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Sikhism·Raag Bilaaval·Shabad 173
Verse 18 of 40

Even Kings Are Beggars At The One's Door

ਪਉੜੀ ॥
pa-orhee.
Pauree:
ਜਿਤਨੇ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹ ਸਾਹ ਰਾਜੇ ਖਾਨ ਉਮਰਾਵ ਸਿਕਦਾਰ ਹਹਿ ਤਿਤਨੇ ਸਭਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਕੀਏ ॥
jitnay paatisaah saah raajay khaan umraav sikdaar heh titnay sabh har kay kee-ay.
The kings, emperors, rulers, lords, nobles and chiefs, are all created by the Lord.
ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਰਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਓਇ ਕਰਹਿ ਸਭਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਅਰਥੀਏ ॥
jo kichh har karaavai so o-ay karahi sabh har kay arthee-ay.
Whatever the Lord causes them to do, they do; they are all beggars, dependent on the Lord.
ਸੋ ਐਸਾ ਹਰਿ ਸਭਨਾ ਕਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਵਲਿ ਹੈ ਤਿਨਿ ਸਭਿ ਵਰਨ ਚਾਰੇ ਖਾਣੀ ਸਭ ਸ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਗੋਲੇ ਕਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਅਗੈ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਵਣ ਕਉ ਦੀਏ ॥
so aisaa har sabhnaa kaa parabh satgur kai val hai tin sabh varan chaaray khaanee sabh sarisat golay kar satgur agai kaar kamaavan ka-o dee-ay.
Such is God, the Lord of all; He is on the True Guru's side. All castes and social classes, the four sources of creation, and the whole universe are slaves of the True Guru; God makes them work for Him.
ਹਰਿ ਸੇਵੇ ਕੀ ਐਸੀ ਵਡਿਆਈ ਦੇਖਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਸੰਤਹੁ ਜਿਨਿ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਕਾਇਆ ਨਗਰੀ ਦੁਸਮਨ ਦੂਤ ਸਭਿ ਮਾਰਿ ਕਢੀਏ ॥
har sayvay kee aisee vadi-aa-ee daykhhu har santahu jin vichahu kaa-i-aa nagree dusman doot sabh maar kadhee-ay.
See the glorious greatness of serving the Lord, O Saints of the Lord; He has conquered and driven all the enemies and evil-doers out of the body-village.
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾਲੁ ਹੋਆ ਭਗਤ ਜਨਾ ਉਪਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਆਪਣੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਆਪਿ ਰਖਿ ਲੀਏ ॥੬॥
har har kirpaal ho-aa bhagat janaa upar har aapnee kirpaa kar har aap rakh lee-ay. ||6||
The Lord, Har, Har, is Merciful to His humble devotees; granting His Grace, the Lord Himself protects and preserves them. ||6||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

All the kings and rulers and powerful people there are -- every one of them was made by the One.

Whatever they do, they do within the One's world; in truth, they are all askers at the same door.

The One belongs to everyone alike, and stands with the Guru; every kind of person, the whole of creation, is held the same way.

See what turning toward the One can do: the enemies inside the body -- fear, greed, anger -- get gently cleared out.

The One is kind to those who love, wrapping them in care and keeping them safe.

The most powerful person alive and you are both askers at the very same door.
The deeper layer

The sixth numbered Pauri (Guru Ram Das), and one of the Vaar's great levelers: jitnay paatisaah... titnay sabh har kay kee-ay -- every king and emperor is the One's creation, and sabh har kay arthee-ay -- all are beggars at the same door. Worldly rank is dissolved. Sabh varan chaaray khaanee -- all four castes and all sources of life -- are held equally: caste-leveling foregrounded. The kaa-i-aa nagree (body-village) cleared of dusman doot (inner enemies) is read as the healing of fear, greed, and anger -- ego as disease, not sin.

A Question to Sit With

If even kings are “beggars” before the One, what does that say about how much status matters?

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

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