Japji Sahib · Stanza 2
Pauri 2
Everything happens within God's Hukam — and understanding this melts away our ego.
Listen and read along
Your child does not need to read Gurmukhi to start this pauri. They can follow the words as they hear them.
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ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਆਕਾਰ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਜਾਈ ॥
Hukmee hovan aakaar hukam na kahiaa jaa-ee.
By God's Hukam all shapes and forms come to be — yet the Hukam itself is too great to fully describe.
ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਜੀਅ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥
Hukmee hovan jee-a hukam milai vadiaa-ee.
By Hukam all living beings come into being, and by Hukam honour is given.
ਹੁਕਮੀ ਉਤਮੁ ਨੀਚੁ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੁਖ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਈਅਹਿ ॥
Hukmee utam neech hukam likh dukh sukh paa-ee-ah.
By Hukam some are high and some are low; by Hukam we are given sorrow and joy.
ਇਕਨਾ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਬਖਸੀਸ ਇਕਿ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਦਾ ਭਵਾਈਅਹਿ ॥
Iknaa hukmee bakhsees ik hukmee sadaa bhavaa-ee-ah.
By Hukam some receive blessings, and some keep wandering.
ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
Hukmai andar sabh ko baahar hukam na ko-e.
Everyone is within Hukam — no one is outside it.
ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਜੇ ਬੁਝੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥
Naanak hukmai je bujhai ta haumai kahai na ko-e. ॥2॥
Says Nanak: whoever truly understands Hukam stops speaking in ego. ॥2॥
✦ The Gurmukhi shown is the original Gurbani. The transliteration and English meaning are a simple, kid-friendly rendering for learning — under review, not a replacement for the original bani.
Words to know
12 words from this stanza
ਹੁਕਮੀ
Hukmee
By the Hukam; by God's command
ਆਕਾਰ
Aakaar
Forms; shapes (all that is created)
ਵਡਿਆਈ
Vadiaa-ee
Greatness; honour
ਹਉਮੈ
Haumai
Ego; the feeling of 'me and mine'
ਜੀਅ
Jee-a
Living beings; souls
ਉਤਮੁ
Utam
High; noble
ਨੀਚੁ
Neech
Low; lowly
ਦੁਖ
Dukh
Sorrow; pain
ਸੁਖ
Sukh
Joy; happiness
ਬਖਸੀਸ
Bakhsees
Blessings; grace
ਅੰਦਰਿ
Andar
Within; inside
ਬਾਹਰਿ
Baahar
Outside; beyond
Play & remember
Activities for this stanza
Guess what each Gurmukhi word means, then flip the card to check.
What does this word mean?
Take a guess, then flip the card.
A calm sheet with the Gurmukhi on a floral border — print it and color while you learn this stanza.
Print coloring sheet