Grace Turns the Upside-Down Upright

ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥

aasaa mehlaa 5.

Aasaa, Fifth Mehl:

ਅਪੁਸਟ ਬਾਤ ਤੇ ਭਈ ਸੀਧਰੀ ਦੂਤ ਦੁਸਟ ਸਜਨਈ ॥

apusat baat tay bha-ee seeDhree doot dusat sajna-ee.

That which was upside-down has been set upright; the deadly enemies and adversaries have become friends.

ਅੰਧਕਾਰ ਮਹਿ ਰਤਨੁ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸਿਓ ਮਲੀਨ ਬੁਧਿ ਹਛਨਈ ॥੧॥

anDhkaar meh ratan pargaasi-o maleen buDh hachhna-ee. ||1||

In the darkness, the jewel shines forth, and the impure understanding has become pure. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

What was upside-down has been set upright. Deadly enemies and rivals have become friends.

In the darkness, the jewel shines out. My muddy understanding has become pure.

Grace doesn't just improve you — it turns the upside-down upright and makes enemies into friends.

The deeper layer

Grace can turn a whole life right side up.

Guru Arjan lists the changes grace makes. Apusat baat tay bha-ee seedhree — what was upside-down is set upright. Doot dusat sajna-ee — enemies have become friends. A jewel shines in the dark. A muddy understanding becomes clear.

Think of an hourglass flipped over. Nothing is added or taken away, yet everything starts to flow the right way. Grace does not just polish the soul a little. It flips it the right way up. Another shabad in this raag (Shabad 135) sings of these same wonders of grace.

A Question to Sit With

What in your life would it take a complete turning-around to fix?

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

About this shabad →

← Shabad 214 · Verse 5 Your Steps and Breaths Are Already Counted

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