????? (du-khee-aa)
Meaning: noun: Grieved, miserable, unhappy.
Quote:
?? ??? ????? ? ????? � ?? ?? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? � ?? ?? ?? ??????
jab lag hukam na boojhtaa�� tab hee lau dukheeaa.
gur mil hukam pachhaa?iaa�� tab hee te sukheeaa.
As long as I did not understand the divine will, I remained unhappy. Since I have recognized the divine will by meeting the Guru, I have become happy. – Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 400
Message: Hukam, divine will, is not an easy term to define. The Sikh encyclopaedia defines hukam as that vital principle which creates, sustains and regulates the universe. All creatures are born, live and die under this order. Some are born in wealth others in poverty; there is evil in some and virtue in others. The aim of life is to realize hukam and abide by it.
A person however, is egoistic and assumes that one has total control over the circumstances of life. One attempts to change, to alter circumstances which are not pleasing, not agreeable. Failing to do so, the person remains unhappy and discontented, suffering pain.
Peace of mind comes from abiding by the will of the Divine. This does not mean blind acceptance but acceptance of our circumstances and situations, with the awareness that comes from the wisdom the teachings of Gurbani impart to us. Humans do have a degree of free will and are in a position to make certain decisions in life. Consequences of these decisions are, many a time, out of our hands and may not be to our liking. This is where acceptance has to come in to ensure some degree of stability.
Humans cannot override hukam. We need to learn to surrender to it. Surrender is only comforting when we understand the wisdom which explains it.
Etymology: Modification of dukhee from Sanskrit duhkhit (pained, unhappy) ? Pali dukkhit ? Prakrit dukkhid/dukkhia ? Kumauni dukhiyaa (unhappy); comparable to Punjabi/Hindi/Gujarati dukhee (unhappy).
