Japuji: Pauree 2

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਆਕਾਰ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਜਾਈ ॥
Hukmī hovan ākār hukam na kahi▫ā jā▫ī.

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਜੀਅ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥
Hukmī hovan jī▫a hukam milai vadi▫ā▫ī.

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਉਤਮੁ ਨੀਚੁ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੁਖ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਈਅਹਿ ॥
Hukmī uṯam nīcẖ hukam likẖ ḏukẖ sukẖ pā▫ī▫ah.

ਇਕਨਾ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਬਖਸੀਸ ਇਕਿ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਦਾ ਭਵਾਈਅਹਿ ॥
Iknā hukmī bakẖsīs ik hukmī saḏā bẖavā▫ī▫ah.

ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
Hukmai anḏar sabẖ ko bāhar hukam na ko▫e.

ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਜੇ ਬੁਝੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥
Nānak hukmai je bujẖai ṯa ha▫umai kahai na ko▫e. ||2||


Things take shape in response to his command. Be it celestial bodies or terrestrial objects, be it living beings or non living things, be it humans or other animals or even plans, everything is created because he has willed them to be. Having said that, Nanak has further said that everything having taken shape on his command, the command in itself is indescribable. The existence of the command is quite evident because we and everything else around us does exist, but the exact nature of the command is not describable because maybe it is one with both the creator and creation. This means that the creator cannot be described separately from his creations. The creator and creation are one and hence god is in everything and everyone!

All the living beings ever born are born out of this command. The command controls the creation and the destruction of living beings and none of these actions can ever be truly controlled by us, the wise humans. Everything from conception of a fetus to decomposition of a corpse is an amazingly complex cycle which Nanak says is a result of gods command. Then he goes on to say that it is the command that decides the fate of the one who is born. It is the one responsible for thrusting greatness on someone. It decides who is to achieve what greatness and glory. If that is the case then how can we be responsible for our success and hence feel proud. Pride needs to be in a job well done and nothing more!

Just as it commands the glorification of an individual, it also controls the depths to which one has to sink in this life. Happiness and sadness, success and failure, are both a result of his command. So we cannot control the outcomes of our actions but we can as thinking beings try to act according to the best of our mental and emotional abilities and then not worry about the end results because they are beyond any humans will!

Some be his will are forgiven their sins and are blessed while others as a result of his command are made to wander aimlessly forever. One thing to note is that the command is a rule and not an exception. Everybody and everything is controlled by his will and nobody is ever exempted from it or beyond the command!

The one who thus realizes the universality of the command and believes in the ever present nature of gods will everywhere and in everything, says Nanak, never believes in egoism. Such an individual is very down to earth and is never egoistical. He never gets bloated by his successes and disheartened by his failures. He is never ecstatic in happiness and disappointed in sadness!

Thus Nanak suggests giving up fake egoisms because both our successes and failures, both our sadnesses and happinesses, pains and pleasure, births and deaths are always subject to his command and hence a result of his will!