Sikhism·Raag Raamkalee·Shabad 72
Verse 4 of 5

The One Behind Every Wonder

ਦੇਹੀ ਗੁਪਤ ਬਿਦੇਹੀ ਦੀਸੈ ॥
dayhee gupat bidayhee deesai.
The visible body is hidden, and the etheric body is seen.
ਸਗਲੇ ਸਾਜਿ ਕਰਤ ਜਗਦੀਸੈ ॥
saglay saaj karat jagdeesai.
The Lord of the world does all these things.
ਠਗਣਹਾਰ ਅਣਠਗਦਾ ਠਾਗੈ ॥
thaganhaar an-thagdaa thaagai.
The one who is cheated, is not cheated by the cheat.
ਬਿਨੁ ਵਖਰ ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਲਾਗੈ ॥੩॥
bin vakhar fir fir uth laagai. ||3||
With no merchandise, the trader trades again and again. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The body you can see stays hidden, and the unseen self comes into view.

The Lord of the world does all of these things.

The cheat does not manage to cheat the one he set out to cheat.

With no goods to sell, the trader gets up and trades again and again.

Behind every strange turn of things is the same steady One.
The deeper layer

Saglay saaj karat jagdeesai: the Maker of the world is behind every one of these turns. However strange things look, one steady hand shapes them all.

The riddles finally point past themselves to their author. The last line is one more riddle: a trader with nothing to sell who keeps on trading. Readers take it in different ways; one is the restless mind that keeps busy with nothing of worth in its hands.

A Question to Sit With

When something confusing happens, what helps you trust it will make sense in time?

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

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