ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
aasaa mehlaa 1.
Aasaa, First Mehl:
ਕੀਤਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਾਇਆ ਤਿਸੁ ਕਿਆ ਕਹੀਐ ਭਾਈ ॥
keetaa hovai karay karaa-i-aa tis ki-aa kahee-ai bhaa-ee.
The created being acts as he is made to act; what can be said to him, O Siblings of Destiny?
ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰਣਾ ਸੋ ਕਰਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਕੀਤੇ ਕਿਆ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ॥੧॥
jo kichh karnaa so kar rahi-aa keetay ki-aa chaturaa-ee. ||1||
Whatever the Lord is to do, He is doing; what cleverness could be used to affect Him? ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A creature does only what it is made to do — so what is there to scold it for?
Whatever the One is going to do, it is already doing; what clever trick could ever change that?
You are not the author of the whole show — and seeing that softens both your judging and your scheming.
Nanak states the limit of human control plainly: we act within a far larger order, so blame and cleverness both miss the mark. This is not a license for cruelty — it is humility about ultimate authorship. We are not the sole authors of the whole drama; recognizing that loosens both our harsh judging of others and our scheming to control outcomes.
A Question to Sit With
What is something you've worried about controlling that was never really in your hands?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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