Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A man may own the most splendid arenas and win every battle; he may boast, "I can kill anyone, capture anyone, set anyone free."
But when the Order comes from the Supreme One, he departs in a single day.
The mightiest boaster is gone in a single day when the One calls.
Here is a conqueror. He owns splendid arenas and wins every battle. He brags, ha-o maara-o ha-o banDha-o chhoda-o — I can kill, I can capture, I can set free. He acts as if everyone's life is in his hands.
Aa-i-aa hukam paarbarahm kaa — then the Order comes from the Supreme One. The Hukam is the One's Order, the flow of existence. Chhod chali-aa ayk dihaarhay — he leaves it all in one day. Think of a kid who acts like the boss of the playground. When the bell rings, he goes inside like everyone else.
The Hukam is greater than every earthly power. The one who seemed to command everything commands nothing before it. Other shabads in Raag Aasaa, like Guru Nanak's songs about the invader Babar, also show the powerful held to account.
What happens to people who believe their power makes them untouchable?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI