Sikhism·Raag Bilaaval·Shabad 59
Verse 1 of 5

Nothing Happens Apart From You

ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
bilaaval mehlaa 5.
Bilaaval, Fifth Mehl:
ਕੀਤਾ ਲੋੜਹਿ ਸੋ ਕਰਹਿ ਤੁਝ ਬਿਨੁ ਕਛੁ ਨਾਹਿ ॥
keetaa lorheh so karahi tujh bin kachh naahi.
Whatever You wish, You do. Without You, there is nothing.
ਪਰਤਾਪੁ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਰਾ ਦੇਖਿ ਕੈ ਜਮਦੂਤ ਛਡਿ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
partaap tumHaaraa daykh kai jamdoot chhad jaahi. ||1||
Gazing upon Your Glory, the Messenger of Death leaves and goes away. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Whatever the One sets in motion, happens. Nothing at all stands outside of that.

Seeing Your glory, even the fear of death loses its power and slips quietly away.

Sensing something bigger holding it all can quiet even your biggest fears.
The deeper layer

Nothing happens apart from the One. Keetaa lorheh so karahi tujh bin kachh naahi — whatever You wish, You do; without You there is nothing.

Think of a conductor in front of an orchestra. Every instrument plays because of that one guiding hand.

Then: partaap tumaaraa daykh kai jamdoot chhad jaahi — seeing Your glory, the Jamdoot, the Messenger of Death, leaves and goes away. It means fear itself loses its grip. When you sense how great the One is, dread has nowhere to stay. That is a comfort.

A Question to Sit With

What helps your worries feel smaller when they get too big?

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

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