qMonkqMonkSikhism
Sikhism·Raag Malaar·Shabad 71
Verse 30 of 86

It Is All His Doing, Whom Would I Blame

ਪਉੜੀ ॥
pa-orhee.
Pauree:
ਆਪਿ ਕਰਾਏ ਕਰੇ ਆਪਿ ਹਉ ਕੈ ਸਿਉ ਕਰੀ ਪੁਕਾਰ ॥
aap karaa-ay karay aap ha-o kai si-o karee pukaar.
He Himself does, and causes all to be done. Unto whom can I complain?
ਆਪੇ ਲੇਖਾ ਮੰਗਸੀ ਆਪਿ ਕਰਾਏ ਕਾਰ ॥
aapay laykhaa mangsee aap karaa-ay kaar.
He Himself calls the mortal beings to account; He Himself causes them to act.
ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਥੀਐ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਕਰੇ ਗਾਵਾਰੁ ॥
jo tis bhaavai so thee-ai hukam karay gaavaar.
Whatever pleases Him happens. Only a fool issues commands.
ਆਪਿ ਛਡਾਏ ਛੁਟੀਐ ਆਪੇ ਬਖਸਣਹਾਰੁ ॥
aap chhadaa-ay chhutee-ai aapay bakhsanhaar.
He Himself saves and redeems; He Himself is the Forgiver.
ਆਪੇ ਵੇਖੈ ਸੁਣੇ ਆਪਿ ਸਭਸੈ ਦੇ ਆਧਾਰੁ ॥
aapay vaykhai sunay aap sabhsai day aaDhaar.
He Himself sees, and He Himself hears; He gives His Support to all.
ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਏਕੁ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਸਿਰਿ ਸਿਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
sabh meh ayk varatdaa sir sir karay beechaar.
He alone is pervading and permeating all; He considers each and every one.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਪੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੀਐ ਲਗੈ ਸਚਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
gurmukh aap veechaaree-ai lagai sach pi-aar.
The Gurmukh reflects on the self, lovingly attached to the True Lord.
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਿਸ ਨੋ ਆਖੀਐ ਆਪੇ ਦੇਵਣਹਾਰੁ ॥੧੦॥
naanak kis no aakhee-ai aapay dayvanhaar. ||10||
O Nanak, whom can we ask? He Himself is the Great Giver. ||10||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The One does everything and has everything done. Who could I complain to? The One asks for the account, and the One gives us our work to do.

Whatever pleases the One, that happens. Only a foolish person tries to give orders. When the One sets us free, we are free. The One is the Forgiver.

The One sees and the One hears, and holds up every being. The One alone moves in all, and thinks about each and every one. Following the Guru, I look at myself, and my love holds fast to the True One.

Nanak says: who else can we ask? The One alone is the Giver.

When it is all held in one hand, there is no one to blame and every reason to trust.
The deeper layer

Everything rests in the One's hands, so there is no one to blame and no one else to ask.

This is the tenth pauri of Guru Nanak's Vaar. Aap karaa-ay karay aap: the One does, and has things done. Hukam karay gaavaar: only a fool gives orders, as if the world should obey our wishes. The One is bakhsanhaar, the Forgiver, and dayvanhaar, the Giver, so the stanza ends on gifts.

A Question to Sit With

What changes when you stop looking for someone to blame?

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

About this shabad →
← Verse 29 of 86 The Wealth That Comes And Goes, And The Wealth That Stays
Verse 31 of 86 →The Rainbird's Thirst And The Nectar That Ends It
Use ← → to navigate