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Sikhism·Raag Raamkalee·Shabad 114
Verse 32 of 66

By the Flow of Existence

ਮਃ ੫ ॥
mehlaa 5.
Fifth Mehl:
ਹੁਕਮਿ ਉਛਲੈ ਹੁਕਮੇ ਰਹੈ ॥
hukam uchhlai hukmay rahai.
By the Hukam of Lord's Command, they move about; by the Lord's Command, they remain still.
ਹੁਕਮੇ ਦੁਖੁ ਸੁਖੁ ਸਮ ਕਰਿ ਸਹੈ ॥
hukmay dukh sukh sam kar sahai.
By His Hukam, they endure pain and pleasure alike.
ਹੁਕਮੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪੈ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤਿ ॥
hukmay naam japai din raat.
By His Hukam, they chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord, day and night.
ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਹੋਵੈ ਦਾਤਿ ॥
naanak jis no hovai daat.
O Nanak, he alone does so, who is blessed.
ਹੁਕਮਿ ਮਰੈ ਹੁਕਮੇ ਹੀ ਜੀਵੈ ॥
hukam marai hukmay hee jeevai.
By the Hukam of the Lord's Command, they die; by the Hukam of His Command, they live.
ਹੁਕਮੇ ਨਾਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਵਡਾ ਥੀਵੈ ॥
hukmay naanHaa vadaa theevai.
By His Hukam, they become tiny, and huge.
ਹੁਕਮੇ ਸੋਗ ਹਰਖ ਆਨੰਦ ॥
hukmay sog harakh aanand.
By His Hukam, they receive pain, happiness and bliss.
ਹੁਕਮੇ ਜਪੈ ਨਿਰੋਧਰ ਗੁਰਮੰਤ ॥
hukmay japai niroDhar gurmant.
By His Hukam, they chant the Guru's Mantra, which always works.
ਹੁਕਮੇ ਆਵਣੁ ਜਾਣੁ ਰਹਾਏ ॥
hukmay aavan jaan rahaa-ay.
By His Hukam, coming and going in reincarnation cease,
ਨਾਨਕ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਭਗਤੀ ਲਾਏ ॥੨॥
naanak jaa ka-o bhagtee laa-ay. ||2||
O Nanak, when He links them to His devotional worship. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

By the Hukam — the flow of life — we move about; by the Hukam we stay still.

By the Hukam we bear pain and pleasure alike.

By the Hukam we repeat the Naam day and night.

Nanak says: only the one who is given this gift does so.

By the Hukam we die; by the Hukam we live.

By the Hukam we become small, and become great.

By the Hukam come sorrow, happiness and bliss.

By the Hukam we repeat the Guru's word, which always works.

By the Hukam, the coming and going of birth and death comes to an end —

Nanak says: when the One joins us to loving worship.

The same flow that moves everything is moving you too.
The deeper layer

Hukam is the flow of existence — not a set of commands barked from above, but the way everything moves. Motion and stillness, pleasure and pain, small and great, all unfold within one rhythm. To be turned toward remembrance inside that flow is itself the blessing — he alone does so, who is blessed.

A Question to Sit With

What is something in your life that flows on its own, without you forcing it?

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

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