Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Becoming a king, a man wields his power; he oppresses the people and piles up wealth.
He gathers and collects until his bags are full —
but God takes it from him and gives it to another.
A king who grabs wealth by hurting people never truly keeps it.
Bhoopat ho-ay kai raaj kamaa-i-aa — becoming a king, he rules. Kar kar anrath vihaajee maa-i-aa — doing harm again and again, he piles up wealth. Anrath means cruelty, wrong done to others. He crushes the people and fills his bags.
Then comes the turn, quick and sure. God takes it all from him and gives it to another. Think of a kid who grabs every toy at recess. The bell rings, and the toys go back in the box for someone else. Wealth taken by force is never really held. It passes on, often to the next grabbing hand. Guru Nanak's songs in Raag Aasaa about the invader Babar show the same thing.
If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
What happens to things gathered by force rather than honestly earned?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI