Sikhism·Raag Saarang·Shabad 52
Verse 3 of 3

Throne or Grass-Cutter, Still at Peace

ਜੇ ਤਖਤਿ ਬੈਸਾਲਹਿ ਤਉ ਦਾਸ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਰੇ ਘਾਸੁ ਬਢਾਵਹਿ ਕੇਤਕ ਬੋਲਾ ॥
jay takhat baisaaleh ta-o daas tumHaaray ghaas badhaaveh kaytak bolaa.
If You seat me on the throne, then I am Your slave. If You make me a grass-cutter, then what can I say?
ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਪੁਰਖ ਬਿਧਾਤੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਅਗਹ ਅਤੋਲਾ ॥੨॥੧੩॥੩੬॥
jan naanak kay parabh purakh biDhaatay mayray thaakur agah atolaa. ||2||13||36||
Servant Nanak's God is the Primal Lord, the Architect of Destiny, Unfathomable and Immeasurable. ||2||13||36||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

If You place me on a throne, I am Yours; if You hand me the humblest job cutting grass, I am still Yours, and I have nothing to complain about.

Servant Nanak says, the One I belong to shapes everything, deeper and vaster than I could ever measure.

When your worth is rooted in the One, a fancy title and a humble job feel the same inside.
The deeper layer

Sahaj in action is the even-hearted ease that high place or low cannot shake. Takhat (throne) and ghaas badhaaveh (grass-cutting) are the two ends of status, and the aligned heart rests the same in both, because its worth is rooted in something praise and rank cannot move. Bidhaatay, the Architect of Destiny, is agah atolaa — beyond grasping, beyond measuring.

A Question to Sit With

Would you feel differently doing something important versus something lowly — and where does your worth come from?

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

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