁਝੈ ਮਝਾਰਿ ॥੧॥
ki-aa ham jant karah chaturaa-ee jaaN sabh kichh tujhai majhaar. ||1||
What clever games can we play, when everything is contained in You? ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

You are infinite, eternal, beyond all grasp — and all of this is Your creation.

What clever little games could we possibly play, when everything is already held inside You?

When everything is already held inside the One, what clever game is there left to play?
The deeper layer

If everything is already inside the One, there is no point in trying to be sneaky.

Too bi-ant avigat agochar — You are endless, never ending, and beyond our reach. All of this is Your creation.

Then comes the honest question. Ki-aa ham jant karah chaturaa-ee — what clever tricks can we little creatures play? Everything is held inside You.

Imagine trying to hide from someone inside their own house, when they can see every room. There is no corner outside the One to sneak into. So the honest answer is to stop playing games and trust. Another Aasaa shabad says the same: letting go beats scheming.

A Question to Sit With

What 'clever game' might you drop if you remembered everything is already held?

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

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